Rating: 
Summary: One of the top 5 films of all time
Review: Where do you start with this movie?It is dark,funny,satirical,repulsive, and has enough food for thought to keep you coming back again and again(I've seen this movie at least 20 times and it keeps getting better).Kubrick is the master at creating moods and this film shows him at his best.Note the contrast of Alex's world in the beginning of the film:the scenes almost burst with vibrancy and color.The bold and busy scenery,ecstatic music,the outlandish dress of Alex and his Droogs,gang fighting,Alex's romp with two girls he picked up at the record store,the beating of an old man to the tune of "Singing in the Rain" and the subsequent rape of his wife,and the prevalence of sexual imagery i.e. the graffiti in Alex's apartment building(big white penises painted over characters on wall murals),the white naked sculptures at Alex's hangout, and the big white penis and scrotum sculpture which is used to murder a woman.When Alex is sent to prison the prevailing imagery and music turns solemn,stark and grey,and the pace of the movie is no longer frantic.The central point of the film is the age old questions of Good vs. Evil and Free Will or Not.With the aid of drugs and treatment Alex is changed into a not fully human,but no longer harmful being(except to himself as he can no longer defend himself)which is good for the state and the politicians, but of what cost to human freedom?This question is more relevent and will become even more so in the coming century as science is making it more and more possible for humankind to be altered genetically.Will mankind play God and make the human race more automated, or allow nature and individual choice to continue despite the messiness that's bound to continue as it always has?Do we have the wisdom to know where to stop or what limits should be imposed or even know what human rights mean?The movie seems to say yes to Free Will,however much ugliness comes with the territory,because without personal choice life is inherently meaningless anyway.Note:the soundtrack is without doubt the best of all time.Every piece perfectly fits the scene to which its matched.Second note:When Alex is at the record store talking to the clerk you can see the 2001:A Space Oddyssey album at Alex's waist level.A little Kubrick self reference!
Rating:
Summary: A shocker in it's time..
Review: Stanley Kubrick is an utter genius with his recreation of Anthony Burgess's famous novel. The film had an original rating of X because it was seen as obscene in it's time. Nowadays, it's watched by young teenagers(I saw it at 13) and find it in no way offensive or a complete waste of film.In fact, I think it is one of the best movies ever made.Alexander de Large (Malcom McDowell) has an unusual obsession with ultra-violence, rape and Beethoven. He and his 'droogs' go out nightly, commiting acts of rape, theft and ultra-violence. He gets caught out by the police after being set-up by his droogs who get sick of his unkind manner. Soon after being sent to jail he is put on a therapy program which hopes to completely cure(brainwash) him and rid him of being able to hurt a fly or touch a woman. After being released, he is publicly shown sympathy for being so brainwashed and how inhumane it is to do that to a person. The story moves on and shows just how patheticly deceiving society can sometimes be. A brilliant cast leads this number 1 wonder. A must see.
Rating:
Summary: Best Movie Ever!
Review: This is the best movie of all time. It takes a serious look into social problems and shows how life really is. A lot of shows and movies like to look into the fantasy world, but Anthony Burgess looked social disfuction right in the face and made an excellent story out of it. Stanley Kubrick turned it into a great movie, but left some things out of the original story. It left Alex looking evil, but that's not exactly how the book ends. But, all-in-all this is the best story turned into a movie that I have EVER seen!
Rating:
Summary: Why Not ?
Review: Why hasn't there been a TV series spin-off from this movie -- as happened with other films such as M*A*S*H, Lonesome Dove, Peyton Place and Taxi Driver (Taxi)? We have superlative characters, costumes, setting, situations... why, just imagine P.R. Deltiod as the neighbor, dropping in occasionally for a cup of the old chai! And there's a lot of opportunity for developing local color at the Korova Milkbar, the dynamics between Dim and Alex, the other customers and the music. The occasional thievery of an auto, antics with victims, deadly consequences on occasion -- and characters who come across as intelligent at times, evil at times, stupid at times, flamboyant and wild at times... why not? If that's such a ridiculous proposition, then why do so many people like the Sopranos ?
Rating:
Summary: Overwhelming quality cult!
Review: It seems A Clockwork Orange has been caught in film history as one of the most violent, outrageous films ever made. This is a wrong thought. Well, yes, there are surely some strong scenes in the story. However, I never really got shocked by them, which may be caused partially by the ambience that Kubrick and his actors created. Additionally, it would be wrong to say the film is full of violence because it isn't. There are about three intimidating scenes; all of them appear in the beginning of the movie. Violence is part of the story for sure, but the largest part of it has to do with totally different matters. The story's main person is the crude Alex, who's apparently a very ordinary boy. He lives in a weird combination of the 70's and science-fiction environment. It's almost a cartoon world. Alex often meets with his three mates ("my droogies") in the local moloko bar (!) to think about tonight's actions. One of the plans they execute and certainly one of the most memorable scenes in the film happens about at the start. Alex and his droogies jump in a house, molest the husband and unclothe the wife rapidly. In the meantime, Alex is singing his favourite song: "I'm siiiinging in the rain". What follows is something we don't get to see, but it's obvious enough. And even when he's at home, he's completely distorted. Alex' hero is Beethoven ("that old Ludwig van") and when he puts the man's music on, he dreams away to images of sensual girls. His activities don't remain unpunished, however. After Alex has been arrested for homicide, he is voluntarily put into an extensive reforming program. This has to remove all evil from Alex' mind. However, this program interferes with Alex' love for Beethoven and lots of other things, and ultimately the cure turns out to be worse than the disease. This drives Alex completely mad. The film is, like the book, is mainly an accusation against the idea that human minds can be totally formed as one may want. A possible idea maybe, but catastrophic to the victim. Alex goes nuts after his therapy. He would even be better off in prison than in his new situation. This is what the movie tries to point at, and the use of violence is almost necessary to portray the sick-mindedness of people like Alex who are put in such a position. One thing I found strange however: the whole therapy wasn't forced upon Alex. He wanted to do it himself, to become a good man ultimately. I can't link this with the entire idea of a police state that doesn't give its citizens any choice. The cast is magnificent. First of all there's Malcolm McDowell, about whom I read "his role is so perfect, that he has been struggling ever since to get anywhere near it". That couldn't be closer to truth. His use of language is brilliant ("Good morning, my P and M!"), with a humorous British undertone, and he does a great job in portraying this guy with a both a Jekyll- and a Hyde-side. He can be the ultimate gentleman but also the ultimate evil. The other character that stood out for me is Alex' 'droogie' Dim, who is laughing all the time and says hardly anything worthwhile. His role is played very convincingly by Warren Clarke. Then there are the jail officers, who fit exactly in the pattern of a strict police state, with their ever-bullying comments. The prison chaplain (Godfrey Quigley) is also terrific with his softening, smooth comments on Alex. The overall impact of this movie on me was huge. I can't even hear the scherzo of Beethoven's Ninth symphony anymore without thinking of Alex lying on his bed and having his delicious visions (those I still don't have though!). The other music, something I hadn't mentioned yet, is also unforgettable: it's a kind of techno mix of classical melodies (such as the scene in which Alex gets two girls to his room: the accompanying music is a fastened version of Rossini's William Tell). Music, acting and decors (and, admitted, the violence) make the whole sphere of the movie a little cultish, but quality cult at that! In this whole sphere, the few violence acts become just part of the story and don't offend me in any way. Instead I'm nearly curious to see how far they go. On the whole an overwhelming movie that you can't afford to miss unless you're a real purist of course. With a movie like A Clockwork Orange, filming becomes an art.
Rating:
Summary: One of the Greatest Movies of All Time.
Review: "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:
Summary: I Watched It Again...
Review: This movie was an absolute masterpiece, Kubrick is a genius. The thing that disturbed me doring the movie was not the rape or violence, but the fact that Kubrick got me to actually like Alex in the end. By having Alex refer to us as his only friend and "droog" you felt that he was not all that bad. Even though Kubrick forgot to include the real book ending with Alex just growing out of the "Ultraviolence" stage, the movie was really faithful towards the book.
Rating: 
Summary: Prophecy Fulfilled?
Review: A Clockwork Orange makes you think. It's the story of Alex, a very, very bad boy. There's no disputing the fact that he's a thug, a real menace to society. The director makes sure this character has no redeeming qualities whatsoever. You WANT him to pay for the vicious crimes he commits. When Alex is finally imprisoned, he becomes a model occupant. He quickly gets in good graces with the prison pastor, because of his quick learning of the "Big Book". Then a new system of "reform" (proposed by the current political party in office) is introduced, which promises to turn criminals from bad to good. Alex asks the Holy man to recommend him so he can enjoy an early exit from prison. Once in the program, our (anti) hero is subjected to drug-induced, mind-control sessions, in which he is forced to watch films full of endless violence and sex. Mixed with the drugs, he gets a sick, immobilizing feeling when subjected to either. In other words, he's not rehabilitated. His freewill has simply been taken away. I won't tell you anymore details, for fear of spoiling too much of the film. It does make a strong political statement, though. As our freedoms become more and more threatened after 9/11, who decides who the bad guys are? Who needs to be reprogrammed? That's the brilliance of Stanley Kubrick's storytelling. He makes it impossible to feel sorry for this guy. Yet, you feel sorry for our society, and the horrors that could be unleashed on average citizens. Kubrick was about 30 years ahead of his time with this one. (I gave it only four stars because of disturbing violent, sexual and religious images. I thought these scenes could have been a little less gratuitous.)
Rating:
Summary: Kubrick's Most Noteworthy Accomplishment
Review: A lot of people would say that Stanley Kubrick's best work was 2001: A Space Oddyssey or Dr. Strangelove, but Clockwork Orange is his most remarkable film. Combining the best qualities of both 2001 and Strangelove -- which are both fantastic films also -- never before has Kubrick given audiences such a satirically brilliant movie. For some people, Clockwork will be hard to stomach; the rape scene at the beginning is pretty explicit and there's a lot of nudity. The fighting scenes, though, are for the most part more comical than brutal. Whether you hate it or love it -- and there isn't a lot of room for middle ground to be taken with this film -- you will certainly remember it because it will most likely have some kind of impact on you. In his first film role, Malcolm McDowell gives an incredible performance as the twisted gang leader Alex, who delights in rape, ultraviolenece, and Beethoven. McDowell is amusing and frightening at the same time and, without a solid, believable performance from the lead, this film would not have worked. The rest of the characters are eccentric, too, although their sole purpose is to reinforce the qualities of Alex. There are two major themes in this film, one of which deals with politicians and the manipulation with which they operate in order to avoid bad publicity. When the operation to reform Alex backfires, causing him terrible trouble as opposed to making him a decent person, the politician who originally championed the controversial operation does a quick clean-up job so that the situation won't seem as bad as it is. He offers Alex a cushy government job, basically an attempt to bribe the criminal so that he won't go to the papers with his horrifying experience. Alex, of course, is too young and unschooled to realize that he has been taken advantage of -- both by the people who promoted the operation and by those who opposed it -- and he is just happy to be himself again. The other main theme of this film deals with how far we should or shouldn't go in order to reform people who commit heinous crimes. If we ever developed the technology to do such a procedure as was done on Alex, this film gives us a good reason not to go through with it. Besides taking away a person's inborn ability to make his own moral choices, this would also leave the person particularly vulnerable to the revenge of those he's wronged in the past (which is what happens to Alex). The book of the same title, which was authored by Alex Burgess, is even better than the film and deserves more credit as a literary masterpiece. Some people believe that the movie is too soft and doesn't go as far as the book as far as the sexual scenes are concerned, but this movie will offend enough people without Alex taking advantage of two naive, pre-teen girls. Burgess himself was disappointed by the film (he makes this obvious in the newer version of the book) because the book was 21 chapters and the movie ended at the conclusion of the 20th chapter; however, the ending of the movie works better on screen while the ending of the book works better on paper. In each context, the endings work. Besides, the movie was already two and a half hours, and adding the book's ending would have meant at least 30 more minutes. Anyway, A Clockwork Orange is a thrilling experience and should not be missed, whether you like Kubrick or not. This film should have been ranked higher on AFI's Top 100 list.
Rating:
Summary: Powerful, but incomplete
Review: This movie is justifiably a classic for the power of its images. Those looking for faithfulness to the book, however, will realize that the movie ended prematurely. The movie ended after the 20th chapter, while the book contained 21 chapters. In the 21st chapter, Alex freely decides to grow up and live a more responsible life and give up the "ultraviolence." This changes the plot and theme significantly, and makes the story more of a morality play than a shot against behavior modification or oppressive governments.
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