Future society film about juvenile delinquency is adapted from the 1962 novel by Anthony Burgess. Stanley Kubrick’s meditation on the use of classical conditioning to prevent a violent free will purports to be an alleged satire, but it unwittingly revels in our main character’s sadistic nature at the same time. Malcolm McDowell is our anti-hero, Alex, an inhuman monster of a man. While his victims are dehumanized, we are oddly invited to feel pity when he gets his subsequent comeuppance. Although disturbing and still very potent today (A gang rape scene is especially difficult to watch) this technically impressive film is impossible to ignore. Despite being highly controversial when released, film still managed to receive 4 Academy Award nominations including Best Picture.
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I just watched this and literally forced myself to watch a G rated movie afterward (2001 A Space Odyssey incidentally). I thought it was a masterpiece. We saw the entire first half through Alex’s eyes and none of the ultra violence was really that disturbing. In fact most of it was for dark comedy. Then he wanted to heal himself and just watching his everyday experiences was painful. Oh yeah and the Ludovican torture made me writhe in my seat. :/
“none of the ultra violence was really that disturbing.”
The rape scene?! You’re definitely in the minority in that opinion.