The first movie of the nine-dees arrives in 1971

Rating: Null/10 (28 March 2004)

As with 'The Exorcist', 'A Clockwork Orange' hits its present-day audience with somewhat of a pulled punch. On the topics of violence, sex, profanity, and all that other stuff that makes life worth living (just kidding), today's movie audiences are a little more desensitized than the wider-eyed filmgoers of the seventies.
I can see why it caused such a stir upon its release in 71: it belongs to another decade. The ironic use of violence/rape by the Droogs is not seen in such other films of the day as: Easy Rider, Alien, The Conversation et al. A couple people didn't 'get it', and treated Kubrick's film as an endorsement of crime.
All that aside: I thought it was pretty good. Kubrick's visuals set the industry standard, as per usuals. Wendy Carlos' neo-classical, techno-synth harmonics are a great way to replay the musical giants of Europe's past. Her contribution to the film was good enough that 'Tron' is now on my must-see list.
I didn't like Beethoven's music being used as decoration to destruction, since the nature of composition is creation. Maybe that was intended as a means to create tension, I don't know. I also hate it when eyes get mutilated in movies (Stir of Echoes, Minority Report, Jackass: The Movie). The sympathy pains are enough to make me turn aside.
Not Kubrick's best, but a good picture: 7/10.