A Clockwork Orange (Stanley Kubrick, 1971): UK

Reviewed by Matilda Frid. Viewed at Santa Barbara Film Festival.

This unusual satire was made by Stanley Kubrick in 1971. It is originally from the book by Anthony Burgess. A Clockwork Orange is a classic that leaves no one without opinion.

When we first meet our main characters they are sitting in a strange bar drinking milk laced with drugs. Then they go off, looking to find possible victims and experience some ultra-violence. For the first part of the movie, this is what we see. Alex and his droogs are just going around and beating people up. Then, when Alex accidentally kills a woman, he gets sent to prison. After a while, he hears about a new technique that will cure people from their violent minds in just a matter of days. Since all he wants is to get out of prison and start hurting people again, he volonteers for the technique. This turns out to be an experimental aversion therapy that makes him associate violence and sex with extreme pain and nausea. When he finally is let out of prison, nothing is as it was before and Alex faces difficult challenges.

I had heard a lot about this movie before I saw it. Therefore, I thought I knew what to expect. A strange movie that you either love or hate. I knew very well that it was going to be violent and I knew it was controversial. Even though I knew all about the movie it was a completely different experience than I had expected. I walked out of the salon with a strange feeling that I can’t explain. The movie was very disturbing, and I can’t say if it was in a good way or bad way. The only thing I can say is that I am glad that I watched it. It was definately worth seeing, but I don’t think I will ever watch it again.

The reason to why this movie is so disturbing is that we get a sneak peak into the main character’s twisted mind. During the violent scenes there is either no music playing at all or diagetic cheerful music that clashes so badly with what we see on screen that I felt very uncomfortable. It was raw and naked. Almost too realistic. Loudly singing the joyful “singing in the rain” while breaking into a house and beating up a couple and raping the woman so badly that she eventually dies makes me feel incredibly uncomfortable.

From the very first scene in the milk bar I could tell the tone of the movie. The strange setting and costumes takes us into a whole new world, and I’ve never seen anything like it. Malcolm McDowell, the actor playing Alex, is phenomenal. When he has been exposed to the Ludovico treatment I symphatize with him. I go from hate to pity in a matter of minutes and that is rare.

I definately see why this movie has reached a cult status. I would recommend everyone seeing it at least once just to have experienced the unique world of “A Clockwork Orange”. It is truly an original movie that leaves a lasting impression.