"A bit of the old ultraviolence"

Rating: 10/10 (3 January 2011)

Being born in 1992, and honestly having a bit of a 'sheltered life' at a young age, I have only recently began to immerse myself into the world of film. I have seen many a movie over the years, I must say among my all time favorites have always been the 1954 original uncut "Gojira", "BladeRunner", "Schindler's List", "Platoon", "Pan's Labyrinth, "The Dark Knight", among others, but when I saw this particular film it was one of the rare that a strange profound reaction occurred. For a few minutes after seeing it, I was simply stunned, having no real idea of what to make of what I just saw. I had to view the DVD again, and then it all sunk in. And now, after many a views later, it ranks among my personal top 20.
Stanley Kubrick really achieved something here, something visionary and honestly hard to look at if you're really conservative or squeamish. Upon first viewing I watched it with my brother. The second time I watched it alone, but was nonetheless exhilarated. He creates what is supposed to be the future and a very unique and unparalleled vision of it. Yet it hauntingly doesn't look to different from our own, even today over 40 years since the film was released. Viewers are thrown in the midst of this world to meet the intriguing character of Alex DeLarge, played brilliantly by Malcolm McDowell. In a very graphic but all too real sense, Alex is ourselves, or friends, our enemies, the inner part of us that may be deemed wicked or unholy but undeniably human. There is a however a choice to be made, whether good or bad is entirely up to you alone. I suppose that very idea, admitting such a thing about one's self or humanity in general for that matter could turn someone off from this film. But it's really undeniable, "A Clockwork Orange" is not a metaphor of our world; it's as if Kubrick merely put up a mirror to reflect our own decadent society.
The pivotal point of this film is how pointless and rather how further degenerative it can really be to try and change human nature. And, as it is explored in this film, even if someone could manage to change it, is this man really even a man at all anymore? And before leaving you readers, I must write about one of the most mind-boggling parts of the whole the film to me, where Alex's view on the oh so precious Bible is shown, further insight to put an end to people diluting themselves. Not even a sacred book can change human nature, as Kubrick ingeniously shows.