This ain't "Singin' in the Rain"

Rating: 9/10 (12 July 2005)

A visceral assault on the senses.
Stanley Kubrick is on top form with this film which sees Alex (The brilliantly cast Malcolm McDowell) a thugish teen, and his gang of droogs inflicting ultraviolence on their failing community.
But that's not as simple as this film gets.
The violence stops when Alex is apprehended for murder, after being double-crossed by his droogs who have gotten tired of him.
He's chucked in the clink, and after a couple of years a revolutionary new technique is introduced that helps get rid of criminal attitudes. To us it would be called aversion therapy.
After this, Alex is totally reformed of his criminality (or so it seems), yet he is also released to his former home, and on his return, he is cast out by his parents, and is beaten up by his former droogs, who ironically are now police officers.
He makes his way to an isolated house. A house of which before he had visited with his droogs, and had left the old writer crippled, and his wife dead after viciously raping her.
At first, he isn't recognised. But as he begins to re-sing "Singing in the Rain." Of which he heartedly sang the night of the previous attack, the man in the wheelchair remembers, and tries to bring around Alex's death.
But, Alex after attempting to commit suicide, only ends up injured.
In hospital, the papers advocate for poor Alex, who has been wronged, and the prime minister visits to lay his final plan to let Alex back into society as a respected individual.
Yet, the last image will go to prove, that maybe, the person we are naturally always lurks beneath, as Alex's thought of sexual delight comes back - so surely will the rest of his evil desires...
--- From that, you may think this film is deep, and quite repulsive to watch, but really it is quite amazing. Packed with themes, from the debate between free will and obedience, societal struggles and abuse of power it is a great picture. Well acted, well directed, and well written. A classic by all accounts.
Previously it was even banned in the UK, and I urge you, be careful when you watch it. It is not for the faint hearted - especially religious people.
9/10