A Clockwork Orange (1971)

Well, I'll be damned, here's another classic. And even though I do not necessarily conform to what is colloquially known as a 'classic', in this case, I would like to make an exception. Because this is a rather spiffing film.

Yes, I am no stranger to understatement. Was it that obvious?

So much has been said and written about this one, that it is quite hard to find new ground, so on that front, I won't even bother. The philosophical debates are for other people with more time on their hands.

I will just stick to films and aesthetics, which are all subjective to begin with.

It is probably well known that this is based off a book, which was controversial and then turned into a film that was possibly even more controversial because I'm sure more people see films than read books. In a not too distant future, the country of Great Britain has pretty much gone down the loo, and young men have nothing better to do than cause havoc and mayhem. They steal, fight and rape and the government is fairly impotent in doing anything about it.

Here comes Alex, a young lad who does all the aforementioned on a regular basis with his gang. Right off the bat, you will hate this little cunt, but there is no denying that Malcolm McDowell oozes so much charisma that you will be enthralled to see him do his devious deeds.

You would possibly also want to punch him in the face repeatedly.

After committing murder, Alex is sent to prison. Being the little shit that he is, he wants out with a minimum of effort. So when he hears about a new programme designed to 'cure' criminals of their criminal mind, he wants to undergo it, only because he will be released. I will not spoil what it is for those who have not seen this one yet, but it is rather questionable.

Also: how come you haven't seen this one? What planet are you from? Go see it, now!

Is it all in a very satirical vein? Absolutely. But then again, problems with society that are still around today become painfully clear. And remember: this is a film from the seventies. So clearly, there is something universal about all this.

For a Kubrick-film, this one is rather punchy. Sure, the visual flair of the master is very present, but instead of lingering on shots, this one moves fairly speedily towards an ending that is - how shall we say? - predictable, yet not really predictable. I know, it's vague, but when you see it, you will understand.

Like said before, this is McDowells film. Not only because everything revolves around him, but because he is so convincing in the role. He's menacing, devious, dirty and an utter bastard, yet you will keep on watching his exploits with disgust and yet can not avert your eyes, because he's so mesmerizing.

The only thing I'm not that fond of, is the newspeak injected with Russian sounding words. Sure, it helps with the surreal atmosphere, but I find it rather distracting and more often than not, it sounds a little too theatre-esque (is that a word? It is now.) for this film. Especially because you can sometimes tell actors have to concentrate to get it right. I know it's written like that in the book, but you do not always have to take things verbatim. But it is only a minor issue, not really worth bothering about.

In every sense of the word, this one is a classic. It launched countless concepts and even band names or ideas (Moloko, anyone?) and has a lasting effect on your soul. Highly recommended, but not for the faint of heart.

Also: Ludwig van Beethoven rocks.