Scary comments

Rating: Null/10 (10 June 1999)

There are probably far too many comments concerning this movie already, but I'll advance one more. I'd always heard what a 'dreadful' and 'violent' movie "Clockwork Orange" was. It debuted while I was still in early high school; I didn't actually see it until quite a few years later. I do remember, incredibly, my first introduction to it in the form of a parody from "Mad" magazine. Though silly, I recall the MAD spoof as being amazingly reminiscent on the whole. However, I have seen the real thing now, twice; I've read the user comments from the IMDB site. And I have to say this: The movie didn't particularly frighten me in regard to the rape-and-ultra-violence scenes. Though of course quite troubling, those were inherently part of the story about a disturbed society and its even more disturbed methods of dealing with the above. What did scare me a bit were some of the comments I read. I would have to say that any people who think this movie "boring" or otherwise un-stimulating, are people I want to stay very far away from.
A pattern seems to emerge: These individuals appear to regularly watch movies that are chock-full of totally gratuitous violence. Then, having heard what a Terribly Violent film it is, they approach "A Clockwork Orange" in anticipation of more of the same. They are invariably disappointed -- the reason being that there is really little or no 'violence for violence's sake' in the film. In fact, as a person who decidedly does NOT get off on movie violence, I'd say there is no more than there has to be to help get the very disturbing points of the movie across. "A Clockwork Orange" could easily have been a great deal worse in that regard -- and apparently, some people are let down that it wasn't. So, to such people I suppose I'd have to say this: If you want gratuitous, mindless, and really horrible violence, rent "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" or any of the dozens of other, equally insane films -- including some animated ones -- that have come out since then. But if that's the kind of thing that works for you, don't bother renting "A Clockwork Orange". Violence may be the theme of this movie, but it is NOT the message.