Important but very disturbing Kubrick film

Rating: Null/10 (2 September 2005)

Master director Stanley Kubrick's dark film about a bleak future in England where gangs terrorize ordinary citizens and the government is corrupt to the core. Malcolm MacDowell as Alex the droog in one of the greatest movie villain roles ever created. He and his band of droogs cruise around doing the in and out and ultra-violence until Alex is caught and sent to prison. What follows is an absolute nightmare. The violence in Clockwork Orange was, and is by some, considered extreme. It's the way Kubrick films the scenes that gets under your skin. The movie itself is an indictment of violence but some people incorrectly read it as a glorification of violence in the character of Alex. He's just a victim of a ruined society. Personally, I think the film is a great film, and I love Kubrick, but I avoid watching Clockwork Orange after seeing it three times. The scene where Alex is bound in a straight jacket and is forced to watch images of war violence turns my stomach. Clockwork Orange is #41 on the AFI's 100 best films list.