Stanley Kubrick and the Illusion of Control

After completing the review on Hitchcock and obtaining a glimpse of one of the early geniuses that helped to establish the frame we view as classic Hollywood style, we moved into the intriguing style of Stanley Kubrick.  As Webster points out in his book Love and Death in Kubrick: A Critical Study of the Films from Lolita Through Eyes Wide Shut, Kubrick loved to take a genre and turn it on its head.  His movies spanned various genres, from war style documentaries in “Dr. Strangelove" and “Full Metal Jacket”, to youthful rebellion in “A Clockwork Orange”, to marital problems in the best of circumstances in “Eyes Wide Shut”.  Despite his changes in genres, however, one common theme seems to be that control is illusory.  In each of these narratives, various characters within the story learn that a control they took for granted did not in fact exist.  

Each of the movies we saw this semester showed this theme to varying degrees, but I will go into their usage in three of the films listed above.  In “Dr. Strangelove” we see the government attempts to control a situation that is far worse than any they anticipated due to other factors also attempting to keep control.  In “A Clockwork Orange” we see government again trying to control a population of people.  We also see a group attempting to find control by acting in manners befitting of being out of control.  In “Eyes Wide Shut” we move completely from government controls to societal and marital controls.  Bill thinks he has a control in his marriage he does not in fact possess.  Societally, Bill struggles to find control of his destiny toward attempting to move into a social class he is not in fact a part of.  Viewing these three, we can see a pattern within Kubrick’s work moving from the larger world perspective toward a more personal experience.  We may see patterns and problems with things larger than ourselves and our environment, but it all starts small.  Maybe a theme is in order to change things globally, we need to first act locally.

“Dr. Strangelove" begins with the idea of a threat during the Cold War requiring one of the B52’s always out and ready to deliver a payload being called to do so.  We then find out that General Ripper who has enacted “Plan R” did so without a threat.  He was pushing the government into making a call and starting a war.  “…and when they realize there is no possibility of recalling…there will be only one course of action open. Total Commitment.”  In this sense, we see the military (or even worse one crazy general) superseding the government’s authority and making a unilateral decision.  The assembly in the War Room, including the President, cannot fathom that something like this could happen.  The waffling done when the President is speaking to the Russian Prime Minister is also very interesting as neither believe they are so without control that this could happen and that little can be done about it.  Kubrick tops everything regarding that illusory control with bringing in the “doomsday device” that will, once an attack happened, essentially end the possibility for life to survive on Earth.  Dr. Strangelove himself mentions that such a device can only be used as a deterrent to war IF the other party knows about it, again showing that half truths and the illusion of control can lead to our own destruction.

Although “2001: A Space Odyssey” is not one of the subjects of this essay, this idea of control as an illusion can be seen very clearly with HAL—both how the astronauts think they have the control over HAL, and ending where HAL’s final descent into humanity means he would leave himself with no one to upkeep him, ultimately killing himself.  As Dr. Strangelove tells us, the strength is in the appearance of control.  When we think we actually have control, we are bound to learn that is not in fact the case.

“A Clockwork Orange” dealt with the idea of control on quite a few levels.  First we have Alex and his gang.  Alex thinks he has control of his gang, but does not.  They find a way to burn him as soon as he can.  He winds up in jail and they become police officers.  This is a very fun message on who actually enforces the law (another government jab), but also shows how little control Alex actually had in a situation in which he thought he was the boss.

We have the control change that happens with the writer’s house, where the first time Alex and his gang seemed to be in control, but the second time clearly the writer was.  Or was he?  because he was fueled by his need for revenge, not by any actual control of the situation.

The government control also comes in with the manipulation of Alex in the program to make crime abhorrent to him.  In this sense, the government attempted to control the violence in Alex’s nature through psychological means, not taking into control the possible problems with such conditioning.  This conditioning removes the control of choice from the subject, which is a very dangerous direction to go in entirely.  If the government can be allowed to control choice, where will they stop?  They could control everything you buy, listen to, where you go with your free time.  The possibilities are endless.  Did they do some kind of surgical reversal of the conditioning when he was hospitalized after jumping out the window?  That is the question.  

In “The Shining” we see Jack’s attempts to control his environment fail spectacularly.  He has brought his family to a deserted hotel so that he can write, but that is not what happens.  The harder he attempts to keep control of the situation, the more that control slips away from him.

The culmination of Kubrick’s lifework can be seen with “Eyes Wide Shut” a great movie delving into the illusion of control within relationships.  This movie is about a couple who have been married for quite some time.  They have a seven year old daughter.  They are entirely comfortable in their relationship.  Alice is urinating when Bill comes in to check himself in the mirror. She asks how her hair looks.  Their lovemaking is intimate and regular from the appearance of things.  Both of them are incredibly attractive.  At the party, Bill is talking to two models, while Alice gets hit on (and dances with) an older gentleman.  Afterward, Alice asks if he had sex with the two women as he disappeared for a while.  It seems she trusts him, but maybe fueled by the marijuana and wondering where he was when he disappeared made her ask the way she did.  He, asks about the older man she was dancing with, but does not seem overly interested in what happened.  He indicates it is because he trusts her.  She is offended by his reaction.  Does he not think she is desirable?  Maybe he thinks no one else would ever want her?  She tells him a story, not about cheating on him, but on a fantasy where she wanted to cheat on him.  He was floored by the mere idea that she had feelings for men other than him.

It seems that this shock is the catalyst for the rest of Bill’s actions in the movie.  His late night wanderings, nearly sleeping with a prostitute, taking off and going to a random party that he wasn’t invited to and witnessing an orgy.  Throughout his travels he continues to obsess over the idea of Alice having sex with the officer.  It is as if he cannot unsee it. He thought he had a level of control in their relationship that he did not in fact have.  The realization of this gave power to Alice.  At the end, we see that he asks HER what they should do about everything that has transpired.  Maybe now he finally sees their relationship as equal—they both have something to offer.  They both love, they share control.

Additionally we see a great deal about society and control.  Bill is constantly showing off who he is.  He is a doctor, he shows his certification to that fact—even to the guy running the costume store.  Essentially, Bill was saying that opening up the costume shop after hours may seem strange, but I have money and title and so you will want to do this for me.  We know that Bill has gotten himself into the holiday party they were in at the beginning because he made house calls.  He has gotten into their good graces by being amicable, being what they need.  Even at the party he has to go and help Mr. Ziegler’s side woman who was overdosing.  Was Bill invited because of the fear that something like that could happen?  Was his invite a gift because he has saved people before?  Bill and Alice, although beautiful and well dressed, do not belong with this group.  Bill is not really in the group—he is allowed to be there because of the way he has helped them, but they don’t really accept them.  

Bill is surprised that Ziegler is involved in that orgy—but the same pianist was at both parties.  Bill didn’t think there could be a connection?  With the woman who O.D.’d there and Ziegler, it is a safe bet that the orgy society involved quite a few of that upper crust society most likely involved with drugs and murder.  Bill cannot see it for what it is.  He is as intrigued by the orgy as the other party—attempting to play his part.  He lacks the understanding that his degree and money does not give him control.  Neither does his ability to buy sex.  At the orgy, he is emasculated by the group, forced to take off his mask, and would have had to take off more if it was not for the intervention.  Webster goes into detail with this in his book (p.156) “The mystery Woman…saves Bill’s ego and body from symbolic, imaginary and perhaps real castration” (Webster quoting Mark Pizzato).

Regarding sex, Bill goes home with a prostitute, Domino,  but is called by Alice while he is in the bedroom before they begin.  He winds up leaving, but paying Domino for his time.  The next day he goes back with a peace offering for Domino.  She is not in, but her roommate is there.  She tells Bill that Domino just found out that morning that she has tested positive for HIV.  Bill dodged a bullet walking away from sex with Domino the night before.  Staying faithful to Alice the night before, and allowing her interruption to control the situation to the point that he left potentially saved him from something far worse.

It seems that sometimes control is not a bad thing, but really the problem is thinking thinking that one is in control becomes a handicap.    In each of these situations, the control was illusory.  If any of these people had understood how little real power they had in each of their respective positions, they would most likely have made much more clear (and productive) decisions.  When we realize how little control we actually have in a situation, we are free to see the whole picture and how everything fits together.