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Summary: An apocalyptic vision of our times...
Review: The thing that initially startled me the most about "A Clockwork Orange", even before I had seen the movie, was the picture on the cover of Burgess' book. I was in high school at the time, and I had to study it for my English class. On the cover of the version I had was this grotesque image of a creature that only remoteley resembled a human being. It had a body and a head, but only one eye, one ear and no nose or mouth. And around the eye were the cogs of a wheel instead of eyelashes. I remember gazing at this picture with ambivalence, simultaneously repulsed and drawn to it. What did it mean? Why did it look so strange? The eye seemed to pulsate and quiver in front of me assessing my reaction. The thing almost seemed to be alive! After seeing Kubrick's work I believe the picture represents Alex and his times to some extent. The distorted mind of this young individual who finds rape, pillaging and murder satisfying and pleasurable. And it represents the apocalyptic vision of Alex's times, where gangs of young people roam dilapidated streets and broken buildings, assaulting droves of old, homeless people. And it represents the empty conversations that Alex has his mother and father who seem to be content with a cheery "Good morning..", or "Here's your breakfast"..., either oblivious or pleased over what their son had become. But more than any of these things, the picture is the collective mind of the politican's who view Alex and other human beings as machines with rotating wheels and cogs, that when refuse to work correctly need to be operated on. And the arms of the politicans are those scientists, Brodsky and his ilk, who also view the world as a machine, operating under the principles of an evolution that saw the human being born out of a chemical soup under precisely the right temperature. But alas it is precisely this vision that allows machines to fail or fall into disuse. Thus allowing the collective to by law, rob Alex of the very thing that makes him human - to behold, reflect and then choose. When this is done to the human being it is possible for the collective to remake the world it lives in, in its own image, so to speak. Thus those machines that are unfit are slowly exterminated by a gradual natural selection - birds, trees, fish anything that can be used for the collective to uphold it's superiority over the rest of it's environment. Odd how the eye that glares at me on the cover of Burgess's book resembles the eye that looms on the dollar bill, announcing that it's new world order has begun... could it be our time?
Rating:
Summary: A Clockwork Legend
Review: Not being a huge fan of Kubrick's, the only film I had ever seen of his being 'The Shining', I was quite surprised with what was to come. Having heard about the movie from a friend of mine, I thought it might have been a rather boring one. But I was pleasantly surprised. This movie conjured up images and concepts I had never felt/heard before. It opened up my senses to a whole new world. I was astounded, to say the least! Malcolm Macdowell's outstanding portrayal of the young Alex De Large was one of the best I have ever seen. He made the character come to life in such a sarcastic, playful way, which at some scenes, you hated him and, in others, such as the Ludovico and Police-droogs-violence scene, you felt empathy for the poor lad. Stanley Kubrick had a very unique way of interpreting the book, written by Anthony Burgess. Kubrick created such a colourful and somewhat perfect atmosphere whereas Burgess gave a bleak, uneventful atmosphere to southern England. His great use of colour and symmetricity gave the film a somewhat perfect, mechanical overtone. I especially liked the score, as it consisted of classical music, and some ultra-modern electronic music, possibly to capture the futuristic setting. I also loved the queer language Alex and his droogs spoke in. Called NADSAT, it is derived from Russian and english rhyming-slang, and its a very clever language at that. It showed Burgess' intelligence to use such a colouful language, also, to describe otherwise mundane words, such as rape, (In-out-in-out), violence, (ultra-violence) girl, (devotchka) and boy (malchick).Overall, if you want to see the world and movies in a different and frightfully delicious light, see this movie!
Rating:
Summary: A quick note
Review: Just a quick note for you interested in Kubrick. Compare the final shot of 2001: A Space Odessey (the Star Child in white on a black backround looking at you)to Kubrick's next film's opening shot in Clockwork of Alex in white on a black backround looking at you. What is Kubrick's statement? Think about it.
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Summary: Satirical Masterpiece
Review: I've seen all of Kubrick's work (except for Fear & Desire, if it counts), and out of all his truly great movies, a Clockwork Orange has to be my favorite. The following is the standard banal description of all great films. Here goes: This movie has it all. Cinematography, colors, acting, script, music, etc. But a Clockwork Orange really does stand true to each of these claims. Kubrick paints a rather disturbing picture of advanced technology in the future and how it affects one's overall judgement and/or free will. The majority of people who worked with Kubrick during his pre-Eyes Wide Shut movies said he was an obsessive perfectionist who shot take after take after take just to get his vision exactly the way he wanted it. So? Why complain? These actors should consider themselves lucky to have worked with an outstanding and passionate director such as Kubrick. Every one of his films I've seen, I truly enjoyed, so it's not like all the time and effort put into the film was for naught. After a Clockwork Orange was done shooting, Malcolm Mc Dowell said he and Kubrick hated each other. Oh, well. That's show business. Bottom line: Kubrick was one of the minority of directors who truly believed in his work. He never slacked off and gave each of his projects everything he could. His eye for camera placement and movement was nothing short of brilliant. This man was a genius. Kubrick knew how to tell a story without words. Not many people realize this. His ambient color techniques are truly captivating. For the first forty minutes of the film, Alex beats, rapes and tortures other people as if it were some sort of game. Notice how rich and vibrant the colors are and how they accentuate Alex's play-world. Once Alex is caught and sent to prison, the atmosphere turns bleak; Kubrick's motif in this particular sequence of the film is highlighted with grays and dark blues. If you've never seen the film before, you don't know what you're missing. And after you've watched it, just try going through the week without speaking a word of Nasdat. I'm glad I waited to buy it on DVD; the initial copy is only 2-channel audio, I believe. This new version is supposed to be 5.1 dolby digital. I could be wrong. I'm basing this on what I've heard. But with Wendy Carlos' AMAZING synth score blaring on the soundtrack, 5.1 wouldn't be too shabby, now would it? If you've never seen a Kubrick film before, I'd recommend any one of his films. But a Clockwork Orange just so happens to be my favorite of his. Not particularly for the Scream crowd, but oddly enough, Generation Xers identify themselves with this film. Teenagers identifying with a Stanley Kubrick film. If that doesn't convey the greatness of this film, I don't know what will.
Rating:
Summary: A Clockwork Orange
Review: Yes, it's a violent, disgusting, strange, off the wall, and shocking film, but it is Stanley Kubrick's best work. It tells the tale of a young thug in Britain, on the fast track to nowhere, who spends his time, along with his other gang members, beating up people, raping women, and battling rival gangs. Malcolm McDowell plays the young thug, brilliantly. Some of the most interesting parts of the movie are the set designs. Most of the sets are all white, accenting the characters in the foreground, making you want to pay attention to them even more. The young hoodlum eventually goes to jail for his crimes, where he becomes a test subject by the government for a new cure for mental illness. The scientists who have him imprisoned use all if the violent and destructive and perverse things that he did against him, which makes him sick every time he thinks about doing something wrong. The results are startling, and the movie has one of the best endings ever.
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Summary: U need to see the movie
Review: This movie is amazing. I have not seen many Kubrick films but this movie convinced me to try to see all. The guy is a genius. This was a perfect adaption of a brilliant book with a few changes that dont destroy the story but rather enhance it. The first 30 minutes are particurally the best, the scenes of Alex and his droogs causing mayhem are amazing. Not to say the rest of the movie is not brilliant cause it is. It makes u think just like the book did about the essential delema it presents: is free will more important then being good? this movie will be talked about for many years still. Also has a few nice bits of humor thrown in from time to time. THe guy who played alex captured him brilliantly. Kubrick is genius. WATCH THIS MOVIE, THEN READ THE BOOK.
Rating: 
Summary: Everyone one repeat this is bad!!
Review: boring movie made buyz stanely kubroiicj about a group of futureistic kids who are ytring to destroy the world. dumb indeas are put up on screen. hopefully many other wpnt ever see this film again. word bros!
Rating: 
Summary: More like A Clockwork Tangerine!
Review: Some consider this to be Kubrick's masterpiece. In my opinion Dr. Strangelove was his masterpiece, but Orange is a master work, nonetheless. It's a dark tale of prophecy, a vision of a bleak future, violent and vicious in the extreme, which some might also say we're living in today, judging by the headlines. So this is a great movie, but this DVD is a great disappointment! Despite what the details above say and what it says on the disc snap-case, the film is not in widescreen letterbox format, but is in full screen format! And the image quality is only fair-to-good. The sound is OK on my mono TV speaker but evidently is not Dolby multi-channel. And the theatrical trailer freezes at various points during playback. There's a chapter index and a list of awards the movie won or was nominated for, and that's about it for bonus features! One can only hope that the next release of this movie on DVD will do it justice, and make it a true Kubrick collectible!
Rating:
Summary: Viddy well
Review: A world unlike we've ever known, a world where gangs of teenagers run around, preforming the old "in and out" with some young "devotchkas" while partaking in the bit of the old "unltaviolence." A world where nothing making sense, and where the "good" guys are as evil as the antagonists. A world where nothing makes sense...this is the world of Stanley Kubrick's "A Clockwork Orange." You've heard the stories about the movie. You've possibly heard about the rape, the buthering of "Singing in the rain," and the total and utter lack of any value of this movie. You've heard about the "X" rating, and that is was banned for quite a while in England. Yet, this movie is one of the finest ever created and is a social commentary of society that is just as valid now as it ever was. Malcolm McDowell does an excellent job portraying young Alex, a distraught young boy who's hobbies include rape, unlta-violence, and Beethoven. Alex is so believable, and he can totally justify his actions through every step; nothing seems wrong to him. He believes that nothing is wrong with his actions; he is the good guy. We look at him and see him as human...that is, until we see that he _is_ the only truly sane person. He finally gets arrested for his frolicking, and now, we see that he is no longer human, after a breathtaking and disturbing process that destroys the man inside. He becomes the clockwork orange, the a organic and mechanical. Without giving out too much of the story, lets just say that Alex's past comes back to haunt him, and he is helpless. Kubrick once again takes a great novel and creates the screenplay to a fascinating movie that kept me on edge for the entire time. This is not a movie to watch with your parents, or a movie to watch more than twice a year. Any more, and you will begin to think in strange new ways...you will see the world for what it is: the truth. If you enjoy Stanley Kubrick movies, you've already seen this movie, and you do not need me to tell you that it's great. If you don't enjoy Stanley Kubrick movies, have heard all the hype and want to see it because it's "naughty," or a moral advocate that believes this type of movie is wrong, buy this movie and watch it. Then, and only then, can you decide for yourself. It's not porn, it's not trash, it's a moral truth. Viddy well, o me brothers.
Rating:
Summary: A classy masterpiece
Review: A Clockwork Orange Score: 97/100 There are certain films by certain director's which are placed in a Stood-The-Test-Of-Time Hall of Fame. A Clockwork Orange is certainly one of them that has been in there for quite some time, and after 26 years, this masterpiece is still giving people the 'treatment' that A Clockwork Orange always has. Alex (Malcolm McDowell), a violent juvenile in the near future, is caught after a number of brutal rapes and murders. While imprisoned, he submits to a controversial experiment to make criminals ill at the mildest suggestion of violence or conflict. Now Alex's victims want to welcome him back into society with the same enthusiasm Alex had always exhibited when performing his crimes. A breathtakingly simply story line in a brilliantly complex film. It keeps you hooked and it stays in your mind long after the credits have rolled, what more do you need? Just in case you're saying 'more,' I'll give you more. How about Kubrick's oh-so-extraordinary vision through a near-future Britain with his groundbreaking script and typically mindblowing direction effort? Or what about Malcolm McDowell's stunner of a performance in a stunner of a film? This has often been called Kubrick's best movie ever, and although in my opinion, Dr. Strangelove takes that award, A Clockwork Orange is still a classy masterpiece that will flutter around in the back of your head long after the tape has been returned. Simply masterful, A Clockwork Orange is a film that is no to missed, and not to be messed with.
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