Product: A Clockwork Orange [VHS] (1972)
Rating: 5.0
Masterful Mind Control
Stanley Kubrick introduces us to a monster at the beginning of this great work. Alex De Large is a horror of a human being. He is violent, sadistic, ruthless, and cunning. He and his gang of youths steal, rape, destroy, and generally make war upon anyone they choose - be it rival gangs, people driving on the road, or people living quietly at home.In a master stroke, the movie reveals that this nightmarish individual is not the real evil here. The real enemy of the people is the oppressive government. This government wants its citizens to do as they're told, go to work, and live plain, uninteresting lives. In other words, they want a society of "clockwork oranges". The government will achieve its goal by starting with prisoners - as in the case of our friend Alex and will presumably move on from there to other citizens.What is amazing is we, the audience, find ourselves at this point of the movie pitying poor Alex. Yes, this unrepentant monster becomes our protagonist. Such masterful manipulation will leave us disturbed with the movie, which is exactly what Kubrick intended.