Average Rating: 
Rating:  - So Far Ahead Of Its Time, Its FRIGHTENING!
This filmed adaptation of Anthony Burgess' book is shot out of a cannon and it never lets up with the pace. Kubrick created a film set in a near-future London where gangs rule the streets to such an extent that the authorities must use drastic measures to stop the violence.The main character of Alex is played (with a maniacal glint in his eye) by Malcolm McDowell. It's McDowell's breakout acting performance. All of the other actors are incidental to Alex, as we watch him and his "Droogs" terrorize, rape, and plunder like pirates on the high-seas. But when Alex is double-crossed by his gangster buddies, Alex's troubles really begin. Alex undergoes a brainwashing regimen in order to get him to associate everything that excited him with a regurgitation effect. This is modern society's way of dealing with hopeless cases like Alex. But, does the experiment succeed? That's for you to discover. The film was supposedly banned in Britain due to its content, but the truth is the film played in Britain for a short amount of time, and Kubrick saw that some sick British fans of the film were emulating the violence of the Droogs. This so upset him that he refused to release the film again in the UK. It took decades for the film to be shown again to a British audience. That is a testament to the film's powerful message. It is a character study about humanity, and what happens when we think we can control a seemingly uncontrollable situation. It is hard to watch at times, even in the 21st Century, but it is a landmark film by one of the 20th Century's greatest film directors, Stanley Kubrick.
Rating: - One of the Greatest Movies of All Time.
"A Clockwork Orange" is an envelope-pushing, eye-opening satire on society by Stanley Kubrick. Viewers may point to "2001" or "Dr. Strangelove" as his best film, but for me, "A Clockwork Orange" was the movie that had Kubrick at the very top of his game as a filmmaker. It's visually stunning, profoundly disturbing, exceedingly violent, and, in a warped way, downright hilarious. Malcolm McDowell is Alex DeLarge, a troubled youth who spends his day blowing off school and his evenings with his "droogs," committing the most despicable of crimes. Following a botched attempt to burglarize and rape a woman, Alex is arrested, tried, and jailed before he is used as a guinea pig for an experimental rehabilitation program that supposedly "cures" criminals. He goes through the treatment, is released from prison, and the world that once embraced him gives him a very cold shoulder. But did this treatment really "cure" Alex? I won't reveal more, but I will say that this movie is completely unmissable. I have been reading reviews from others who complain about the film's nonstop violence. I think Kubrick pumped up the violence deliberately to properly articulate the horror of Alex's actions. If that bothers you, then rent "Harry Potter." For the rest of us, "A Clockwork Orange" is a straight-up classic that's one of my very favorite movies ever. It's a landmark in cinema that shouldn't be overlooked.
Rating: - here's one for the thinkers
I did not much care for 2001: A Space Odyssey. Due to that rather negative experience, i wasn't all that interested in Kubrick's other works, assuming that they would all be...similar. However, i was tipped off by a few friends, and decided I'd try out A Clockwork Orange. Like the more recent films Fight Club and Seven, Clockwork Orange utilizes suprising imagry and violence as a vehicle for theme. Obviously, the film's ~almost~ X-rated material is not for the squeemish. However, if you enjoy (as i do) seriously thought provoking art, you might be willing to give the movie a try anyway. Due to its thematic pertinence, I did not find the film's sex&violence at all gratuitious. the acting is excellent, the screenplay and plot are great. My main fault with the film was its visual aging. Its odd mixture of vaugley futuristic elements with obviously 70s styles makes it feel more like an "alternate 80s" than the dystopatic near future that's intended. To summarize: I enjoyed the film enormously - i still puzzle over it daily, though i saw it over 2 weeks ago. If you enjoyed the thematic commentary in 'Seven' or 'Fight Club', you will likely have no problem with the obviously superior Clockwork Orange. If you're opposed to sex/violence (rather more of the former than the latter), but enjoy films like Citizen Kane, you should probably give Clockwork Orange a try. I dont see the film as about 'what's not permissable to prisoners', or 'violence doesnt pay'. those both seem to me rather 2-dimensional. I beleive Clockwork Orange is about the struggle between individual freedom and the masses of society. What i have not yet figured out is exactly where the film stands on the issue. There's a good deal more to say about how i interpreted the film, but im sure no one wants to read it... uhhh excuse me whilst i search for an adequate conclusion.... oh yes... i hope you enjoy the film.
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