In this paper, I want to examine Kubrick's work for the notion of man interacting with machines and relate it to various theoretical models that also deal with the relation of man and machine. I chose the term 'machine' as a generic term for any theory applying technological, mechanical or machinic ideas, most of which using the machine as a metaphor for sociological, philosophical or psychoanalytic approaches.
At the same time, I want to illustrate on the basis of Kubrick’s work how the theoretical discourse on this topic has changed in the course of time. Being initially cut down to a very literal understanding of machines as actual physical devices, the 20th century discourse about technology has shown that the demarcation line between what is nature and what is technology is not as easily drawn as it might appear. Man is inseparably bound up with his tools and culture as a whole could be regarded as some kind of machinery. Thus, a great part of both this paper and Kubrick's work deals with the notion of a cultural machine.
Another part, however, will leave the narrow view of the machine as a strictly cultural metaphor. Recent philosophical currents like the work of Deleuze, Maturana and the academic gender discourse try to evolve a new coining of the term ‘machinic’ that goes beyond rigid dualistic notions. I will try to show that these ideas can be found in Kubrick’s films as well.
Table of Contents
I. Introduction – Kubrick and the Machine
II. The Cultural Machine
A. The Dualism of Order and Chaos
1. Order
1.1 2001 – A Struggle for Existence?
1.2 Closed Circuit s
1.3 Communication as an End in Itself
1.4 System, Plan, Machine
1.5 The Age of Reason
1.6 Society as Theater
2. Chaos
2.1 What is Your Major Malfunction, Numbnuts?
B. The Psychoanalytic Machine
1 The Duality of Man
2. Reboot Camp
3. The Marine Symbolic
4. Male Machinic Fantasy
5. The Cinematic Apparatus
5.1 The Eye and the Gaze
III. Becoming Machine
A. The Wedding Dance of the Machines
B. Full Metal Machine
1. The Marine Corps
2. The Lusthog Squad
C. Desire Machines and Schizoanalysis
D. The World as Brain
V. Conclusion – The Postmodern Kubrick
Research Objectives and Themes
This paper examines Stanley Kubrick's filmography through the lens of man-machine interaction, exploring how technological and mechanical metaphors reflect broader sociological, philosophical, and psychoanalytic concerns regarding the human condition, social order, and the disintegration of the individual within systemic structures.
- Analysis of the dualism between order and chaos in Kubrick’s narratives.
- Examination of the "cultural machine" and the role of communication and social discipline.
- Exploration of psychoanalytic interpretations of Kubrick's characters and cinematic apparatus.
- Investigation of Deleuzian "machinic" models, including desiring-machines and the "body without organs."
- The conceptualization of the world as a brain in Kubrick’s late cinema.
Excerpt from the Book
I. Introduction – Kubrick and the Machine
Stanley Kubrick (1929-1999) can be regarded as one of the outstanding Anglo-American film directors. This cannot only be said about his work, which attracted major attention since his sudden engagement as a director for Kirk Douglas' big budget production Spartacus and which then later developed into the typical Kubrickian style; in addition, Kubrick's whole career was attended by his peculiar image as a director, which made him both famous and notorious like only a few other film directors. His image is not only due to his alleged perfectionism that verged on pedantry, but to the controversial nature of his films as well. Many critics despise his films, assuming that Kubrick's interest in a clear and perfect visual and narrative style exceeds his interest in his characters. Indeed, such an assumption could be supported, considering films like 2001 – A Space Odyssey, Barry Lyndon or Full Metal Jacket. In a traditional understanding of literary theory, the characters in these films might not even be described as flat, i.e. "constructed round a single idea or quality" (Forster 65) in order to be "easily remembered" (Forster 67), but rather as being on the verge of non-existence, which makes Kubrick's films hard to endure for some viewers. Such an account, however, ignores the notion that his films may not be concerned with the creation of credible characters in the first place. Instead, they could be described as some kind of test arrangement in which isolated objects interact with other isolated objects. His characters’ implementation in an intricate surrounding is reminiscent of the interaction with a complex apparatus, with a machine.
Summary of Chapters
I. Introduction – Kubrick and the Machine: The introduction establishes the paper's focus on Kubrick’s films as test arrangements where characters interact like objects within a complex machine, setting the stage for subsequent theoretical analysis.
II. The Cultural Machine: This chapter analyzes how technology and social organization impose order on humanity, eventually leading to systemic failure and the emergence of chaotic, repressed elements through psychological lenses.
III. Becoming Machine: This section transitions to postmodern and Deleuzian philosophical frameworks, examining how Kubrick's work moves beyond rigid dualisms toward an amalgamation of man and machine in "becoming."
V. Conclusion – The Postmodern Kubrick: The final chapter summarizes how Kubrick’s diverse and ambiguous filmography bridges early modern theories with postmodern perspectives on the organic and the machinic.
Keywords
Stanley Kubrick, Man-Machine Interaction, Cultural Machine, Deleuze, Psychoanalysis, Order and Chaos, Cinematic Apparatus, Subjectivity, Full Metal Jacket, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Barry Lyndon, Postmodernism, Desiring-Machines, Body without Organs, Schizoanalysis
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this thesis?
The work examines Stanley Kubrick’s films as explorations of the interaction between human beings and machines, utilizing various theoretical models such as psychoanalysis and systems theory to interpret these relationships.
What are the central thematic fields?
The paper centers on the dualism of order versus chaos, the role of social and disciplinary structures, and the representation of the human subject in an increasingly automated or "machinic" culture.
What is the core research objective?
The aim is to demonstrate how Kubrick’s work moves from a literal, technological understanding of machines to a metaphorical and philosophical use of "the machinic," illustrating how his characters function within complex systemic apparatuses.
Which scientific methods are employed?
The author uses a multidisciplinary approach, applying concepts from traditional Western philosophy, Freudian and Lacanian psychoanalysis, Foucault's disciplinary society theories, and the Deleuzian concepts of desiring-machines and the "body without organs."
What is treated in the main body?
The main body investigates the tension between systematic order and inherent chaotic elements in films like 2001, Dr. Strangelove, and Full Metal Jacket, before transitioning to a more contemporary Deleuzian reading of "becoming" in Kubrick’s later works.
Which keywords best characterize the work?
The work is defined by terms like machinic culture, postmodernism, subjectivity, the cinematic apparatus, and the integration of the organic and the technical.
How does the author interpret the role of language in the Marine Corps?
The author argues that language in the boot camp is a tool of control and identity formation, designed to reduce individual complexity and reconstruct the recruits into standardized, machine-like "maggots."
What significance is attributed to the "orgy" scene in Eyes Wide Shut?
The author views the orgy as a representation of a self-referential social system where masks and roles act as a facade, masking the fundamental senselessness of society's apparatuses.
- Quote paper
- Thorsten Felden (Author), 2006, Man/Machine Interaction in the Work of Stanley Kubrick, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/75545
