My Review of A Clockwork Orange (1971)

 

Written And Directed by Stanley Kubrick 

Alex: "I was cured, all right!"

I'm not entirely sure if this fits into my horror binge of movies and shows this month but then I remember, this was a movie that was so controversial, it was once banned. Yup, that was something that happened to this particular film.

There was a crime wave in Britain at the time and it certainly inspired the making of this film. A bunch of delinquent youths led by the charismatic, dangerous and disaffected Alex DeLarge (Malcolm McDowell) made for a frightening force.

These youths weren't just content with sneaking into bars at night that they were too young for. They also enjoyed acts of vandalism but targeting a well off couple in the middle of nowhere wasn't their brightest ideas.

The scene where Alex and his band of droogs - Pete (Michael Tarn), Georgie (James Marcus), and Dim (Warren Clarke) attacked writer Frank Alexander (Patrick Magee) and wife, Mary (Adrienne Corri). Even to this day, it's one of the most shocking displays of physical and sexual assault commited to film and made for an uncomfortable watch.

Of course, it's this horrible act of violence that brought about the eventual capture of Alex himself. He's forced to undergo extreme methods of aversion therapy called the Ludovico technique to curb his sadistic tendencies. It worked enough to get his freedom back but at a cost.

Alex would try to behave himself and even couldn't have sex with a woman without reservations. However it was his reunion with Frank that saw the latter get his own revenge and drive Alex to suicide. Alex of course made it out of the film alive and with a rather nifty job position. He was cured alright.

- Based on the book by Anthony Burgess of the same name. It's mostly a faithful adaptation too, excluding the final scene.

- One of the first films not to have opening credits after the title and most of the continuity errors were intentional.

- Standout music: The macabre use of both Singin' In The Rain and Beethoven's Ninth Symphony.

- Chronology: A futuristic dystopian Britain was the setting for this movie.

A Clockwork Orange undoubtedly earned it's reputation as botha masterful piece of filmmaking by Stanley Kubrick and one of the most depraved pieces of film ever to hit the big screen. Throw in a glorious lead performance from Alex McDowell and this film's a masterpiece.

Rating: 9 out of 10