A Clockwork Orange

Starring: Malcolm McDowell, Patrick Magee, Adrienne Corri, Miriam Karlin
Directed by: Stanley Kubrick
Rating: R
Genre: Drama, Thriller
1971

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A young sociopath (Malcolm McDowell) is arrested and volunteers to undergo a brainwashing treatment in order to obtain a shorter jail sentence. Unexpected affects cause him to regret the decision.

Review:

Tim: Stanley Kubrick's somewhat experimental film is not for everyone. Some people will hail it as the work of a genius, others, that of a madman. Whatever your side, the film is incredibly controversial and any sophisticated movie watcher needs to add it to their repetoire.

The movie starts out very, very violently- we see homeless people abused, gangs fighting gangs, rapes, murders, the whole lot. This is occasionally gruesome (by 1970s standards, and still a little disturbing today). This is important because Kubrick will pull certain themes out of this mayhem which provides stark contrast to the rest of the movie.

Kubrick is just one out-there dude. On one hand, it is so important for directors to stay away from watered-down mainstream crap all the time. On the other, a film too far out there alienates viewers. Kubrick flirted with that line throughout his career. While this isn't his most accessible film, it isn't his most alienating one, either. I personally liked some of his other films better, although this one possesses a strange quality unlike any other.

Whether you like it or not, A Clockwork Orange is regarded as an important classic, so you might as well see it and discover to which camp you fall.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: 2001: A Space Odyssey, Full Metal Jacket, Eyes Wide Shut