Search This Blog

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Review: A Clockwork Orange


A Clockwork Orange (1971):

Synopsis – A young asshole goes too far one day and ends up tossed in the slammer. He then undergoes an experimental procedure which turns the tables, making him the victim for a change.


I like Stanley Kubrick movies, but sometimes I don’t get what the hell I’m seeing when I am seeing it. This happened to me the first time I saw The Shinning. I remember putting the DVD from Netflix into my DVD player, watching it, and then wondering what the big freaking deal was. I have since watched it again (on the big screen which was amazing) and a few other Kubrick films, and now have a good grasp on how amazing a director he really was. Naturally, not having seen A Clockwork Orange, I set my expectations high when I added it to the April list. Now that I’ve seen it… I’m honestly at a lost. I’d love to immediately say that I loved it and it’s another masterpiece from Kubrick, but in reality I didn’t really get it. If it’s solely a commentary upon society, then sure, I can probably eke out some understanding if I put some homework into it. But as a rule, I don’t think movies should make you work for appreciation like that. So on a later date I will give this another try, but right now I feel like I am grasping at straws trying to find the majesty.

What I Liked:
-As with any Stanley Kubrick movie, I got to experience some pretty great visuals.
-Malcolm McDowell is of course amazing. You hate his character; you have to because he is so despicable. Yet there is still that little love you have for him. He is rotten to the core, but he seems so intelligent in his rottenness. This is a movie that is served very well by its voice-over.

What I Didn’t Like:
-I don’t know why this is a problem for me, but I didn’t like that I couldn’t get any sort of grip on what kind of world they lived in. It’s a place where gangs seem to be able to rape and pillage as they seem fit, yet there is some sort of law enforcement and punishment system. Oooooooooo, I am getting something! Nope, there it goes.
-As I said, there are some great visuals in the movie, but what I wanted was to be blown away. I wasn’t, like I had been with The Shinning or 2001. This might change after a rewatch, but I can’t be sure, and that makes me sad.

What I Hated:
-Nada


Verdict:

Chance are if you know about this movie you know if it’s something you are going to want to watch. It’s pretty good. I wish I had more to say.

No comments:

Post a Comment