A Clockwork Orange Review: A Disturbing Kubrick Masterpiece
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A Clockwork Orange
Director: Stanley Kubrick
9
Where to Watch A Clockwork Orange?
A Clockwork Orange is one of the oddest movies I’ve seen to date. Bar none. It’s also spectacular. The movie throws balance and rhythm out the window, quickly shifting from one direction to another. It’s a wild ride, but I enjoyed it.
The story of A Clockwork Orange follows Alex, a young man who is the ringleader of three other boys. They get themselves into trouble on numerous occasions, coming every act of violence they can. They call it extreme violence, which sums it up perfectly. Four young men in charge of themselves, running wild until they happen to get caught. This results in Alex going to prison, which is where the story takes quite a turn.
The story is thought-provoking, but the emphasis is always on Alex and his character. Everything else is just noise. Events, people, locations, it all comes back to how it affects Alex. The character development is interesting over the course of the film, even if some of that is fabricated. The methods used to change this violent, vile young man into a pacifist were extreme, but it put A Clockwork Orange into an odd space of science fiction where I could imagine tests like that both occurring and potentially working to the same effect.
It was awful and intense, but so were Alex’s actions prior to his arrest. The rest of the movie shows the after-effects of this treatment, including Alex’s reintroduction into society. It was jarring and uncomfortable, exactly as you’d expect it to be. Not everyone believes he was magically cured of this extreme violence, and it shows.
Undoubtedly my favourite part of this story was the believability. Stanley Kubrick has crafted a film that feels ridiculous, the events before, during and after the treatment. Yet it feels ominously possible. It feels like it wouldn’t take much for this to be a ‘based-on-a-true-story film’, and it adds a layer of discomfort to the viewing experience. The line between reality and fiction blurs in a brilliant way that will have the hairs on your arms standing up straight.
That being said, beware watching the uncut version. It’s 18A for a reason, and golly do they show everything. For those of you trying to avoid violence or gore, this isn’t a great pick. If nudity is the issue, close this review right now. The amount of sexual content and nudity in this film is insane. It adds to the authenticity of the film, not pulling any punches, but it makes for a mature viewing experience. Some of the scenes are odd, and it doesn’t always feel necessary, so if that is an issue at all I would avoid A Clockwork Orange.
Another positive is Malcolm McDowell’s performance as Alex. It’s amazing. Not only is he the perfect casting choice for the violent street urchin that we start the movie with, but he’s also perfect for the scared Alex, the empathetic Alex, and all the other character changes that occur naturally and synthetically. His performance during the testing period is crazy. The entire scene is crazy, eyeballs held open like that, but his performance is what takes the cake.
He manages to redeem an awful character in such a way that even though the audience knows Alex is a terrible human, you feel bad for him in those moments of true despair. You’ve seen the vile actions and you know this is not a good person, but he is reduced to a desperate young man and it is an incredible performance.
For being 50+ years old, A Clockwork Orange holds up very well. Sure the visuals aren’t as sharp as today’s film, but it feels era-appropriate. A movie set in the 70s with crystal clear visuals would feel beyond odd. The storyline feels oddly realistic, even if it’s equally disgusting. Blurring that line between fiction and reality takes a special touch, and Kubrick does a fantastic job.
Overall, A Clockwork Orange continues to be a great movie with a pointed storyline. Kubrick made the decision to not pull any punches in the uncut version of this film, and while it does create some odd scenes and some gross scenes, it helps build an uncomfortable atmosphere. No part of this is a feel-good story or a fun watch, but it is a well-crafted film. Changing gears significantly, the next movie on this list is North by Northwest.