A Clockwork Orange
The Film: A Clockwork Orange
The Cast: Malcolm McDowell, Patrick Magee, Michael Bates, Warren Clarke
The Director: Stanley Kubrick
1971, Britain
The plot: It’s a story of Alex and his gang, who roam the streets unchecked and beat, rape or murder their victims, just for pleasure. Alex’s cronies, tired of his leadership, set him up and he is sentenced to 14 years in prison. The government comes up with a method of rehabilitation where they subject the prisoner to inhuman treatment, exposing him to countless images of sex and violence while pumping his body full of drugs that cause waves of nausea, developing a negative Pavlovian response to immoral and illegal activities thereby enabling the criminal to re-enter society and become a productive zombie.
The controversial film’s title alludes to “clockwork”, meaning artificial, mechanical and robotic, and “orange”, from orangutan, to signify a human being. Based on a novel of the same name by Anthony Burgess, this is an astounding piece of film-making which dazzles, disturbs and succeeds in achieving a very difficult result. It is part allegory, part black comedy, and part drama, just the perfect mix of stuff I like in films!
As I say often, people have watched the film without realizing what it actually means. When released, it faced a lot of criticism and was accused of glorifying violence, while in reality; it in fact does the opposite. It takes aim at the ineffective and inhumane methods often devised by governments to stem criminal behavior, asking the tricky question of whether the removal of free will destroys an individual’s essential humanity. Isn’t being violent a part of being human? Does the State have the right to kill that through such means? It also brings forth the fickle nature of public opinion that changes everyday.
One of the first things that will strike anyone watching A Clockwork Orange today is how truly modern it looks, both in terms of content as well as stylized presentation. If not for the youthful face of Malcolm McDowell, one can be forgiven for assuming that it’s a more recent film…and how many films from the 70s can claim that?
The film has a thorough “Kubrick” stamped all over it, with his trademark use of background score (Beethoven in this case), camera angles and the scathing satire. In fact, where few films ever do justice to the books they are based on, Kubrick actually brings it to life.
One has to watch this film to understand what “anti-hero” would mean in cinema. Alex is cunning, malicious, brutal and amoral. He gets in to fights just for the sheer fun, and rapes women while humming a song as casually as would eat his breakfast…and yet, we are manipulated into cheering for him as the film ends. He is a victim at the mercy of an uncaring society as violent as him, or perhaps more. By itself his treatment induces revulsion, but it’s also a reflection of the times where the negation of personality is actually applauded.
He definitely gets all that he deserves, but you still feel bad for the guy. Whether that’s because he’s somehow less human now that he’s been stripped of his ability to react violently to even defend himself or something else entirely, it’s a fascinating dynamic that makes the you question things about yourself.
Definitely not for the faint-hearted, I saw this film first in college, and absolutely hated it, so much so that I conveniently deleted it from memory…but now, seeing it again after years…looking past the sex and the violence, I would say that it is an unexplainable tale of twisted non-redemption. And amazingly, it works.
And I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who can reasonably explain why.
Go, watch!
Tags: English - Other
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OMG… Yaar you are coming up with one of the best movies.. Damn first was Run Lola.. and now Clockwork Orange… amazing. I loved this movie so much. But watching the movie for the first 30 mins, i was like i was gonna throw up anytime. With the voilence, the horrifying Rape scene, etc. It is of the genre of movies where if you are watching for the first time, it is real fucking tough to guess the ending. Wonderful movie, and thanks for taking me down the memory lane
Sumeet: Thank you so much for your kind words…its great to meet someone else who has enjoyed the movie and seen it with the actual persective that the director tried to showcase!
I watched this movie more than 4 times(repeatedly watch some scenes again and again).I rate 2001 and ACO as kubrick’s joint best. Dr Strangelove is a distant second. I have to say its a big step for kubrick to have made this film. What guts to make a film despite all those problems. I love the theme Ultraviolence, Sex and Beethoven. After repeatedly watching this movie I almost hate the ninth symphony (hehe can we tell I got a negative Pavlovian response):d. A special mention to the accent. Now to the ACO mode:
Welly welly welly welly well Nice post..Viddy well, oh moi brother. Viddy well. Lemme go back to ma korova milkbar with my droogs.
@Thilak: Awesome!! That last dialogue actually made me go back to the film!!
I agree, for me ACO rules, Dr Strangelove seems pretty inadequate after that!!