A Clockwork Orange (1971)

A Clockwork Orange (1971)

1971 R 137 Minutes

Drama | Science Fiction

In a near-future Britain, young Alexander DeLarge and his pals get their kicks beating and raping anyone they please. When not destroying the lives of others, Alex swoons to the music of Beethoven....

Overall Rating

8 / 10
Verdict: Good

User Review

  • A Clockwork Orange is an extremely mature film about violence. It is often regarded as one of the most controversial films of all time due to its violent imagery, especially back in 1971. We follow the character of Alex who is an extremely violent hooligan, where he soon undergoes a brainwashing experiment to try and make him a proper citizen of society. I was completely hooked from beginning to end. Our main character is supposed to be unlikeable, a horrible piece of work but by the end I couldn't help feel some admiration towards him. The first act personifies chaos and violence, as Alex proves his leadership to his peers (much to their dislike). The second act then changes and shows the attempt at restoring order through chaos by brainwashing him. The third act is then a full circle, all the wrongs that Alex had done have come back to haunt him...and there is nothing he can do about it. This narrative was gripping, intense and somewhat unpredictable. Stanley Kubrick once again showed that he is a tour de force behind the camera, ranging from tracking shots, handheld shots and the slow zooming out. He is consistently bringing something new as the film continues which just makes the experience all the more riveting. Malcolm McDowell was the star here, he completely owned every scene and I was truly captivated by his performance. The evil stare he does just sends shivers down my spine, he can hold our attention just by one look...now that is what I call screen presence. I loved the brainwashing scenes (although hard to watch), a hint of propaganda and government manipulation. The violence is quite raw, I mean you really do see everything so if you can't handle violence then this is not the film for you. My only gripe is that the third act felt too convenient, he comes across his fellow hooligans as police officers and also finds the house that he raided in the first act. I know why these things happened but it just felt slightly unbelievable. However, this is another great Kubrick film.