Retribution like Clockwork

Rating: 5/10 (27 April 2013)

Coming back down from space, though "supposedly" still in the future, I finished two back to back nights of two back to back Stanley Kubrick films: 2001: A Space Odyssey and A Clockwork Orange. And my initial thoughts were: "Well, at least he's improved, albeit not by the REAL future's The Shining standards"
Actually, I can certainly acknowledge this is a well-made film and possibly a little ahead of its time in 1971, but there were just a few areas I just couldn't get past.
Such as, by words only, meaning hardly a moment on screen, was this a "futuristic" society. Yes, I'm aware this is 1971, and possibly filmed prior, and I didn't need to actually see things that didn't exist until decades later: cell phones, laptops, etc. But, almost everything in this movie was that timeframe without a speck of imagination of what the future might hold. For example: Records (yes, including the obvious 2001: A Space Odyssey LP,) landlines, cars, weapons, postersthey're all of the same period as the movie. Oh, I guess you can say medical experiments and blue hair might be considered "advanced," but I felt no efforts were made to convince me they thought ahead. (Wait, I guess, hoodlums drink drugs, er, milk, at bars in the future. Yeah.)
Opposite the lack of visuals for the so-called "FUUUUTURE," were too many mix-matched color or bland schemes on screen. While I am not a Kubrick fan, I absolutely can appreciate his drive, dedication and attention to the smallest of details. Since I know how masterful he is, I was shocked on how unpleasing the movie was to my eyes with the sets, colors, etc. Absolutely, this could've been his intention, and possibly his mark for what the "bleak" future would bring, so I do claim ignorance in that. But, nevertheless, the movie didn't disturb me in the "darkness" it should've portrayed; it was distracting on how nothing blended well. So much so, colors and sets reacted like two magnets close together.
Finally, given the time, Kubrick at the helm and especially following his finale to 2001: A Space Odyssey, the movie just had to go to odd and out-there psychedelic facial expressions. Of course, this could be interpreted in many, a few or even one right way, but for me, while I was watching both the F. Alexander character's overacting face outside the bathroom and Alex being fed at the end with his mouth opening and digesting food in such a way even a toddler would ridicule him. YesI have an idea why these actors made such drug-induced expressions, but it blended in with my previous point on how unpleasing this was to watch.
Now that we're past what personally irked me, I want to again state: I felt this was a well-made movie from all involved and I understand it's been dissected, interpreted, reviewed and acclaimed by many. In fact, many of that group might dislike, discount or flat out say I'm wrong for my view of the movie's shortcomings. Granted, that's everyone's right to an opinion as I am just giving what I witnessed.
Since I provided my three negatives, here are my three positives:
The story was very well done, classical, even. I loved the point of the journey of Alex and especially the outcome(s). Also, while admiring and enjoying Malcolm McDowell's performance, it was rather hard to see him so young! My Malcolm McDowell that I grew up on was from Star Trek: Generations and more recently, Rob Zombie's Halloween 1 and 2. (Of course, this is not a criticism; it was just weird for me, personally.) And finally, the dialogue was fairly well-done. When I could understand it, that is. Thank God for closed captioning. But, again, that's just me.
The movie centers around carefree, selfish, off and criminal(ly insane) "teenager" (McDowell was 28 at the time of release, so probably 26-27 during filming or so and looked it. In words only, he was a "teen") Alex, his brethren or "droogs" and his eventual capture, voluntary rehabilitation and eventually retribution in the most fun, yet unrealistic series of unfortunate events.
That one paragraph summed up the entire 136 minutes, but I would encourage people to see all that's involved in this fine movie. It's unapologetic use of the penis – phallic symbolism, rape and torture, both by criminals and government alike, might turn off some people, but I admired how far this director would go to show his vision of what these character's state of mind and surroundings were. Perhaps it was enormously taboo and experimental back 43 years ago, and I'm sure that's one reason it was nominated for best picture.
I thought I remembered having seen this roughly 17 years ago and that was the only time. Following the hardest scene for me to watch – the eye-opening scene (and not because of what he was watching on the screen in front of him, but my sensitivity to activity around the human eyes,) I don't recall a single segment. I probably gave up on the movie back then and thus, this is my first ever, full-viewing of A Clockwork Orange.
Despite my appreciation of most of this film, it really isn't a movie I'll probably watch again, any time soon, at least. Lord willing, I'm around in another two decades and maybe, I'll revisit the droogs gang with their milk'staches again.