Hop on the ultra-violent rollercoaster

Rating: Null/10 (24 July 2002)

The main flaw of the film, and this is not to say that the film is rubbish but quite the opposite, is that the violence within Clockwork Orange is necessary but yet too much. Now I'm not some `bleeding heart` activist who wants all violence to be banned on the silver screen and for us to live in perfect harmony, but I feel that the scenes of violence only helped to distort the bare bones of a truly great movie idea.
My reasoning is this: the director and his script had one true aim, which is to highlight the importance of the facet of violence as one of our key indicators of our ability to choose our actions in life. The film gives us a great distinction of the moral sides to DeLarge's action but craftily sits on the fence and allows us to choose. But the violent scenes only helped to blur its aims before any of us have a chance to view the film. The controversy that surrounds this film due to the scenes of violence only secured the notion that your attention will be firmly fixed to gauging your opinion on it. How many people will come out of the theatre or switch off the video at home and comment on how horrid/crap the violence was, and not see the true intentions of Clockwork Orange. Some people, I know, have gone further: the violent scenes being imitated in real life only goes to show that many will be attracted to this film for purely different images as to what Kubrick wished us to see.
But this is where the problem occurs when tackling a subject like this. Kubrick states that violence is a necessity of life but I'm sure would never have thought that the images he produced could distort what he wished as much as it has. If the violent scenes were handled in a less direct, dramatic matter (but still using the excellent music and visual projections) that are produced in a way which conveyed the idea but did not glorify the act itself, this film will be easily one of the true greats for the majority of people. The format is arrives to us though means that it is a truly great film for those who choose to view past its controversy and infamy. For the others, it is a film which is violent and controversial and when they pass the violence and the controversy, fail to give the film is proper respect.