A Clockwork Orange
by Stanley Kubrick
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: John Clive, Malcolm McDowell, Michael Bates, Patrick Magee, Warren ClarkeDirector: Stanley Kubrick
Cinematographer: John Alcott
Producer: Stanley Kubrick
Writer: Stanley Kubrick
Producer: Bernard Williams
Producer: Max L. Raab
Producer: Si Litvinoff
Writer: Anthony Burgess
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0; French (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0; English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled)
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Letterboxed, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.66:1
Running Time: 136 minutes
DVD Release Date: 1999-06-29
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: Warner Home Video
Movie Reviews of A Clockwork Orange
Movie Review: Nearly 40 Years Old and Still Ahead of It's Time
Summary: 4 Stars
A Clockwork Orange, on all counts, is a great film. It has an interesting plot, excellent film-making, relatable social commentary, and fantastic art direction. Argubably, it is Stanley Kubrick's best work, and certainly his most exciting, film, and when it comes to the message, it's more personal and easily gets into my brain.
First the plot. Despite the fact that some of the scenes are a bore (very few, but they detract from the movie), there's pretty of thought provoking, good dialouge, and of course, social commentary. Malcolm Mcdowell is a great actor, full of Charisma that makes us like Alex Delarge despite all of his violent antics. The first half hour of the movie is absolutely exciting, full of fantastic imagery, and nihilistic scenes that both glorify and detract the use of violence and $#%. It's also one of those movies that feel like a ride, and much like a great musical album where you just get giddy thinking of all the songs that await you, it makes you look back and see just where the movie took you. And despite the fact I am supposed to be repulsed by the violence, the sped up scene with Alex and the two girls from the record shop is absolutely hilarious.
The Social commentary raises a lot of questions, but the most effective one for me is the notion of violence. The commentary about violence is enough to make me justify the sketchniess of pacifism and peace making douchebags. There is no question that Alex Delarge does wrong when it comes to violating woman, beating up an old bum in the gutter, and killing a person's wife by r&p#. But watching Alex become revolvted by violence is just sad. His inability to fight back let's the piece of _____ named Joe make him feel terrible about himself, and even worse, let his _____hole former droogs nearly beat him and drown him to death (drowning and suffocation in general is, in my opinion, the cruelest way to die). For me, it shows that violence is necessary for survival, and the inability to feel the need for violence and aggression in certain cases is a tragic disaster, and a violation of our need to survive this world full of ammoraltily.
One of the other big treats is also the stunning film making and art direction. From beginning to end (even the techinicolor title credits), there is memorable imagery handed with some stunning musical directions. Wendy/Walter (that's right. he/she is a transexual) Carlos' cool electronic soundtrack gives the film a cold, futuristic feel, somewhat surreal, or maybe not. Kubrick's use of classical music works wonders, and it couples well with some of the slow and fast motion techniques displayed in the movie. The sets are futuristic, sleek, and beautiful. It's definitely an arty movie, but the art direction only enchaches the greatness of the movie even more! Wow
There are few things that prevent A Clockwork Orange from getting a full rating. First, some of the parts of the film are kind of boring. The preacher scene is utterly useless the second time around (since the mystery of what he does in prison is already solved, there's no reason to watch it again). Scenes like this also include the part where he signs the paper before doing the treatment, and (mostly the prison scenes is where the movie lags a bit). ANd I didn't like the fact we didn't get to see him with his reborn antics, because I would have loved to see some fantastic, slow motion display of him destroying his friends that betrayed him. At least the movie ends in an epic, climatic way. And hey, the scene at the end shows he's at least cured the appreciate another vital component to live: Lust.
I also think that you should also read the book as well. Both are great, but please read the book as well.
I've rambled enough. A Clockwork Orange is nearly 40 years and still ahead of it's time. Now that's staying power. I sometimes tend to find regarded art like this somewhat pretentious, and a bit unreltable and wooden in it's ability for us to feel what social commentary the movie makers are trying to say (even harder to do with a movie than a novel or book, no less). A Clockwork Orange is none of these things. This movie is worth watching and should forever be known for it's legacy.
B+
Summary of A Clockwork Orange
Stanley Kubrick's striking visual interpretation of Anthony Burgess's famous novel is a masterpiece. Malcolm McDowell delivers a clever, tongue-in-cheek performance as Alex, the leader of a quartet of droogs, a vicious group of young hoodlums who spend their nights stealing cars, fighting rival gangs, breaking into people's homes, and raping women. While other directors would simply exploit the violent elements of such a film without subtext, Kubrick maintains Burgess's dark, satirical social commentary. We watch Alex transform from a free-roaming miscreant into a convict used in a government experiment that attempts to reform criminals through an unorthodox new medical treatment. The catch, of course, is that this therapy may be nothing better than a quick cure-all for a society plagued by rampant crime. A Clockwork Orange works on many levels--visual, social, political, and sexual--and is one of the few films that hold up under repeated viewings. Kubrick not only presents colorfully arresting images, he also stylizes the film by utilizing classical music (and Wendy Carlos's electronic classical work) to underscore the violent scenes, which even today are disturbing in their display of sheer nihilism. Ironically, many fans of the film have missed that point, sadly being entertained by its brutality rather than being repulsed by it. --Bryan ReesmanStanley Kubrick's striking visual interpretation of Anthony Burgess's famous novel is a masterpiece. Malcolm McDowell delivers a clever, tongue-in-cheek performance as Alex, the leader of a quartet of droogs, a vicious group of young hoodlums who spend their nights stealing cars, fighting rival gangs, breaking into people's homes, and raping women. While other directors would simply exploit the violent elements of such a film without subtext, Kubrick maintains Burgess's dark, satirical social commentary. We watch Alex transform from a free-roaming miscreant into a convict used in a government experiment that attempts to reform criminals through an unorthodox new medical treatment. The catch, of course, is that this therapy may be nothing better than a quick cure-all for a society plagued by rampant crime. A Clockwork Orange works on many levels--visual, social, political, and sexual--and is one of the few films that hold up under repeated viewings. Kubrick not only presents colorfully arresting images, he also stylizes the film by utilizing classical music (and Wendy Carlos's electronic classical work) to underscore the violent scenes, which even today are disturbing in their display of sheer nihilism. Ironically, many fans of the film have missed that point, sadly being entertained by its brutality rather than being repulsed by it. --Bryan Reesman
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