A Clockwork Orange Review- By Michael Carlisle

Title: A Clockwork Orange

Director: Stanley Kubrick

Year: 1971
Country: UK
Language: English

For many years I have loved Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange, I have quoted the hero/villain Alex (Malcolm McDowell) many times, debated the film’s ideology constantly and started singing “singin in the rain” heartily in many odd situation. Throughout these many years there has always been one scene on my mind, the scene where Alex and his droogs beat the hell out of a man and rape his wife while he is watching, all the while singing “singing in the rain” in a joyous tune. This use of the song used in the infamous rape scene famously pissed off Gene Kelly, the lead of the 50’s musical classic Singin in the Rain. This one scene has caused a great moral dilemma in me. Is Kubrick glorifying rape?

In the first half hour Alex is the typical asshole, he’s the kind of guy who would go to a bar, get drunk, come home and beat his wife half to death because he felt like it. He’s an inhumane rapist that, if given the opportunity, would screw over everyone in his life. He is a selfish, egotistical, brute and isn’t really a “hero” in any sense because Kubrick makes no effort to explore Alex’s motives or the society in which Alex lives in. The only “intelligent” and human aspect we get from Alex is that he loves Beethoven’s music. Why? Who knows. However, this love for Beethoven’s 9^th does create an incredible soundtrack for the film. Kubrick knows how to use music to make his films better.

The soundtrack and the camera are used to glorify the film’s “protagonist”. The only “intelligent” and human aspect we get from Alex is that he loves Beethoven’s music. Why? Who knows. Perhaps Kubrick wants us subconsciously thinking “no criminal could like classical music!”. Whenever we see the film through Alex’s eyes it seems like Alex’s world  in a madhouse, with crazy people out to get him. The camera angles and shots also suggest that only Alex is normal in his world and he is much more noble than his society.

Featured: Typical Clockwork Orange fan

This film seems to be about the “individual vs society” in which Alex is an asshole who does rape a lot of people but what the government does to him, forcing him to watch hours of  horrible violence which makes him get incredibly sick whenever he thinks of doing a violent or “wrong behavior” , is much a worse than Alex’s crimes. Well, is the inhumane punishment by the government worse that Alex’s crimes? If Alex was a changed man by the end of this film I would say yes. However, when Alex is “cured” of the government imposed “disease” he still remains an asshole. He will still rape and murder people just because he feels like it.  Kubrick, what is the point? Alex is not on the border of good and evil, he is not doing a just action, he is not harming the corrupt government, he is harming innocent people for no reason!

Back to my main question, is Kubrick glorifying rape in A Clockwork Orange? I would most definitely say yes. On the surface the addition of “singin’ in the rain” makes for some great dark humor in an otherwise terrifying scene...but should there be humor in rape? Should we find this scene entertaining? Alex just barged into an old couple’s home, destroyed their stuff, beat the hell out of an old man and raped an old woman- for no reason- and we are supposed to cheer this guy on? Perhaps, though I realize this is a stretch, Kubrick is suggesting that Alex’s society isn’t sick and perverted, our society is.

Many people will suggest that this review is "wrong" or "too harsh", that Kubrick actually had great intentions with this film. Kubrick used this film to make a "statement". I understand how difficult my review is to grasp because Kubrick is a film God, why would a film God create a film so bad? Because of this we grasp for straws, there must be some "statement" Kubrick is trying to make. Although nobody reading this has talked to Kubrick directly about this film, so therefore nobody reading really knows what Kubrick's intentions were. I can easily justify Jersey Shore, claiming it's genius because it exposes our society's need to glorify douchebags and bimbos, but that doesn't make it true.

In conclusion, it’s a shame that the great Stanley Kubrick; the director of the incredible 2001: A Space Odyssey, stooped to such a low level with A Clockwork Orange. I’m not sure what was going through his mind, I wouldn’t like to know what was in his mind when he made this film that seems to glorify evil.  Kubrick is a master of his craft, indeed he did fool us with masterful cinematography into sympathizing with the deranged Alex, however this is easily one of his worst films.  Like my first review Fight Club, this film uses great visuals and shady philosophy to fool many viewers. Piss on it! 1/5