A Clockwork Orange - cinematic masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (30 October 2007)

based on the 1968 novel by Anthony Burgess, A Clockwork Orange is a thrilling dark piece of cinema set in a dystopian future. Alex De Large (Malcolm McDowell) finds euphoria in drinking spiked milk in the Korova milk bar, leading his pack of droogs on ventures of ultra-violence and listening to Beethovens ninth. At the beginning of the film, he seems to epitomize evil. Whether it is his seemingly innocent blue eyes and cheeky side grin, that he refers to the viewer as "Oh my brother" and himself as "Your humble narrator" or the fact that he exudes optimism, charm and charisma, you inevitably end up batting for him and feeling your heart strings pull on his behalf. Through a twist of treachery from his unsatisfied droogs, Alex finds himself at the opposite end of the 'tolchoking' and in jail, where he hears of a new treatment that gets prisoners out of jail earlier. this is where the meaning of the story really comes in, the fragility of the individual. as Alex is being brainwashed, you can't help but feel his sickness as his face convulses with pain and horror. The strange language called Nadsat(meaning 'teenager' in Russian) coined by Anthony Burgess is endearing and Malcolm Macdowell plays the role of Alex with all of his heart, inhabiting the character of Alex rather than acting him, something few actors bother doing nowadays. A Clockwork Orange is stunning in every aspect, visually with the genius of Kubrick and the skills of Macdowell, Aurally with the sounds of Beethoven and other classics and a haunting Moog soundtrack that plays in the most crucial roles and really sets the dark scenes.
A Clockwork Orange is a piece of cinematic masterpiece. from beginning to end, it is like watching an emotional, often comedic, realistically (too much so) acted piece of wonderful wonderful art. be careful before you watch this film, it is utterly heart wrenching and will stay with you for the rest of your lives.