In an attempt to shorten his prison sentence, a young hooligan (Malcolm McDowell) agrees to an experimental treatment which will make him adverse to rape and ultra-violence.
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Though different in setting, character, subject matter etc. A Clockwork Orange, Barry Lyndon, The Shining, Full Metal Jacket and Eyes Wide Shut all have precisely the same narrative structure, they're split right down the middle. Think about it for a sec. Everyone that Alex encounters prior to the Ludovico treatment, will be met again after. We witness Sir Redmond Barry's rise, then his fall. There is Jack Torrance before his first ghostly drink, and there is Jack Torrance after. Full Metal Jacket is clearly split between basic training and Vietnam. Lastly there is Eyes Wide Shut where all the places Dr. Harford visits at night are returned to in the clear light of day. This consistency of structure is then mirrored in the consistent visual style which was applied to all of these films. They were all shot with wide-angle lenses in the 1.66:1 aspect ratio, used natural/source lighting, prominently featured slow zooms and most importantly, they all made abundant use of symmetrical compositions. Symmetrical stories, symmetrical style. Just a thought...
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