Visionary, timeless and an incredible example of how film can matter.

Rating: 10/10 (18 February 2008)

Stanley Kubrick's "A Clockwork Orange" will disturb you, bother you, probe you, intrigue you and confuse you to no end. It is abusive in its use of human vice as a means of showing society at its worst. But while it's hard to take, Kubrick's science-fiction social commentary is simply one of the best examples of how film can tell stories and make valuable points in ways that other media simply can't.
The film takes place in a future Britain, which Kubrick portrays with a retro-'60s twist that only makes sense for someone envisioning the not-too-distant future from 1970. The main character is Alex, a teenager living a lifestyle of pure anarchy, focused on excessive violence, or "ultraviolence" as he an his cronies coin it. It's a gang culture and Alex believes in it, that is until his "brothers" set him up and get him caught and stuck in prison, where he makes an effort to get selected for a special treatment that is said to cure him of his evil ways and allow him to go back into the world immediately despite his prison sentence. The result is by far more ethically questionable than Alex's previous actions and Alex finds himself as the poster boy for an attack on the government.
Kubrick's depiction of this dark and dangerous world is never without distinct purpose. Every scene is memorable, every camera angle or movement significant in some way or contributing to the mood of the film. The use of classical music both as an element of the film and as a major part of the plot is absolute genius. Music, especially Beethoven, seemingly the most harmless aspect of a stained character in Alex, becomes the most influential in the film and also is Kubrick playing the same trick on us as gets played on Alex.
Malcolm McDowell as the eerie and controversial "protagonist" steals most of the acting thunder. After all, he is the narrator, but this is without question a work that feels dominated most by the ubiquitous presence of its director. He even went out of his way to create inconsistencies in the film's continuity.
Kubrick explores the very indecipherable nature of both good and evil and how it is conditioned in society. The film also serves as a critique of higher establishment, specifically government, telling people how they are supposed to live, though ironically a minister seems to offer some thematic advice in saying that all men have choice to be good or evil.
"Orange" is the kind of film that has many layers that can be visited and revisited. Its science-fiction element makes it timeless as well - we can always ponder its questions about the future. Ultimately, however, no matter how much access you have or think you have into the film's insights, it still leaves an impression. There are so many memorable scenes and while most of those might be difficult to watch, they're deeply affecting and fascinating. The combination of visuals, music and ideas simply shows film's great contribution to thought and social ideas.
~Steven C
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