Brilliant. Unforgettable.

Rating: 10/10 (24 June 2012)

A Clockwork Orange is an incredible experience. Few films have the ability to grab your attention quite like this one. No matter what age you were when you first saw it, the film most likely changed the way you look at cinema. I would still give a slight edge to 2001 as far as which is Kubrick's best, but it's a photo finish.
Our story centers around a mischievous young gang leader and the attempt by society to change him into a model citizen through the means of chemically squelching his violent or lusty desires. The first act shows how ruthless the young man named Alex and his "droogs" are, and some of the trouble they get into. We see how disrespectful he is toward his parents, and society in general. After a dispute over control of his gang, he finds himself solely responsible for the death of a woman. Alex is sentenced to a considerable length of time in jail, and soon he volunteers to participate in a new experiment designed to curb people's lust for sex and violence. We are never quite sure if he really wants to be "good" as he claims, or if he just wants out of jail. After two years as a model prisoner and some considerable sucking up to the prison Chaplain, Alex is cleared for the treatment. Little does he or anyone else seem to realize (except maybe the Chaplain) just how helpless the treatment will make him back in the outside world.
The film, though made with a paltry budget, is a technical wonder. Kubrick once again mixes sight and sound like the master he was. The futuristic world these characters live in looks like a fully amplified version of 1971. Tacky, but kind of beautiful. The stylized dialect these characters talk with will be ringing in your ears well after the film is over. The film contains numerous rape and assault scenes that can still be somewhat off-putting even if you've seen the film a dozen times. It's easy to see why this film was pulled from distribution in England for so many years. Even by today's standards, the violent acts may seem graphic.
The most amazing thing about the film is Malcolm McDowell. As Kubrick himself has stated, this film really couldn't have been made without him. His performance as Alex is on par with some of the best acting even done in movies. What's most amazing is how he can create such a lecherous character and then make him almost sympathetic in some scenes. Especially as he refers to the audience as his only friends once he's sent to prison. You almost feel sorry for him even though he probably deserves a much more severe punishment. Once he has been brainwashed of all his violent and sexual tendencies, Alex invokes nothing but pity. He cannot even fight off an elderly mugging victim who remembers him from years earlier. To top things off, two of his former gang members have become cops and now take pleasure in beating him up and leaving him for dead in the country. His parents don't seem to want him back, either.
After all is said and done, we learn that people just cannot live without their animal instincts and free will. The treatment was most-likely scrapped after what happened to Alex, and hopefully society was able to find a more successful way to deal with their crime problem.
The film is amazing in any way a film can be. No DVD collection is complete without it! If you haven't seen it, then for goodness sakes get to your local video store and see what you've been missing!!!! 10 of 10 stars from the Hound.