Kubrick's Masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (25 November 2004)

In a film career distinguished by films of great style, this one is Kubrick's most brilliant, entertaining, and beautifully conceived. There is not a moment which feels dull or forced or unimaginative. Of course Kubrick had a great piece of literature to deal with. People may quibble with his "retelling" of "Lolita" or "The Shining"--I don;t--but this film is so completely true to the spirit of the book, and so beautifully finds a cinematic equivalent of the writing style of the original--that it is truly amazing how he pulled it off. The moment the film begins--with that unbelievably spectacular film score using electronic versions of one famous
piece after another and the vision of that Korova Milk Bar that began, what in the 70's was a really shocking film, we are tossed into a world so vivid and so
imaginative. The moments of violence were practically unwatchable when it first came out (now of course we are desensitized to that........hmmmmmmm...was
this film somehow prophetic?). But these horrific scenes were balanced with
moments that were simply beautiful or really amusing or intriguing as could be. In addition to being an extremely "artistic" film, it also tells such a great and compelling story, and we get carried away with it. We somehow identify with
Alex. We are appalled and we feel guilty at the end as we hear those final ironic strains of "Singing in the Rain", and are so relieved that Alex is well and good-- that miserable rat bastard! How can this be? Kubrick has a field day
manipulating all of us. I think of any film I have ever seen (and I am a real film buff), this work made me think like none other.