Stylised ultra-violence in a near future dystopia

Rating: 9/10 (3 April 2014)

Protagonist Alex DeLarge leads a small gang of thugs; his droogs. Together they like nothing more than an evening of ultra-violence and rape, being somewhat more cultured Alex also loves the music of Ludwig Van (Beethoven); especially his Ninth Symphony. When his droogs get above themselves he quickly and violently puts them in their place or so he thinks. Later on after a particularly brutal attack they knock him out and leave him for the police. He is sentenced to fourteen years in prison but after two years hears of a revolutionary treatment that will cure him of his antisocial tendencies and enable him to be released quickly. The treatment, a form of aversion therapy works perfectly; he feels violently sick whenever confronted by violence or sexual urges as well as accidentally robbing him of the ability to enjoy his beloved Ninth Symphony. Once out he tries to get on with his life but those he once wronged aren't so forgiving.
Like most films from director Stanley Kubrick this is worth watching although it isn't for the fainthearted; the violence may be highly stylised but it is still brutal and disturbing. The first half of the film introduce us to the world of Alex and his Droogs; a world of casual violence where they take what they want without concern for others. One might think that this would mean his 'treatment' would be less disturbing but seeing him with his eyes held open as he is forced to watch violent and sexual films is just as gruelling. Malcolm McDowell is the obvious star of the film; his Alex is scarcely off screen and also provides the film's narration; he does a great job in the role. This narration is important to setting the tone of the film; the 'Nadsat' slang he uses giving it an otherworldly feel we may understand what he is saying but many of the words are unfamiliar. The choice of music also adds to the menace; synth versions of classical music and most memorably Alex singing 'Singin' in the Rain' when raping a woman. I don't think this is Kubrick's best work, much of it is deliberately hard to enjoy, but it is still a classic with the power to disturb over forty years after its release.