It's not on TVC's list, but it definitely seems like the kind of unorthodox, heavy piece of film that he wants me to view
A Clockwork Orange (Kubrick)
I can only imagine how this movie was received when it was released in the US in 1972. Out of the small amount of films I've seen when compared to more seasoned viewers, I must say this was the most explicit. But this is also its charm, for this chaos is presented quite impressively by Kubrick. The movie is shot in a very interesting manner; throughout the film there are countless strange yet beautiful shots that seem to good to be true. It is definitely an impressive movie
To me, A Clockwork Orange is a film about conformity and inhibition. In the first scene you're introduced to Alex and his friends. These four youths enjoy nothing more than pure, unadulterated debauchery. Their actions are comically explained as games, and Alex describes them bluntly, from a bit of "the old ultra-violence", describing acts of violence, to the bit of "the old in and out", an interesting description for violent sexual assaults.
These extreme acts are carried out with no compassion, which is instead replaced with a sense of laissez faire, casual entertainment. It is this total lack of inhibitions which becomes an undercurrent for much of the first part of the film. Yet Alex and his coharts aren't the only figures who have also reached this level of...enlightenment. Much of the society depicted in the film's first act also lack social inhibitions. Public showcases of graphic art fill the backgrounds, and the characters are more than willing to act out these sexual impulses. These quite exaggerated expressions are testements to a free, fearless society.
On the other hand the movie introduces themes of control and conformity. While these themes are examined more intently later in the movie, they are also seen early on, surprisingly with Alex and his friends. On one hand they seem to strive for a lawless society with no inhibitions, yet Alex still finds the need to assert his dominance over the group. He is the leader, and he doesn't let them forget it. Later on Alex's re-education is meant to cure him of his savage behavior, and make him conform. But here we are met with a question: is conformity the act of taking away someone's ability to choose, or does this defeat the purpose? While it is possible to commit acts that are not considered inhumane, is it also inhumane to take this choice away from people? Isn't the ability of choice one of the very things that makes us human?
My only complaints about this film would be with respect to the length, as well as the final act of the movie. It seemed too long, and Alex's re-introduction to society was a missed opportunity to me. I would have loved to see him come face to face with the very society he once depicted, instead of just meeting old friends and victims, all in different positions now. Overall I was definitely impressed, and it's not hard to see why this is considered a true classic
9/10
