This movie is about a protagonist who is a murdering rapist, yet for some reason you are sorta kinda rooting for him. What the fuck? A Clockwork Orange literally makes me uncomfortable in the opening 30min or so. The terrible things Alex does are excruciating to watch through, especially when he belts out "Singing in the Rain". Then after that, you are just following his punishment and for some reason hoping for his release from jail.
Outside of the story, the camera work is great as always. Also, I love the musical choices. Both standard Beethoven and electronic Beethoven are always wonderful. But on top of that you get some nice horse racing music to enhance an, un, entertaining scene. The future 70s design is pretty great as well. Gotta get me one of those coffee tables they have in the opening shot.
It really bothers me that I am sorta kinda on Alex's side, and that is why I think this is an amazing film. The fact that Kubrick makes you feel wrong is astounding. Him and Malcolm McDowell just really know how to work together. The fact that Alex is so charming and funny is a big part of what does this. When you know he's still a terrible person at the end, you still end up laughing at his manipulative interaction with the politician feeding him. Why the hell am I laughing that a robbing, murdering, rapist eating food pompously?
If you hate this movie, you're probably a better, moraler person than me.
VERY (!) sick film about a bunch of young man who are so bored and spoiled by society that they do nothing else but beat up homeless guys, rape strangers and drink themselves into unconsciousness.
Kubrick's criticism of society and the system is not bad and certainly keeps you think. However, I never got access to the movie because it all is too strange and too overdrawn (which is probably exactly the intention of the directory) for me.
3 Thoughts After Watching ‘A Clockwork Orange’:
What a journey. I’m not entirely sure what I just watched, or what I think about it. But I’m definitely intrigued by Kubrick’s twisted mind.
I kept waiting for the moment when I realized the reason for the film’s title. It never came.
McDowell kept reminding me of Evan Peters the entire time.
I'd like to preface this review by saying that I know this movie does not deserve a 2. In a world devoid of morals and of ethics regarding filmmaking and the making of art, I would give it a 10, but we live in a world where the mere existence of such an atrociously sinful film means that quite a bit of sin was committed during it's making.
While those who are not religious may strongly disagree with me and I too may look back on this review and wince, I simply do not believe that the message this movie sends was worth depicting brutal, sadistic, and graphic rape. I both am grateful and regret the fact that I have seen this film and I feel dirty having watched it and rightfully so.
Much of the material Kubrick presents on screen during this film amounts to little more than sadistic porn. Nudity is gratuitous and I violence is painted over with disturbingly artistic flair. What Kubrick misses the opportunity to do is to allow the audience's imagination to fill in the blanks instead of forcing people to carry out the acts on screen. The book this film is based on succeeds in that it is horrifying without needing people to act it out.
I realize that this is a terrible review, but for your sake and for the sake of others who will have to live with your mind after this film, urdge you to not watch this. They say it is a masterpiece and it is - but it is one that requires prolonged exposure to the worst of humanity in ways that are simply unjustifiable.
a little overrated don't u think?!
It said a few think about society but nothing new. I know people are evil. I know institutions can be hypocritical, experimental and evil. I know about gang mentality. What's left? The only interesting moment was the family dynamic after Alex was released and that only lasted one scene. Alex wasn't even a complex character like he could have been. He goes from sick to cured to victim with nothing interesting in terms of actual personality - oh but he likes beethoven, yeah great. This is structured more like a fairy tale than a movie for grown ups. This movie seems to have the view that the hypocrisy of power and violence is genuinely interesting and clever enough to base an entire movie on. Clever social predication? Hardly. Maybe about a degenerate society but many movies predict that as a usual plot idea. I'm sure people don't care as much in those cases. What about all the wrong predictions? Where are all the posh talking kids listening to beethoven and raping? What was the logic behond that anyway?? Why does the future still look like the 70s?
What bugs me is the arty veneer to try and give some intellectualism. Beneath the flesh, boundary pushing violence for the time and nonsensical classical music (especially the edgy Nazi beethoven scene), it's a very basic story. It's not Alex or the violence that bothers me but the fact it's shallow and overrated
First minutes of movie I almost stopped watching, it looked to dark and werid but after the story develops it's a good movie
criticizing society. Overall good acting, good photography and is a movie that I would recommend watching alone, it's not family friendly movie.
Been occasionally watching this masterpiece since adolescence, each time getting a different impression. Hence, I'll develop clearer on my last one. I consider this movie to represent the tensions in society regarding how crime and societal response should work (and who's responsible for this, with the appearance of symbolic figures as the State, the Church, intellectuals, family), as much for punishment or rehabilitation. Whether a criminal could be rehabilitated, whether society would actually and eventually accept and trust the rehabilitated criminal, re-integrate him after succeeding in his "treatment", and the ethical limits of such a treatment.
First time I watched this movie, I interpreted the Ludovico technique as a dystopian element to precisely make satire to criticize the rehabilitation through personal meaning and choice the jail priest argued for (I'm agnostic). In other words, society gave up trust in rehabilitation through moral development of the individual and overpassed his will through psychological conditioning.
Yet now I consider this technique in a more neutral light, as the utilitarian solution showing itself as more optimal than the moral-ingraing one. This in light of considering poor real life rehabilitation results for the second, which I'd adjudicate in real life not only to individual but social circumstances. Oddly enough, I sensed the movie shows how society rejected the individual in spite of his scientific rehabilitation.
In summary, this movie made me reflect on the diverse set of beliefs regarding crime as a phenomenon tensioned between a deterministic cynicism on human moral development, and a free will idealistic notion that people can rectify themselves by choice. I personally consider a criminal results from the complex interaction of both ends, and in spite of humanity being nowadays particularly close to impressive capacity of societal moral order and control through technology and cultural evolution, we're still by no means attacking the root but the symptoms of crime, which I still advocate for.
My other favorite movie ever.
I've read the book a couple of times and I've seen the film several times. The score is amazing, the casting and acting are beyond the beyond, the political commentary in its hyper stylized way gets its point across in the most fantastic way.
I had this film on my watch list for several years now. Let me state this up front: this movie isn't for everyone. Parts of it are upsetting (especially in the first half) and much of it is confusing. Having said that, it is easily one of the most unique films that I have ever seen.
As per usual I wont spend time recapping the story line. I had read many different thoughts on "Orange" before viewing it and it was apparent that there isn't much middle ground on this one. You either really liked it or you really, really didn't like it.
There is a clear message in the movie that I also won't give away here. I will say this: the message is even more true today than it was back then. It took a while for that message to come out as the first third of the movie was steeped in lawlessness and selfishness that was used to set up the rest of the movie.
We had quite the lengthy discussion about the film after viewing it but I'm not sure how much of it would translate here. I love when something sticks with me for a few days so that in itself is probably a sign that I enjoyed it. The acting was tremendous (especially Malcolm McDowell) and I also really enjoyed getting a feel for the other minor themes that were in the movie.
(I just read this back to myself - this was a pretty crappy review. Sorry, there was just too much in the film to do it justice here. I could have picked anyone of the topics and talked about it for several paragraphs)
if any man tells you this is their favorite movie just like, run away as fast as possible
I refuse to give a film a high rating simply based on its supposed "historical merit". A Clockwork Orange is supposedly a "classic" film touting the evils of society and twisted manipulations of a so-called judicial system, but in reality, this is a 2 hour boring film filled with gratuitous violence, sex, nudity, and soft-core pornography. The "message" that it supposedly sends is so vague that - even after two viewings - I still don't understand what I just watched, and certainly can't explain WHY I sat through it…TWICE. But I did, and neither time did I find any reason to validate sitting here for more than 2 hours watching this tripe. You have a violent repeat offender, a "truant officer" (? Never had those here in the USA, so I'm not sure what that pervert 'advisor' guy was supposed to be?) who seemed like he was more interested in Alex's genitals than Alex's well-being, and you have a gang of violence-driven young men who can't even be loyal to one another. The story is extremely convoluted and confusing - you get what the story itself is about, as a whole, but the portrayal is as clear as mud - and by the time the final curtain drops, you still have no clue as to what just happened. Utterly ridiculous. To add to that, Americans should be warned that (well, speaking for myself, anyway) the UK English dialogue throughout the movie is extremely difficut for Westerners to follow; although I got the gist of what was being said, I didn't understand the largest part of the dialogue because I don't understand UK English words, phrases, or colliloquies. (I'm sure they rightfully feel the same way about the American English vocabulary.) Everything combined - including the conclusion - just made this so-called "classic" basically suck, for me. I've sat through it twice and I'm yet to be impressed with ANYTHING about it…okay, I take that back: the soundtrack was great; awesome choice of tunes, including the Singin' In the Rain tune. Apart from the music, just a resounding NO. Don't bother.
The first part of this movie is incredibly unsettling. Kubrick's ability to make your skin crawl really is a talent. It's a good think piece on the issue of reformation of the criminal, putting the choice to be good up against the psychological condition to be good for the sake of pragmatism and efficiency. It's also interesting how it shows the people in charge of "law and order" to be as criminal, corrupt, violent and villainous as the people they so forcefully want to reform. All in all, it's a good movie, that I don't really feel the need to watch again.
I am not convinced, but I cannot even say what was missing.
STUPID, don’t waste your time
A movie that makes you root for the bad guy. A masterpiece, no words can describe how good it is.
One of the most daring films I’ve yet watched, “A Clockwork Orange” basks in its own absurdity and extremism. Set against the backdrop of a world obsessed with sex and violence, the story of young Alex explores important themes of cultural responsibility and political opportunism around human life. Raising questions of personal responsibility and the nature of redemption, Kubrick goes to great lengths to show every brutal and bewildering scene of violence, sex, and their horrendous combination, rape, so that audiences are left discomforted by the troubling subject matter. “A Clockwork Orange” is not a movie you are granted the privilege of leisurely watching; instead, it draws you into its story and demands that you be repulsed and angered by the actions of almost every character—it seems there is no hero nor villain in the movie. This gray morality is troublesome, especially when such lengths of depravity are shown on screen, but it is the very reason this movie belongs on all time great lists... not because it is particularly great (though it is stylish), but because it engages the medium of movie-making so distinctly that it surely has inspired many movies since its time.
At the top of the list of the most deranged movies I've ever seen.
This is an interesting movie to say the least. I liked it more after a rewatch but it still is very uncomfortable for the first act. I remember trying to watch this and couldn't get past the first 10 minutes. It has some great sets and the colors really pop. The camera work is great. Malcolm McDowell is great as Alex. My only real problem with it, which to some might not be an issue, is just how absurd everything is. The themes the plot brings up are interesting and thought provoking.
I honestly don't understand how this movie got the status it has. Waverthin story about an unlikeable character. All around bad acting, long drawn out meaningless shots and scenes. It's shit.
Stanley Kubrick must be the most overrated director of all time
I love the story line and the plot, what I don't like is how unrealistic the acting felt.
ULTRAVIOLENCE is coming little bitches
Sure, the whole thing is one big criticism against society and is so over the top for a reason. Honestly, it’s a bit too much for me. I can hardly call it a movie, it’s just bizarre and disturbing. Everyone is bad, blah blah blah.
Stanley Kubrick's messianic ode to ultraviolence.
This movie is mental. Even by todays standards 50+ years later, but movie is uncomfortable…but somehow is an incredibly engaging way. The most shocking part about finally seeing this is that Malcolm McDowell is a splitting image of Evan Peters. How has Hollywood not created this remake yet?
Rating: 4/5 - 85% - Would Recommend
Boring, been done before, poorly-written. Couldn't make it through the first 30 minutes. If Kubrick is such a perfectionist he could've done the basic job of making a decently-directed movie that's not self-flagellating and actually has something meaningful to say. All I got was torture porn and the writing / world-building equivalent of a five-year-old's crayon drawing of a house.
Eggiwegs, lomticks of toast, lovely steaky-wakes and especially moloko plus get you in the mood for some ultra-violence and sexual deviancy. I wanna watch this while high.
So disturbing yet interesting throughout the movie.Especially the character of Alex was portrayed brilliantly on the screen.And his narration was a great one as well.It tasted all together otherworldly.
Like a vintage shop, there's some things that are cool and other things that are less so, but anyway you're not there for the things, you're there for the atmosphere.
It's been so long since I last watched A Clockwork Orange and I'd forgotten so much that it felt like a first time watch for me. Fortunately, it was in my favorite theater in Paris which heightened the experience.
I was actually surprised by the flaws I noticed, considering how I'd built this film into a monument of cinema in my head. A couple of the performances are so over the top as to be distracting and the second act drags so much I'm not surprised none of it stuck in my memory. But overall, with Kubrick's eye, McDowell's performance and the message the film contains, A Clockwork Orange remains a film that is almost as enjoyable as it is important.
With this film, a world heritage of cinema, Stanley Kubrick has reached a level of artistic mastery that would make Michelangelo pale in comparison. To make a film an art form, it must have the innovation of a Chaplin or Jean-Luc Godard. Furthermore, for a film to be a masterpiece, it must have music, direction, and great performances by the cast. Nevertheless, this film easily fulfills these requirements, and miraculously, it is a perfect work of art, with outstandingly high quality visual beauty far above the audience. For 136 minutes, one feels as if one has stepped into an exhibition of paintings or photographs that are sigh-inducingly vivid, beautiful, sometimes violent, and sometimes insane. The film's elaborate camerawork is erotic, but not vulgar, like a sensual film. The clarity of vision, both pictorial and photographic, is unparalleled. Any of the scenes, even the still ones, would make a grade-A photo book. Without a doubt, it is the best film made in the entire world in 1971. It deserves to be the "Pietà" of the film world.
Fun fact. John Savident who played Fred Elliott in Coronation Street is also in this Kubrick craziness.
I said John Savident who played Fred Elliott in Coronation Street is also in this Kubrick craziness!
moral of the story: do not trust men.
One of my all time favorite movies!
We could spend hours talking about Kubrick’s social satire, but we all know the truth. The real reason we all love “A Clockwork Orange” is that it’s an over-the-top, ill-mannered, pitch-black, trippy comedy that makes fun of totally unfunny subjects. You won’t laugh for a second, but will feel your Gulliver’s right sagittal stratum gloating instead. Combine this with the stylish visuals, the nonsensical slang, and the iconic use of classical music, and you have one of Kubrick’s best (and most misunderstood) films.
Tonally and thematically, it’s surprisingly close to “Full Metal Jacket”. Both make fun of tragic events, both highlight the dangers of dehumanization and psychological conditioning as weapons of a corrupted system, both accept the savage nature of human beings.
2 / 2 directing & technical aspect
0 / 1 story
1 / 1 act I
1 / 1 act II
.5 / 1 act III
1 / 1 acting
1 / 1 writing
.5 / 1 originality
0 / 1 stays with you
0 / 1 misc
7 out of 10
devletin insana baskısının sonuçları.... KAOS
I consider myself a Kubrick fan, but it took me forever to get around to watching A Clockwork Orange and after seeing it, maybe I need a 2md viewing. While I loved the photography, editing and overall style of the film, the central story and characters never engaged me. The performances were all great, and definitely worth watching for them alone. I do recommend it to anyone who hasn't experienced all of Kubrick's movies, but it's definitely lower on the list for me. That might change after a re-watch.
7/10 stars
Kubrick's messianic chant for ultraviolence.
Horrorshow like the book, my brothers.
I watched this movie without knowing what to expect, except that it's a critically aclaimed must see movie.
Well, I must say, I've found it very weird. Not that it's bad, only that I might need some time to understand fully what I've watched.
Clockwork orange is about a group of thieves and rapists who in the end don't change at all even though the government "corrected" or "approved" them. It's very much a disaster to see that unfold but you can't help but be a spectator of something you even end up seeing in the real word....
One of the few movies that are better than the book! Perfect adaption, I liked how it kept much from the book, but still added it's own little "extra".
hi mk ultra, nice to see u in that movie.
Kubrick movies feel better, every time i watch them.
Shout by amirul faizBlockedParent2015-09-03T07:07:05Z
moral of the story : use different song when singing in the bathroom