A Good Film

Rating: 8/10 (6 April 1999)

Reading some of the comments made by other users of the film, it is clear that very few have read Anthony Burgess's original novel, on which the film was based. I would advise anyone who enjoyed the film to read the book as it is brilliantly executed. Anyway, although I'm not one of those "books are better than films" brigade, I feel there are some points which need to be stressed. Many people give all the credit for this film to the late Stanley Kubrick. However, at least 70% of the film is Burgesses creation. Kubrick's visual genius was an integral part of this movie, for example, the Droogs costumes are of his specification, not Burgess's, as was his modification of the storyline, the hilarious scene where Alex describes what he sees on the cards to the immensely patronising woman was completely different in the book. Despite this, Burgess devised the entire plot, and the Russian based teen language "Nadsat". All I'm saying is that perhaps Kubrick has been given too much credit for Burgess's masterpiece.