A Clockwork Orange

Rating: 10/10 (14 January 2005)

My family has always been scared/freaked out by the evil smirk Malcolm McDowell gives to the camera in this film's opening shot. Now that I've seen this movie, I get to freak them out whenever they serve milk as a beverage at holidays. :) Using stunning tracking shots, bizarre surrealism and just sheer drama, Stanley Kubrick created one of, if not the best movie of 1971. Now that that's been established, let's take a more in-depth look at this exceptionally deep film.
My first Kubrick film was 2001: A Space Odyssey when I was six. I understood most of it, but I just liked the visual effects. When I saw it again on DVD when I was 13, it was so much different. Since that day, I had wanted to see all of Kubrick's movies. A Clockwork Orange may just be his masterpiece.
Kubrick's tracking shots have always been the best of any director (Martin Scorcese is right behind). Using the trademark fish-eye lens, the screen follows characters from an inanimate third-person point of view. The record store scene in particular is a great example. Sometimes the scene will just stay still for so long, the tension becomes so unbearable because you just want the camera to move.
The acting is extraordinary, especially from British actor Malcolm McDowell. He is able to completely embody Alex de Large with startling and sometimes even scary ease. When I read the trivia section at IMDb before seeing this movie, I couldn't figure out why McDowell would have a fear of eye drops after making this. The "conditioning" scene explained to me why.
Anyway, this is a terrific film that mature audiences should all experience. If you are reading this review and haven't seen it, you really should. I can almost promise you (I can't promise you because I don't know you) that you will not be disappointed.
****/****
10/10