Any movie that elicits such a variety of reactions cannot be all bad

Rating: 9/10 (15 August 2012)

This movie is presented in four acts. In act one we meet Alex and his three henchmen; the four of them burgle, assault, and rape their way through this act, terminated by a killing. In act two Alex is caught and put in prison where, in order to be let free, he volunteers for a Pavlovian anti-violence treatment. In act three Alex is followed after his release from prison; he is as helpless as a declawed cat and ultimately attempts suicide. Act four has Alex the subject of therapy to reverse his prior brainwashing.
The reactions to this movie are all over the map, from "masterpiece" to "disgusting." I find that my reactions to it are also all over the map. The violence in the first act is repellent and an assault on the senses, yet at the same time it is presented in such a stylized manner that it is transfixing. I saw this in its original release and have never forgotten the brutality of the scene in the house--ever since then I reflexively tense up whenever my doorbell rings and I don't know who it is. The fear of being transgressed upon in your own home is primal, dating back to the cave men I would think. The encounter between Alex's crew and the rival gang is beautifully choreographed and seems to be a send-up of the barroom brawls in old westerns. It's like Kubrick is saying, "I'll show you how that can be done."
The scenes where Alex is being subjected to the "Ludovico treatment" are about as difficult to watch as the scenes of violence. This raises the question of just what practices should be sanctioned in an attempt to control crime. What is done to Alex seems to go over the line, robbing him of the ability to make certain decisions. But then, imprisonment itself robs people of many basic rights, and the death penalty takes away all rights. The question of what rights should be sacrificed in the pursuit of safety is highly relevant in the USA of 2012.
The satire in this is not as biting or hilarious as that in "Dr. Strangelove," but there is a heavy dose of it. The man whom Alex and his gang violated in his home adopts a liberal stance of being appalled at the inhuman Ludovico treatment, that is until he found out who Alex was, and then he wanted to torture him. The government minister who touted the Ludovico treatment was quick to flip his opinion when the treatment was deemed cruel.
It is hard to imagine what this would be without Malcomb McDowell's magnificent performance. He had a good run there in the 1968-1971 time frame with "If...," "O Lucky Man," and this film. There are other standout performances; I particularly appreciated Michael Bates' Hitlerian fascist prison guard.
Some forty years on this movie has not aged a bit. I doubt if this could be made now and, if it were, I doubt it would find a distributor. The fact that the rating was changed from its original "X" to "R" is a commentary on how society views content.
This is a unique, thought provoking movie filled with stunning images that are not easily forgotten.