The violence is a mechanism to get the deeper meanings across

Rating: 10/10 (7 July 1999)

This is not some flick with random violence and a simple message. Make no mistake, the violence is horrifying. It's meant that way. It's meant to be a reflection on how society was progressing in the future, where for some ultraviolence is a way of life.
This movie can be divided into thirds. The first third delves into the madness of violence, and the horror a few ultraviolent individuals can produce in a society. The second third is about reformation and the price of reformation - can a society take away an individual's right to free will to protect itself? The final third is again a commentary on violence - this time that the violence is inherent in our society, that we are ALL products, and instigators, of violence. We're not supposed to feel sorry for Alex! We're supposed to feel happy that he's getting what he deserves!! But that's the mastery of the film - in the end our lust for revenge is no different that Alex's ultraviolence, and the "treatment" eventually blows up in the government's and societies' and in our (the audience's) face. Alex ends up the same as always, just much richer and with immunity from the consequences of his actions.
This film is violent. It is disturbing. It questions the lines between justice and revenge, beauty and horror, societies' greater need and an individual's basic human rights. It does so against a backdrop that is at once soothing (Beethoven's ninth) and horrifying (the ultraviolence). A Clockwork Orange is brilliant, but to appreciate its full impact, one has to get over the brutality of the film. The deeper meanings will be lost to anyone who can't.