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A Clockwork Orange

A Clockwork Orange

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: not an essay
Review: There is a good chance you won't like this movie. The main reason this movie is so controversial, beyond the history and reputation of the film, the novel and the numerous essays written by amatuer art critics, is quite simply it's level of vicious violence. The movie really makes a strong emotional impact. To most people, this film is just outright repulsive. Do you think you can stomach people constantly getting beat up and robbed and then sexually assualted on film? The eerie electronic classical tunes might also make it difficult to watch. On the other hand, this might all seem interesting to you and u might want to give it a try just to see if it's really so shocking. The movie is supposed to be a disturbing veiw -not a celebration- of nihilistic violence. It may be worth watching if you're not sure what the heck that means. If you are considering buying this film just to be culturaly literate, why not just rent it? Anything stylized by Kubrick is definately worth a view. I just wanted to warn the squeamish.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Disturbing waste of time
Review: We live in a world where everything gets desensitized. I had heard all about how great this movie was and I was curious. I hated it. I kept looking at the clock and wishing it was over. That's a horrible way to watch any movie. It also disturbs me how lots of people say they *laughed* all the way through Pulp Fiction. Yeah, really funny. Glorify drugs, violence and rape. These movies give the psychos all kinds of fun ideas. God help us all.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Masterpiece of Drama
Review: This movie can truly disturb our viewers

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Unique for Its Time but Outdated and Surpassed by Others
Review: For the early 1970s, Kubrik's release of "Clockwork" Orange was grotesque and shocking in its depiction of gratuitous violence. But Kubrik's attempt at social satire on institutionalized violence is outdated and has been surpassed.

Malcolm Mcdowell plays Alex, a youth deranged and bored by suburban rigidity who seeks to escape through drugs and "a little ultra-violence" with his band of pals. Kubric somehow seeks to show that the placidity of modern industrial life is responsible for criminal behavior and that rehabilitative methods do nothing more than expose such reformed criminals as victims to society's accepted norms of violence and oppression. The shock scenes are passe even by the standards of today's television shows. Although the futuristic theme and setting of the film was original, Oliver Stone's "Natural Born Killers" is probably a more proper satire as to the causes of violent behavior and institutionalized violence in society (e.g. television ratings follwing the tastes of the vulgar masses; glorification of criminals and social anarchy; unjust and hypocritical judicial systems; dysfunctional families; etc.)

Kubrik's film was certainly a revolutionary attempt in film for the peace-loving, flower-power '70s audience who were still shocked by the Manson killings but that's about it. Good for your shelf as part of your collection but "Natural Born Killers" is much more interesting in terms of its quality as a film and insight as a satyre.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: 33 Years Old and Still Going Strong
Review: "A Clockwork Orange" never fails to polarize its audience. It seems that the viewership of this film either loves it or loathes it. Some (I among them) salivate over Kubrick's complete mastery of the film medium while others want to burn the film as morally dubious at best and repugnant at worst. The criticisms I hear most often leveled at the film concern the fact that Kubrick has us sympathizing with a young punk whose favorite pasttime is violence (any kind, including beatings, rapings, bludgeonings and stabbings).

I do agree that we sympathize with Alex, the film's main character, but I disagree that this is to the film's detriment. The movie, like the book on which it is based, is told essentially in first person. Alex narrates the film, and we never see an event occur that Alex himself is not present to witness. Even the mise-en-scene of the film (the distorted angles, stylized sets, use of slow and fast motion, etc.) lend the film a subjectivity and reminds the audience that it is seeing events unfold through a perspective other than its own.

I think anyone with a shred of humanity will sympathize with Alex; I think that's the movie's point. Alex treats others as if they are animals, and we are repelled by it. Then, when the state treats him as if he is just another animal, why should we not be just as repelled? In some ways, the questions this film poses can have practial applications to the ongoing debate over the death penalty. Does recoiling at the idea of putting someone to death mean that we condone the crimes he or she comitted to have that sentence brought against them in the first place?

I want to save my last comment for Malcolm McDowell's unimprovable performance. I can't imagine anyone playing Alex better than he does. He's got the perfect blend of charm, charisma and menace that this character needs. His performance is comedic and scary at the same time. It's a shame that he didn't receive more recognition for this film when it was released.

Grade: A

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Viddy this film right at once, oh my brothers
Review: A clockwork Orange is a masterpiece. Anthony Burgess's story of reform was a masterpiece years before Kubrick made it a legend. For those who have read it, it much more of a satire of an overpowering government, than a horror story about a gang of boys who go out every night and rape, beat, and steal. When Kubrick made the movie (tied with 2001 as his best, he made it to retain it's satirical views. If any other director would have tried to adapt it, they would have most likely exploited it's violence, and sex, and scrap the underlying meaning of the story. Most people who view this film don't get the real meanig of it because they disgusted by the first forty minutes. yes, it is disturbing, but it builds us up for the real story. A clockwork Orange is not about Ultra-violence, it's about how reform does not work on an evil mind, and How the goverenment thinks they can change us all.
Of course this movie would not be the same without Malcolm Mcdowell. His stunning portrail of Alex the droog lives in cinema history as (by far and away) the best charactor adaptation ever. As a matter of fact i believe this movie, along with 1984, are the best noval to movie adaptaions ever made.
This movie is Kubrick's masterpiece. Ever single thing about Kubrick is inthis movie. First, the face. The Kubrick face which graces ever single movie of his (the sadistic, evil looking grin which graces alex's face in the very first scene, Private piles face when he shoots the DI, and Jack torrances face, all through the shining, for examples). Second, the camera work. The slow camera work which shows every scene in it's entirty to show the full majesty of it. Thirdly, the music. With out the classical score, this movie would be nothing. And fourth (and most important) is the inclusion of Burgess's made up slang, Nadast. This gives the charactors there own identity (and good lingo to talk to other kubrick fans with).
A clockwork orange is a masterpiece.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: questionable
Review: so i finally watched the movie after i heard all it's praise, and it wasn't worth the money. So the book has potential because i thought the story was alright, but things were dragged on incredibly long. Such as the rape scenes, those were show much longer than actually needed. so i say again that maybe the book show more potenial. but as for the movie, it's another thing ruined by the decade of the 70's.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: great movie but not for everyone
Review: The first time i watched this movie i was stunned by the both content but also the story. The content is not for everyone, containing scenes of rape and "ultra-violance". although i loved the movie i would never suggest this movie to anyone who is sensitive to violance and would suggest that no one should show this movie to children, but if you are an adult who likes enjoys movies with rather strange plots and doesn't mind violant imagery this is a great movie to watch.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Viddy Well Ill Brother, Viddy Well!
Review: A classic, some of the best lines ever concieved, great cinematography, and like 2001, timeless. In my book still has one of the most freaky openings, being Alex staring a hole into the audience.Classic for anyone that is a fan of fighting and the ol' in-out. I have never met anyone who said this wasn't a great movie.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Aversion Therapy
Review: The beauty of the flim was that Kubrick in a subtle way, conditions the veiwer using the same techniques used on the main character . As the flim progresses the feeling of nausea increases. One should also ask ones self also how ones feels towards the end ? Prehaps a sense of relief. The flim is brilliant because it shows the the ying and yang of behavior modifaction . Yet it also leaves us with the existential Question when we attempt to control violent behavior ,do we cause violence?Which is better ,or if you prefer worse, to allow an indivdual to be violent , or to control that violence with the equally violent use of aversion therapy.


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