A Clockwork Orange

I've been watching this film again lately and I had forgotten how damn good it is. I appreciate it so much more now. When I was a Teenager, obviously, I liked it cause of the violence etc. But this movie has so many metaphorical subtleties. I like how after the first part of the movie has passed, you find your self rooting for the little monster. Malcolm McDowell is Alex DeLarge. I've never seen him as anything else. Brilliant film.

Any other fans on here?

Count me in. The first few times I watched it I didn't enjoy it but something about it kept making me watch and as I got older I appreciated it more too

Count me in too. I watched it first out of curiosity what the movie was all about because of the controversy surrounding it. I liked it immediately. I like the themes of free will and state controlled society. With all the paranoia because of terrorism, I think we are inching our way slowly towards becoming clockwork oranges.

Landmark movie, no question about it. And you're absolutely right about how the film gets you to rooting for "the little monster." The film has everything going for it: the ultra-vi, the trash-modern sets, and especially the score (I loved the way Kubrick used Rossini overtures).

I can't overstate the impact "Clockwork Orange" had in America when it was released. It was the equivalent of a cultural tsunami.

Top film, great soundtrack also

Among the notable predictions made by this work is the exploitation and "dumbing down" of our favorite music that would take place in the modern television age. In the torture scene with Alex, they play his favorite Beethoven pieces, but set them to images of Hitler and such and play them over and over and over again, until his favorite songs become the most vile thing he's ever heard. And that's exactly what would later happen with our favorite music as the television age advanced. A company like Huggies Diapers (for example) would buy the rights to Bill Haley's 'Rock Around The Clock' (for example) and play a segment and change the words a bit so as to correspond with advertising their diapers. We the television audience would hear and see this thing over and over again, until finally, the song had no meaning at all for us. It became synonymous with Huggies diapers. The music was essentially ruined forever.

A perfect example of this is the famous American Airlines commercial using the end of George Gershwin's 'Rhapsody in Blue'. It's one of the most famous pieces of music EVER, but the only thing that I can think of when I hear it is that stupid commercial!!!

A Clockwork Orange was conceived before most people had more than 2 or 3 television stations, so this was a very accurate Orwellian-type prediction.

(And of course television is not the only form of media that has "watered down" music. Radio commercials/jingles, film, as well as sporting arenas all over the country have done their part to ruin our favorite music)

Every-time I hear Singing in the rain, I don't picture Gene Kelly. I picture Alex doing his dirty evil deeds.

Great film. Good to see other fans on here. I don't know what it is about this film, But man I love it.

For the past several years, I've slowly been working on a piece comparing Singin in the Rain and A Clockwork Orange. It's my belief that Singin in the Rain is a subtext in Kubrick's film. I need to finish reading A Clockwork Orange, the novel, however, before I can complete this piece.

Post it when you're done!

"What's it going to be then, eh?"

The wit of Burgess's novel is (obviously) lost in translation, but Kubrick knows exactly how to adapt good literature and make a piece cinematic worthy (Lolita, 2001).

Great film, though it left out my favourite scene of the book: when Alex, Big Jew (talking inthithtently with hith lithp ) and co. kill their new inmate. Such a hilarious and poignant scene, not to mention chilling and unforgettable; up there with scenes from Heller's Catch-22.

And all that cal.

I'm yet to read the book. I've ordered it though. It's on it's way.

Back in the day, my wife (girlfriend then) and I were taking in all of the latest films. We saw it on it's first release - rated X because of the rape scene. Blew us away. After all these years it might be worthy of a rental. .....along with; Midnight Cowboy, Last Tango in Paris and Easy Rider.....Landmark films in their day.

Believe it or not, I have never seen Clockwork Orange. Don't know exactly how it got by me. I do, however, remember the theater poster of a clownish looking character...was kind of creepy.

I saw Easy Rider a couple years ago MC, and although I can appreciate it was an excellent movie of it's time, it just wasn't the same. Still enjoyed the soundtrack though.

TIS

I've seen EASY RIDER once and I wasn't a fan. Although I would give it a second go-round.

Huge fan. Have you read the book, whisper? It's easily one of my favorite novels of all time.

Hate to be redundant, but I affirm what everyone else has said. If DR. STRANGELOVE and 2001 made Kubrick a giant of his time, A CLOCKWORK ORANGE was the movie that cemented him as the Archbishop, you could say, of all American filmmakers, with well-regarded directors(and more popular, perhaps) themselves like Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg being at awe at their "master."

ACO is critical as well because it came from a time in American Cinema when such a movie could not only get a wide-release with a X-rating, but score Oscar nominations and break the piggy bank at the box-office*. Popular, misunderstood**, and still fucking great 37 something years later. "I've been cured alright."

*=I believe it was Warner Bros.' #2 biggest hit for a time, just behind George Stevens' GIANT.

**=Like Oliver Stone's NATURAL BORN KILLERS, anyone who leaves the movie only thinking how "cool" it was, missed the fucking point.

Nope haven't read the book yet. I've ordered it though, it's on it's way.

This really is a must see movie. TIS, you should go out and hire it. It's layed with metaphorical meaning and the use of the music is amazing.

Hey Ronnie, how about a review then eh Droogie?

Mate, as soon as I can secure another screening, I will. I don't think I've seen the movie after the Millenium.

Got the special edition DVD today. Bloody great.

Whisper, what's on the "special edition" that makes it special? Additional scenes?

No, actually there were no additional scenes

The extras were, the making of ACO, which I enjoyed watching. Kubrick is a freak as well as a genius. Interviews with some of the cast members, a documentary on the impact it had (great doco) and a special dedication to Malcolm Mcdowell, which runs for about 45 minutes. He answers fans' questions for ACO and really explains the relationship he had with Kubrick and how he was heartbroken when Kubrick didn't continue his friendship with him as soon as the movie was completed.
The documentary is great though, It delves into real life copy cat stories that were happening after it's release and how Kubrick and his wife received death threats, forcing Kubrick to take it off the shelves...and it stayed banned in the U.k until his death.

I also finally received the novel today. Look forward to reading it.

Thanks, Whisper. You'll enjoy the novel.
One story I heard was that McDowell really did grab that cop by the balls in the scene where they're beating him up--and the cop's howls were all too real.

Began reading the novel today. It's a fantastic read. I'm really enjoying it. It's a lot more brutal then the movie. Some parts are a complete shocker. It takes a while to "warm up " to the Nadsat slang that is predominantly used throughout the novel. But so far I'm loving it.

That's awesome man. You just convinced me to buy the DVD.

It's well worth it.

Oh and RonnierocketAGO, when you do get it and watch it, write a review for it brother!!

Keen to hear what your opinions of the film are now, as opposed to before the turn of the century when you last watched it.

I don't know, I'm afraid another long "boring review" where I'm interested in "acting like I know more than anyone else" will make our beloved webmaster suffer even more.