Kubrick stare

Malcolm McDowell (in character as Alex) doing a Kubrick stare in A Clockwork Orange. Far Out describes McDowell's gaze as almost "acknowledging the audience’s presence".[1]

The Kubrick stare is a technique used to portray insane or unstable characters in film.[2] In a Kubrick stare, an actor looks out from under the brow line and tilts their head towards the camera.[3] Actors often use the stare to foreshadow something "intense".[1] Deemed "one of cinema's most recognizable shots" by The Daily Telegraph,[4] the technique is named after Stanley Kubrick, who often used it, but it has also been used by other directors before and since.[4] The term was coined by cinematographer Douglas Milsome to describe one of Alex's facial expressions in the Kubrick film A Clockwork Orange (1971).

Critics have noted the Kubrick stare for its ability to break the fourth wall and to evoke fear. Robbie Collin has also written on how some actors are more suited to perform the Kubrick stare because of their facial structures.

  1. ^ a b Ferrier, Aimee (2023-03-22). "The meaning behind the trademark Stanley Kubrick stare". Far Out. Archived from the original on 2024-06-29. Retrieved 2024-06-29.
  2. ^ Kjeldgaard-Christiansen, Jens (2024-03-22). "What Is Creepiness, and What Makes ChatGPT Creepy?". Leviathan: Interdisciplinary Journal in English (10): 3. doi:10.7146/lev102024144284. ISSN 2446-3981. Archived from the original on 2024-05-29. Retrieved 2024-06-29.
  3. ^ Knight, Chris (2010-11-06). "The story behind Toy Story 3". The Vancouver Sun. p. 73. Archived from the original on 2024-07-26. Retrieved 2024-07-04.
  4. ^ a b Collin, Robbie (2023-08-25). "Why Trump's 'Kubrick Stare' mugshot is straight out of the horror film playbook". The Daily Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Archived from the original on 2023-08-26. Retrieved 2024-06-29.