A Clockwork Orange (Stanley Kubrick 1971): UK

Reviewed by Brendan Beaghler Santa Barbara Film Festival.

A Clockwork Orange directed by Stanley Kubrick is a one of the strangest films I have ever seen. The film is filled with violence, sex and drugs. The film reminded me of Fahrenheit 451 directed by Francois Truffaut because of the socialistic controlling government. The twisted and disturbing plot is like nothing I have ever seen. The film is filled with sexual images such as sex statues, naked women, sexual inferences, and meshes the borders of masculinity and femininity.

This film was restored by Warner Brothers Studios and is based on the novel by Anthony Burgress. The bright colors in the film were done in the restoration process, which really enhance the cinematography of the film. Ned Price, the vice-president of restoration for Warner Brothers Studios, said that the color enhancement was one of the biggest challenges of the film.

This British drama, science fiction film created in 1971, stars Malcolm McDowell as the protagonist Alex in a futuristic British. Alex, a disturbed, teenaged juvenile, and his three friends are a little gang that go around their English town causing trouble, breaking things, beating up bums, and fighting other thugs. The costumes his gang are wearing are very bizarre gang are all dressed in all white costumes, black boots, suspenders, black hats, and athletic cups. One night out causing trouble with the gang, Alex breaks into a mansion of a women they call the “cat” lady and murders her with a huge penis statue. As Alex is escaping he is betrayed by his gang and they crush a glass on his head leaving him bleeding and bewildered on the ground for the police. Alex is then beaten by the police and sentenced to prison for 14 years for murder. After two years of prison, Alex volunteers for an experimental aversion therapy experiment, that will release him after two weeks as a reformed man.

The film created a futuristic setting in realistic way, but in a fantasy way. They did this by the bright colors in the houses, the furniture, the artwork, and the eccentric costumes. An another interesting element of the film, which contributed to the futuristic setting was the perception of the government. The government was controlling, socialistic government what reminded me of what the future would be like if Germany had won World War II. The music in the film adds an interesting element of irony because Alex is a huge admirer of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. The calm classical music is an important twist to the aversion therapy process. One of the main themes in the movie involves morality. Even though Alex is a criminal and delinquent to society, the film questions if the reformation process of the aversion therapy is an acceptable way to change someone’s behavior because the mental and physical abuse it has on the body and mind.

Although after leaving A Clockwork Orange I left the theater bewildered, violated and disturbed it was a very entertaining. The combination of the plot, mise-en-scene, and music makes it so unique that I recommend you go and see how Alex is changed forever.