A Clockwork Orange is endlessly fascinating and cryptic. It’s a shame that, as authors, we have used Nadsat and had the chance to explore it fully but still haven’t bought a decent copy of the book yet…thus it won’t appear in our first imminent catalogue… ;/
Authored by Tom McLeane
Stanley Kubrick’s films are renowned not only for their cinematic mastery but also for the dense layers of hidden meanings, symbols, and coded words embedded throughout his work.
Among his oeuvre, A Clockwork Orange stands out as a film rich with such cryptic elements, combining Kubrick’s fascination with visual motifs, esoteric references, and social commentary.
One particularly striking aspect in the movie is the subtle but significant appearance of the term “Ger Toshav”. This Hebrew term traditionally means “resident stranger” or “ally non-Jew” and implies a non-Jew living among Jews who accepts universal moral laws without fully converting.
In the film, when Alex sits in his room listening to Ludwig van Beethoven, close inspection reveals a yellow bag beneath his desk inscribed with the letters “GER.” This is widely interpreted as a nod to the Ger Toshav concept, possibly symbolizing Alex’s conflicted identity, outsider status, or the deeper moral and societal questions Kubrick explores through his protagonist.
Another powerful symbolic inclusion is found at the infamous Korova Milk Bar, a central and recurring location. The bar’s name in Russian, “Korova”, means “cow,” tying directly to the milk-based drinks served there. Above the bar or in its surroundings, the word “MOLOKO” appears prominently, a transliteration of the Russian word for milk. However, Kubrick’s choice to highlight “MOLOKO” resonates on a maliciously deeper level, invoking the ancient pagan deity Moloch, a bigger lurid cow, historically worshipped by Canaanites and symbolizing blood sacrifice, especially of children, and dark power. Kubrick’s layered symbolism here alludes to the elite’s alleged sinister and ritualistic behaviors, with Moloch representing a dark, oppressive force behind the film’s dystopian violence and psychological manipulation.
Further deepening the cryptic tapestry is the subtle reference to Drengrom, a distorted allusion invoking adrenochrome—a controversial, much-debated chemical derived from adrenal glands. According to various conspiracy narratives, this mysterious substance is consumed by a powerful elite involved in ritualistic practices, linking back to Moloch worship and sinister secret societies.
Kubrick’s inclusion of this veiled term is seen by some analytical viewers as a deliberate link between the film’s depiction of control, manipulation, and a broader hidden world of occult influence.
A hallmark visual motif consistently embedded by Kubrick across multiple films, including 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange, Full Metal Jacket, Eyes Wide Shut, and The Shining, is the enigmatic Pattern of Seven Diamonds. This recurring symbol often appears arranged in a 5 + 2 grouping, showcased in architectural elements, props, set designs, and framing compositions. The presence of this diamond pattern serves as a visual code or path, potentially representing concepts of hierarchy, duality, esoteric knowledge, or spiritual and philosophical themes Kubrick favorited.
In A Clockwork Orange, these seven diamonds appear in scenes with wooden diamonds highlighted by specific camera angles, subtly reinforcing the layered symbolism of control, power structures, and hidden meanings beneath the surface narrative.
The pattern also crosses into Kubrick’s other works, where it similarly hints at deeper, concealed levels of meaning—whether the ritualistic elite ambiance in Eyes Wide Shut, the psychological descent in The Shining, or the brutal military indoctrination in Full Metal Jacket.
This diamond motif acts as a unifying icon linking Kubrick’s exploration of human nature, societal order, and concealed forces shaping destiny.
Kubrick’s genius lies in his ability to weave these dense symbolic threads seamlessly into his storytelling, creating films that invite endless interpretation and analysis, and such esoteric embedding and the seven diamond path are hallmarks across Kubrick’s work, demanding viewers engage in thoughtful, layered decoding to fully appreciate the dark, sublime, and mysterious worlds he created.
