A Clockwork Orange

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Summary: Kubrick's Finest and Darkest Masterpiece
Review: a Clockwork Orange is a dark, shocking look into a future world of inhuman forms of rehibilitation for violent acts. Based on Anthony Burgess's infamous novel from 1963, Kubrick takes the viewer on a rollercoaster ride of insanity, brutality, sexuality, and horror.

The movie stars Malcolm McDowell as the vicious and seemingly heartless Alex, and his three droogs Georgie, Pete, and Dim. Their nights revolve around brutal violence and senseless rape, that leads to the groups demise when Alex is hauled off to prision. While in prision, Alex turns over a new leaf when helping the cell preacher with his Biblical teachings. After spending two years in the prision, Alex takes part in an experiment which gets people out of prision and makes them welll again. After the operation, Alex is released but destroyed as a human being and turned into a frightened, conformed and weak citizen.

The film is a dark look into the mind of a psychopathic man, and also a look into what the loss of free will and confidence. It's a very disturbing film, but it still shows how we could go so far as to taking away a person's free will and mind, just to make society better. The film has been an influence to punk bands, social activists, and movie fans all over the globe. This is deffinately a must see.

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Summary: exciting,tense,classic
Review: fabulous!I just finished watching a clockwork orange for the first time and I thought it was great it was dark and witty at the same time.I was always afraid of this film because there was so much press about it being too violent and graphic.I didn't see it that way.I'm a female and I wasn't offended by the film at all.The plot is genius.can we as a society ever reform criminals?malcolm mcdowell gives one of the greatest performances as alex.he's sharp and clever yet he commits all these acts of violence that are in no way humorous.critics of the film can be won over by mcdowell's brilliant potrayal of someone who is the tormenter and later the tormented.I can't see anyone else in this role mcdowell owns it.

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Summary: "As clear as an unmuddied lake, Fred."
Review: That this is jolly good entertainment (for mature people), there can be no doubt. Kubrick has given us a genuinely thoughtful and intelligent filming of Burgess' masterpiece that is very poignant in its satire of politics and "justice," and makes us think about what it means to be good and what redemption is. McDowell's portrayal of Alex is flexible, smart, and funny. John Alcott's photography, as usual, is a treat. For patient and thoughtful people only. ("Pythons" need not apply.) All those interested can safely add this to their movie collection. Another Kubrick masterpiece folks!

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Summary: scary
Review: When I first read this book at the age of 16, it seemed to me nothing more than a fascinating--and sexy--romp in the world of scientific futurism (or should I say, science fiction). But then along came writers like behavioral scientist B.F. Skinner, whose "Beyond Freedom and Dignity"--in a way not unlike "The Stepford Wives"--intimated to me that what was at first merely suggested might become the norm of America. God help us, "A Clockwork Orange" is scary!!!

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Summary: A brilliant spectacle of images and music
Review: A Clockwork Orange is one of my favorite films from my favorite filmmaker, Stanley Kubrick. The film is set in the future, and is a statement on how easily free will can be bent to enforce the law. Alex DeLarge (Malcolm McDowell) is the anti-hero who takes us on an unforgettable journey through his life, filled with Beethoven and the old "ultra-violence". Every night, Alex and his droogs rape and pillage innocent civilians, and every night they elude the hands of the law. Once Alex is finally caught and "brought to justice", so to speak, he embarks on an inner-quest and ultimately loses his rotten soul along with his ability of choosing his own path.

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Summary: Get it!
Review: If you liked/have Fear and loathing, Space Oddessey 2001, Full Metal Jacket... Oh wait,then you already have this. If you don't then it's about time you get it,eh?

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Summary: A CONTROVERSIAL STUDY OF THE VIOLENT SIDE OF THE HUMAN BEING
Review: One of the biggest complaints about "A Clockwork Orange", is the use of excessive violence. It's a shame, but let's face it: the violence is part of the human nature, it's an ugly side of our behavior, but it's useless to pretend that someone can't have violent thoughts once in a while. So I recommend to all those people that blame movies (like "A Clockwork Orange") for the violence all around the world, please read any Universal History book. Perhaps you might realize that the human race has a violent side by nature: wars, territorial invasions, betrayals, you name it, violence was here before the movies. "A Clockwork Orange" explores the violent side of the human being.

"A Clockwork Orange" shows the dark side of our nature, and the attempts made by the society to repress that dark side through the excessive control of the individuals. The main character, Alex (Malcolm McDowell, in a very charismatic performance) is a young man that enjoys life, but with violence and excesses. Usually, a character like Alex would be hated by the audience, but our antihero is so human, with so many sides, attitudes and personalities, that without a doubt he is an excellent example of the complexity of the human being.

One of the readings of "A Clockwork Orange" is: every person has a negative side and a positive side, everybody. Throughout the movie, we see that Alex is more than a bully, he is a person with all the flaws, needs and suffering, proper of the human being. Also, in "A Clockwork Orange", we can see that all our actions will have consequences, no matter if we act right or wrong. Alex acts wrong, but he also pays a high price in the movie.

One of the strongest highlights in "A Clockwork Orange" is the masterful use of music to improve the scenes. Music by Beethoven, Rossini, Walter Carlos and, oh yeah, a disturbing version of "Singing In The Rain", helped to create some of the most memorable scenes in film history.

"A Clockwork Orange" is one of the most important films of all time, in most of film critics "100 best movies of all-time" lists, we can read the name "A Clockwork Orange", proof of the transcendence of the movie. It's also the best movie made by Stanley Kubrick (in my humble opinion). It has a little of everything: action, comedy, satire, drama, excellent music, very creative dialogues, a very charismatic central character, and oh yeah, something that may confuse people that enjoy movies with MTV pace and one page scripts: A PLOT. If you can't notice the excellent portrait of the complexity of the human being in this film, I recommend you to try "American Pie", "Ernest Goes To Jail" or "Gigli". The rest of us, let's enjoy "A Clockwork Orange".

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Summary: Dated?! In your dreams
Review: After 500+ reviews there is little one can say about "Clockwork Orange" that hasn't been said already; yes its violent, yes it is heavy on the dialect and yes it was made in the 70's and it shows. One thing that cannot be said about it is that it is dated. If anything it has increased in its relavence over the past 30 years.

In the United States there is an ongoing push against incarcerating criminals, as evidenced by mandatory drug rehab programs, mandatory anger management programs, mandatory sex offender programs, etc. Because this is done in the name of "healing" there are few if any controls. Thus if a mandatory treatment program violates one's civil rights, compromises one's dignity or imposes a life-long label on a person no one argues. After all, who can argue with "healing." Just how far can society go in the name of "healing." Where is the line between health and moral issues? Between the need for public safety and personal freedom? These are questions every concerned citizen must ask.

Many reviewers have commented on the violence of the film. Yes the main character is loathsome, a blot on civilized society, he is supposed to be. Does that make what "civilized society" has done to him right? That is the essential question of the movie. As long as some viewers cringe at the main character's plight and other's cheer, the question remains open and the movie remains relavent.

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Summary: Ultra-Violent Movie, Though It's Worth Watching
Review: This is a very violent film, and a somewhat, with a theme (I guess). It maybe strays from the point a bit, but It's significance is greatly underestimated sometimes.

Not for kids, and maybe not for adults either.

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Summary: World Masterpiece - Influential in Every Way
Review: Dystopias had been onscreen before, but never like the world Kubrick created for ACO. Based on a novel by Anthony Burgess, the story of an adolescent monster fueled by music reflected an attack on Burgess's wife Lynn by four American soldiers in WWII. By turning this instance into a meditation on the nature of man's intrinsic evil and man's intrinsic need to mitigate that natural evil, Burgess created a compelling book whose main character is both Milton's Satan and Christ.

Kubrick did little to transcribe the book to the screen in terms of the character or the story. Wisely, Kubrick retained Burgess's linquistic pyrotechnics in the form of the Nadsat slang spoken by Alex and Droogs, but took the vaguely English Labor Government setting of the book one further by creating a defamiliarizing series of sets whose weirdness is only a sheath beneath which lies the police station and prison where Alex sufferes for his crimes.

Kubrick created a new visual languange for this film. The shot of the four droogs walking slo-mo shot using a telephoto lens first made its appearance here; now this shot is a cliche used mainly for comedy. The crisp color photography is also new and still rare. The sense of meticulousness of each shot adds an almost novelistic depth to the film. The depiction of sexual assault shocked critics in 1971, but it's not always real violence, as demonstrated by Kubricks use of "The Thieving Magpie" in the Casino rumble; but when Alex, Georgie, Dim and Pete invade HOME and brutalize the couple, the enjoyment of the violent dance becomes discomfort and shame as we watch the ritualized rape, another sort of dance.

The music is this film is groundbreaking as well. Wendy Carlos's electronic orchestrations of classical music adds to the defamiliarization but also the sense of the artificial that pervades the film. The selection of the March from the Funeral for Queen Mary as the title music is too inspired and perfect for any further comment.

There are people who hate this movie, and with good reason. The violence is beautified, the rapist is made sympathetic, and the entire idea of Enlighment reliance on the scientic method is called into serious question. Alex is Evil but human; science can cure the badness but must rob the agency that defines humanity.

A work of beauty, pain, and athesticism as the trump over right and wrong. Long after the critics of the 1970s are forgetton, this film will shock and entrance.