The Relevance Will Never Go Away

Rating: 8/10 (20 March 2006)

One must consider that, for a film made in the very early 1970s, the uniquely bleak vision of a futuristic Britain in "A Clockwork Orange" is wonderfully impressive, even by today's standards. Anthony Burgess' adapted neo Shakespearian dialect, combined with Kubrick's inimitable use of imagery conjure up a post apocalyptic world that is not our own and has not yet been.
"A Clockwork Orange" has not yet lost its edge as a brutally disturbing and unconventionally humorous piece of film-making after thirty five years and is highly unlikely to. In fact, one could argue that its message has always been relevant and apt in any age or society. The film predicted the rash and uncompromising Thatcher era in its second act, and horribly violent street crime, which is at its very peak at the time of writing, in its first.
Combine these ever appropriate values to a film that can be both savage and hilarious in the same minute, and you have before you yet another work of sheer excellence from Stanley Kubrick. "A Clockwork Orange" presents Kubrick at his best. No fan of his work will be left disappointed, as every last one of his trademark camera tricks - the slow rolling cam, the iconic, lengthy close up, the sinister face staring right through the screen at you (it is this frequent break of the fourth wall that makes Malcolm McDowell's performance so captivating) - are all here.
Minor faults aside (the unconventional script begins to lose its edge and uniqueness towards the end), "A Clockwork Orange" is excellent. The prevailing sense of dread and imminent fear that made "The Shining" so effective begins in "A Clockwork Orange", via the unique use of the camera, as is a memorable use of iconography not dissimilar to "2001: A Space Odyssey." Kubrick is on form, as is McDowell (the two of them became great friends during shooting - this undoubtedly paid off through their unmistakable chemistry) as the severely iconic anti hero Alex. The scenes of immense violence and sexual assault will shock you unlike anything else, the dialogue between Alex and his "droogs" will have you laughing out loud, the well placed music and the unfortunate and inevitable outcome of Alex's brainwashing and homecoming is hard hitting. "A Clockwork Orange" is a work of genius that every adult should experience.