A Clockwork Orange

-Warner Brothers (1972)

Summary

It's the classical "boy is bad, boy is conditioned to be good, then boy becomes tool of the government" story.

My Thoughts

A Clockwork Orange is a unique film to say the least. Take one part dark look at a future society, mixed with rape and brutal murder, and you have a recipe for a film that can't be enjoyed by everyone. The unique thing about A Clockwork Orange is how good it is despite its content. It's one of the most disturbing films I've seen, while at the same time it's one of the most entertaining. I've liked this film ever since I bought a VHS copy when I was about 15 years old. At that time I knew I had made a good purchase when my mother questioned whether I should have it or not. If Mom thought it might be bad, then it had to be awesome.

A Clockwork Orange follows the story of Alex, a young man in a world full of chaotic violence. Alex is a wild and ferocious psychopath who leads a small gang of teens like himself. He lives his violent life without consequence until his own gang betrays him, in a move that sends him to jail for murder. Alex volunteers for a new treatment to "cure" him of his criminal tendencies in order to get an early release from prison. Instead of being a miracle cure-all, Alex finds himself in a sticky situation when he crosses paths with those he transgressed in his criminal days.

Aside from the horrors of death and rape the film has more than a few humorous moments such as the character of the Monty Python-like prison guard. It also has a streak of wickedly dark humor, like in the infamous scene were Alex is singing "Singing in the Rain" as he kicks a man for percussion before committing rape. The weirdest thing about A Clockwork Orange is that while you may enjoy it, you feel bad for doing so. Does liking this film make me a horrible person? No, I'll just call myself a student of the cinema and it will be all okay.

The editing, cinematography, and acting are bar none excellent. Malcolm McDowell deserves big credit for his performance. He's menacing and sympathetic, as well as disgusting. The rest of the cast plays their parts in the sarcastic or disturbing tone that fits the film perfectly.

The edition on the other hand is simply pathetic. This is one of my favorite movies, but I refuse to purchase any DVD that is practically on par with the VHS edition. The video quality is only passable and the surround mix is even worse.

Extras

For a film that has won so many awards, still continues to be relevant today, and was made by one of the most famous directors of all time, this DVD edition is devoid of any worthwhile extras. This edition is not what A Clockwork Orange deserves.

The two things you get in this edition is a trailer and a thing called “Awards”. The trailer is full screen which is already a minus, but is also a horrible way to try to sell the movie. You really can't blame it on the edition though, just the idiots that were in charge of marketing at the time. The “Awards” feature is a list of awards the film has won. Wow, what a remarkable extra and an enormous waste of time.

Score

Film: 9.5

Extras: 1.0

Edition: 4.0

I can't stress how good of a film this is, but stay away from this edition if at all possible.

-Paul