Review of A Clockwork Orange (70)

After taking a couple of months off from watching any movies on the list, the two of us opted to watch a pair of films back to back in one night.  We started with the 1971 Best Picture nominee, A Clockwork Orange, and followed that up with the 1982 Best Picture nominee, Tootsie.  Even though both films were nominated for Best Picture, they formed a strange combination of movies to take in at once that couldn't be further apart from one another.

Plot
A futuristic gang of British teenagers go on the rampage every night, beating and raping helpless victims. After an uprising in the gang, they knock the leader out and leave him for the police to find. While imprisoned, he has his sentence reduced by participating in a controversial experiment to make criminals ill at the mildest suggestion of violence or conflict.

Jason’s Thoughts
An old co-worker many years ago spoke highly of A Clockwork Orange and under her recommendation I went out and rented it.  I popped it into the VCR (like I said, this was many years ago) and it didn't last too long before I turned it off.  For starters, I really dislike British accents, so the movie didn't set well with me from the get go.  What was worse than that, though, was the start of the film and the seemingly endless violence and rape that takes place.  Don't get me wrong, I love over-the-top violence, but what takes place in A Clockwork Orange is as random as it is senseless, to the point of it being nauseating.

I have heard many people say great things about this movie and it didn't come as a surprise to see it on the list, but I was dreading the day that I would have to force myself to sit through it.  That day finally came and I went into watching with as much of an open mind as I possibly could.  Watching the beginning was quite the task once again, however, I was surprised to find myself actually enjoying the movie once the violence and rapes were over.  As a matter of fact, I believe that the disturbing excessiveness of the first part is done to offend people, and it does that very well.

Then comes the second part - what if the government takes the ability to do the things you love away from you?  Sure, some of the hobbies that Alex loves are sick and repulsive, but not everything is.  Through rehabilitation, Alex is brainwashed and becomes physically ill at the mere sight and thought of the things that he once loved.  He loses the ability to love someone, to ability to defend himself, and the ability to listen to the music that gave him the greatest joy.  Basically losing his free will altogether in the attempt to become a decent member of society.

It may have taken over a decade, but I am glad that I was able to give a second attempt at this movie.  A Clockword Orage isn't nearly as bad as I had once thought as its message was loud and clear this time around.  Of course, judging by Stanley Kubrick's other work, I would have much rather sat through Full Metal Jacket for the 100th time, but A Clockwork Orange was worth watching even though it can be tough at times.

Crystal’s Thoughts
Within a minute of starting A Clockwork Orange, I asked Jason if one needed to be high to watch this movie.  I guess you could say that was my first impression.  Throughout it, I wished over and over that I was high or at least on something to take the misery of this movie away.  After about 10 minutes of the movie, I asked Jason if A Clockwork Orange really was on our list of greatest all time movies.  I guess in a nutshell, to me, it shouldn't be.

I found A Clockwork Orange to be horribly disturbing.  The violence portrayed in the film was over the top.  To me, it wasn't necessary.  Even trying to write this review now, I feel at odds, not even wanting to recall the movie.  I have no intention of ever remembering or recommending this movie to anyone.

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