A Clockwork Orange`s welcome return

Rating: 9/10 (22 March 2000)

A Clockwork orange has finaly made it to British screens. Will it stir up the same controversial issues as it did back in 1971?.Probably not,The violence now seems tame to our de-sensitised generation.But the the film remains a powerfull masterpiece about crime and punishment,the choice between being good or evil and what happens to man`s soul when that choice is taken away by underhand government tactics.Our anti-hero Alex (Malcolm macdowel)Is captured after a series of brutal beating`s and rapes.After serving 2 yrs of his sentence he applys to be a guinnea pig for the ludovico technique (a brainwashing device to repel him against violence).The technique is a success and Alex is sent to face the world.There he runs into his victims and is beaten.He is then used as a political pawn in a bid to upseat the government.But is in turn used by the government to win back popular opinion.Alex must be seen to be CURED. The film has a lot of black humour and is visually stylish.Some would say dated but in my humble opinion is one of the films many endearments.The dialogue is superb(an invention of author Anthony burgess).An excellent film adaptation by Stanley Kubrik and remains among his greatest work along side 2001:a space odessy.