Product: A Clockwork Orange [VHS] (1972)
Rating: 2.0
Philosophy 101
I really hate to rain on the parade, but feel moved to write a review as an "average viewer." That is, I saw the film during its theatrical release, when I was 19; and I was unaware of any controversy surrounding the film, as I lived far from any "cultural center." (I was in Arkansas, actually.) This was the Vietnam era. I was a war protester, cultural misfit, and acidhead. My reaction to the film was, and is, one of boredom. That's not to say that there aren't some good bits: McDowell's Alex is an engaging screen character. But to speak of "social commentary" or "philosophy" in this film is to reveal an ignorance of the perfectly common and ordinary statements of bygone literary figures introduced to my generation (and, hopefully, others) in high school at latest. The film looked cheaply made in 1972, and that look has only worsened with time. If you want pop philosophy with a (relatively) good look, try _Brazil_ instead.