Thank you for visiting my site dear brothers, as I viddy the films of Stanley Kubrick one at a time. Today’s film, A Clockwork Orange was adapted, produced and directed by Kubrick in 1971 and was based on a novel by the same name, written by Anthony Burgess in 1962. The film was a box office success after making $22 million dollars in the United States alone. The film would become Kubrick’s most controversial project, leaving him with no alternative but to withdraw it from British release after it was deemed responsible for copycat violence within the UK.
I’m pretty sure you already knew the information I mentioned above, right? I visit a lot of websites and social media platforms that discuss Kubrick and I’m pretty sure there is no stone left unturned when it comes to information about this man and when there is something new revealed, I can almost guarantee within minutes it’s gone viral. I guess what I’m trying to say is that I’m going to change the way I write about Kubrick’s films, instead of trying to explain a plot everybody knows and research information that’s already in existence, I am just going to watch the film and write about my own experience of viewing it. Don’t get me wrong, I can’t wait to start finding out what others think about this film, but at this moment in time it feels very personal and I want to save my thoughts before they get lost in the vision of others if that makes sense?
Have you ever had a moment where you are flicking through the television channels and then find yourself fully immersed in something that you have caught halfway through? That happened to me with A Clockwork Orange. I can’t be sure, but I think this could have been in 2002 when Channel 4 first shown it on terrestrial television but the memory feels much older than that bizarrely. This was certainly a moment where life imitated art as it was the scene where Alex Malcolm McDowell is receiving aversion therapy as he watches ultra-violence viddy’s with his eyes wide open, and me looking the same, but in complete awe of what I was watching. I just couldn’t get my head around what was happening at that moment in time but it felt very special, groundbreaking and unique.
I recognise the world in this film and I had no idea until recently that it was meant to be a science-fiction film set in the future. I think Kubrick intentionally made this film a product of its time, yes is completely over the top but at its core, it very much mirrors life in any era. I guess science-fiction has always been used as a tool to discuss real-world issues without becoming scrutinised, maybe this one flew to close to the sun for some viewers though. I have to say that I personally think the film is great and I could go on for hours discussing the reasons why. Unfortunately, I just don’t have the skills needed to give this film the praise it truly deserves, the feelings and emotions Stanley Kubrick created in the film are completely out of this world, and definitely the most important and most beautifully crafted I have reviewed up to now.
The story of the film is dark, very much like the book, and it’s important we look at ourselves, history and where we are going in the future if we are to learn anything about life as we grow. Like I said earlier, I recognise this world and as much as I enjoyed growing up in England, I myself had a hard time accepting the rules of life that you have to steadily accept over time, I think every teenager, in every country, has been through this at some point in time. I guess this is why I am in awe of really creative people, they still manage to express that freedom you felt you have as a child, and unfortunately for a lot of others, they become; clockwork oranges. Alex’s story is brutal and I get that, but I think is only used to bring out certain messages, that mean more about freedom and living your best life, whatever it may be. Like I said earlier, these are my personal views and could be seen as wrong to others, but that’s what life is about; having your own point of view.
The look of the film is truly iconic and even after nearly a half-century, it still looks fresh as fuck, pardon the french. I think the colour used by Kubrick in the closing credits deserve to be on any modern art gallery wall, and that’s only a few minutes of this glorious piece of film. It really is difficult for me to try and start talking about the hundreds of beautiful shots that have become integrated into popular culture. I really appreciate the look of the Korova Milk Bar, for such a small set it’s quite astonishing it’s so well-loved by Kubrick fans, I just wish I could go for a drink there myself. I love it all, from start to finish, and it fills with me so many emotions, and at one point, I’m sure I can see flashes of the Batman 66 television show in there. The Droogs look fantastic and nothing is more iconic than the picture of Alex below.
I’ve always loved listening to classical music but unlike Alex, I couldn’t tell you exactly what composers I like. I am learning, and A Clockwork Orange Soundtrack has piqued my interest to new heights and I guess that’s down to Stanley Kubrick himself, his films always want to make you grow as a person, well for me personally. I think the soundtrack has become just as iconic as the film itself, and one I will be listening to more in the future.
Finally, thank you for taking the time to read this. I know there is a lot of information and technical terms about filmmaking that I am missing in these reviews but I feel like I am only just discovering these films for the first time properly. I want to preserve these thoughts and feelings to look back on one day and as much as it’s about the film, it’s more about my journey into a world I did not know existed, it’s about discovery and learning about life, art and all the wonderful elements that make it wonderful. I have been waiting so long to start watching YouTube videos and start to listen and read other peoples points of view about the film, and more importantly what Kubrick made of this film himself.
Next up, Barry Lyndon, wish me luck and many thanks.
https://talesfromtheneonbeach.com/stanley-kubrick-the-film-collection/
Who’s more foolish, the fool or the fool who follows him? 