A Clockwork Orange (Stanley Kubrick, 1971): UK/USA
Reviewed by Tyler Rowland at Santa Barbara Film Festival 2012
Originally an Anthony Burgess novella, this classic from renowned auteur Stanley Kubrick (Spartacus, The Shining) has received a notorious reputation for its depiction of violence by those who oppose it, but it is also recognized for its brilliant use of cinematic technique for those who praise it. Kubrick even pulled it from shelves after violent acts were committed in the name of the film. The following of Clockwork is limited to basically two groups of people: those who enjoy the “ultraviolet” aspect and those who appreciate the value of brilliant cinema. While the violence only encompasses about ten minutes of the movie, Kubrick’s genius is realized from beginning to end. To fans, this film is the highlight of Malcolm McDowell’s career, but to the internationally recognized actor, consideration should be given to his work in If… and O, Lucky Man. Homage is paid to Clockwork in more recent material such as Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs and even on multiple episodes of The Simpsons. McDowell has seen recent successes from long time fan Rob Zombie, who revisits John Carpenter’s Halloween and utilizes McDowell in the role of Dr. Samuel Loomis. McDowell also has given his voice to South Park for the character of Pip.
The film opens up with a close up of the lead character Alex, which in itself is an intriguing. The camera slowly pans out, revealing oddly dressed characters and an extravagantly designed set. We follow Alexander DeLarge (Malcolm McDowell) as he leads his gang of droogs through multiple acts of debauchery with no remorse. This includes portraying a rape scene as no more than just “a little bit of the old in, out”, while performing a delightful rendition of the song Singin’ in the Rain. But all good things must come to and end and we find our “friend and humble narrator” serving over a prison sentence although Alex claims “she was breathing when I left her, I swear it” with a coy smirk on his face. Though he has no real remorse, he would do anything to get out of e. With word spreading that an experimental procedure is taking place to reform the wicked and transform them to into A Clockwork Orange.
The cinematography is no less than spectacular. Kubrick uses his sense of what the camera can do and conveys it throughout using consistent light patterns and focusing on extravagant shadows. Kubrick used these methods throughout his career to give an eerie noir-like visual style. The importance of editing is noticed right away, working in conjunction with the cinematography, miss-en-scene, and the music. The musical score is one of the most important aspects of the film. Rather than composing new pieces for the film, Walter (now known as Wendy) Carlos arranges mostly instrumental compositions of easily recognized classics from Ludwig van Beethoven.
To classify and label A Clockwork Orange into one specific category would be in contempt for what Stanley Kubrick was known for. The story is easy to follow, but all of the added values of cinematic expression is what makes this such a detailed final product. All of Kubrick’s films embrace this ability to skew the lines and definitions of what genre actually is. Basic ideology shows the desensitization of the world. What was once considered inappropriate and received an X rating, is now a film that can be shown at film festivals. This is examined in the film regarding artistic expression- “Naughty, naughty. You filthy old soomka.” Supposedly set in a futuristic England, we see how much of the world has become rather tolerant in regards to some forms of what we may consider vulgar. What is suggested in A Clockwork Orange has actually come to fruition, to some degree, in reality.
**Note: This is one of my all-time favorites, but I had trouble finding what was needed to say. Ultimately, I can do no justice for the genius that is exposed by one of the masters of cinema. I suggest watching the film with commentary by Malcolm McDowell to get a great firsthand account behind not only the making of the film, but also a personal description of the elusive Stanley Kubrick.
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- Published:
- 02.09.12 / 11am
- Category:
- Films, Santa Barbara Film Festival 2012
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