Crime and Punishment

Rating: 10/10 (31 May 2010)

This is a very disturbing, but utterly brilliant film.
It very cleverly deals with the themes of morality and the use of psychology as a medical treatment, and its use for good or ill.
Kubrick works in a very clever analysis of liberalism v conservatism in terms of crime and punishment, and comes to the conclusion that neither approach on its own is the answer.
The film is very stylised, and clearly has evolved from Kubrick's approach for 2001. However, the view of the future is certainly more dystopian and political. The future United Kingdom is socialist/police state, with a 3rd world type gap between affluent and poor. The film focuses on a group of teenage tear aways and the impact of a specific crime on one of the characters, Alex, played by Malcolm MacDowell in a tour de force performance that has you absolutely spellbound throughout the film. His performance is totally charismatic, and he is put through considerable physical challenges in this film, including an eye injury that almost blinded him. Unfortunately, while he gave some good performances later on (Time After Time, Star Trek Generations)he never reached the quality of performance he did in this film again.
The film operates in three acts, Alex's life before incarceration, his time in prison and subsequent treatment, and the impact of that treatment on his release from is sentence. The story brilliantly plays on the role reversal aspect, as Alex's victims become persecutors, and Alex himself becomes a victim. It shows society's hypocrisy and tendency for the rule of the mob in terms of punishment of a criminal. It also offers up the notion that you cannot remove criminal behaviour from someone artificially without consequences, some of which are clearly unintended. Its doesn't judge, simply offers up an observation of how politics serves the purposes of politicians, rather than the people the politicians represent. This theme couldn't be more timeless, especially with scandals that have beset the real life British political system in the last year, and an emerging tendency, particularly in the last 5 years, of politicians seeming to want power for power's sake, and being willing to do anything to maintain it, including U turns on policies.
The rest of the performances are good, including a very curious and eccentric interpretation by Patrick Magee as the injured writer Frank Alexander, a strong performance by Michael Bates as the chief prison officer, and a clever performance by Anthony Sharp and the ruthless but charming politician.
Technical credits are excellent.John Alcott's cinematography is excellent, with Kubrick's signature use of wide angle lenses, clever use of zooms, and excellent and imaginative hand held camera-work. Kubrick also makes brilliant use of both slow motion and high speed to drive the narrative in effective and amusing ways in specific parts of the film. Bill Butler's editing and John Barry's production design are highly effective and the actions sequences are brilliantly put together, including some excellent stunt work.
Finally the electronic score, interspersed with classical 'Ludvig Van' as the protagonist puts it, is fresh and works brilliantly with the film, with some scenes clearly edited to the music, rather than the other way around. However this does not detract from the film.
In summary a tough, dark, disturbing and amusing masterpiece that has you thinking long after the film is over