Book compliments movie,and vice-versa

Rating: 10/10 (29 June 2005)

This Stanley Kubrick adaptation of Anthony Burgess' 1963 novel is something of a revelation of movie-making. It is truly very European in its make-up:the hero of the film is hardly an exemplary figure and the situations are dreary and morally difficult to make absolute. In other words,this is probably not the kind of film you'd find Michael Medved recommending.
Alex(a young Malcolm MacDowall,Sting look-alike)and his cronies--his "droogs"--spend an average evening in bars drinking a milk-based narcotic that makes them more rowdy and violent. On one particular evening,they kick the snot out of a homeless man,get in a fight with a rival gang of droogs and end up pillaging and raping a rich old man and his young wife in his mansion.
On another evening,Alex and his mates decide they'll try to rob a little old lady in her apartment. When the burglary goes awry,his mates abandon him and he ends up killing the woman,Alex is arrested and taken away to prison.
From there,he learns to become a "model prisoner" in order to get fast-tracked for a form of prisoner medical experimentation. Little does he realize(until it's too late)that the experimentation that he's been sold on,to "cure" his violent urges,is a draconian and brutal form of mental reprogramming involving mind-altering drugs and forced film-viewing.
Once released back into the world,Alex may no longer be violent,but that proves of absolutely no help to him as he tries to quietly reenter the society.
The book is a little harder to digest,but still is brilliantly written,so this movie actually gives flesh to the images and ideas created in it. I liken that to "American Psycho",only in that case I found the movie actually an IMPROVEMENT over the book. Kubrick seems very much at home with this grim,futuristic cautionary tale. It dovetails nicely with the film he did previously,a little experimental ditty called "2001:A Space Odyssey",also set in the future but comparatively sterile and detached when contrasted to "Clockwork". MacDowall,who rarely(if ever)commands leading roles anymore,is superb as the lead character,who is detestable,lovable,pathetic and sympathetic ALL in the same film. Not necessarily a must-see,but a deserved memorable offering at that.