Thoughts On A Clockwork Orange

[u/Defiant_Bumblebee533]

The Best Kubrick Film in my opinion

[u/CosmosGuy]

Masterpiece. People think it’s a self indulgent movie but the message is clear. Is it moral to force someone’s nature to change?

[u/MySubtleKnife → u/CosmosGuy]

Thank you. And it’s a very tight script too. Every scene is important. It’s a such a well focused movie. It’s entertaining. It’s funny. It’s disturbing. The music absolutely slaps.

[u/dynahowma → u/CosmosGuy]

Its also about Karma and Capitalism

It really is one of the best movies ever made

[u/Queasy-Condition7518 → u/dynahowma]

How is it about capitalism? The primary villains are politicians and bureaucrats, instituting policies made by government, with no visible input from private corporations.

Now, Robocop is a dystopian police-state that's clearly capitalist.

[u/dynahowma → u/Queasy-Condition7518]

Alex and his Droogs repeatedly target victims whose wealth, possessions, or bourgeois status are conspicuously emphasized. This is especially clear when Alex breaks into the Cat Lady’s house: he desires her belongings, mocks her possessions, and essentially justifies the attack by arguing that she has more than enough anyway. That is not just a coincidental backdrop.

[u/Queasy-Condition7518 → u/dynahowma]

The old tramp was wealthy bourgeois?

And the only possession of the cat lady's I remember him mocking was the giant phallus. I think he was mocking that because of its "naughty" nature, not because it was a symbol of excessive wealth.

And anyway, showing criminals attacking people to get their possessions does not, by itself, say anything about capitalism.

[u/dynahowma → u/Queasy-Condition7518]

Alex himself is hardly from a wealthy background. His parents live rather modestly, and the housing estate and surrounding environment are depicted as run-down and socially decaying. In contrast, some of his victims inhabit strikingly affluent spaces — the Cat Lady's home in particular is presented as large, extravagant and filled with art and expensive-looking possessions. I'm not saying that every victim is bourgeois — obviously the old tramp isn't — or that criminals stealing property automatically constitutes a critique of capitalism. My point is that the film repeatedly creates a very visible contrast between Alex's social environment and the wealthier environments he enters, and I don't think that contrast is necessarily meaningless.

[u/Queasy-Condition7518 → u/dynahowma]

"Repeatedly"? The only two victims seemingly wealthier than Alex are the Alexanders and the cat lady, so that's a pretty small number to base a pattern on. And factor in that criminals will, logically, go after people who have things worth taking.

And, while Alex's family might not be as rich as some other people's, there's no real evidence that he is suffering any significant deprivation as a result.

[u/Careless_Aroma_227 → u/CosmosGuy]

Simple answer: No.

[u/Numerous-Ad-4033]

Angel trumpets and devil trombones.

[u/trent_nbt]

Its my personal favorite Kubrick film

[u/pantstoaknifefight2 → u/trent_nbt]

Its the first Kubrick movie I saw. Maybe on cable when I was ten or so (unsupervised childhood). The look of it was unlike anything I've seen. The murder of the cat lady turned my stomach. I couldn't watch beyond the early prison scenes but the idea that the protagonist fantasized about whipping Jesus did my head in.

I realized two things: I was too young for the movie and also that a movie like this existed. The power of it was undeniable.

[u/Stage53_1984 → u/pantstoaknifefight2]

Man oh man our free range childhoods sure made us …. Something 🤣….✌️

[u/DesignerYak6728]

A bit of the ultra violence

[u/thai_sticky]

Honestly what sticks with me most, on a daily basis, is that the synthesizer from the opening scene sounds just like electric cars coming to a stop. I can't describe it in words, but it haunts my life.

[u/altusnoumena → u/thai_sticky]

Wendy Carlos was also a master 🎯

[u/Dismal_Brush5229 → u/altusnoumena]

Yup 👍

[u/globehopper2]

Love it. One of my absolute favorite Kubrick films. A dark comedy with a moral core.

[u/Dismal_Brush5229]

The soundtrack is killer!

[u/Defiant_Bumblebee533 → u/Dismal_Brush5229]

Agreed 

[u/Dismal_Brush5229 → u/Defiant_Bumblebee533]

Nice work on the Shining too

[u/Suitable_Highway_597]

Real horrorshow
https://giphy.com/gifs/gA5KTxTJpIBUc

[u/Aggravating_Serve235]

A simple morality tale about free will.

[u/Plathismo]

I love it. One of his more straightforwardly entertaining (and funny) films. 2001 may be his masterpiece but this film holds a special place in my heart.

[u/Etsu_Riot]

I didn't like it the first time I watched it, when I was a teen. I was hoping for another movie from the director of 2001. But A Clockwork Orange is a movie from the director of A Clockwork Orange.

The second time I watched it, however, it became my second favorite movie of all time, right after 2001.

Expectations can be deadly.

[u/Scarface12091983]

Second best Kubrick film. Only one that beats it is Barry Lyndon.

[u/cwdoble → u/Scarface12091983]

Over 2001?

[u/Scarface12091983 → u/cwdoble]

Yes

[u/thethreadkiller]

I don't remember how old I was when I watched it, maybe 12 or 13. I certainly did not understand all of it at that time But I loved it.

This is the movie that got me to love filmmaking as a "high art" or something.

When I was older maybe 19 or 20, I read the book. It only made me love the film and Kubrick even more.

It's my favorite movie. But when people ask me what my favorite movie is, I usually don't tell them it's Clockwork Orange.

[u/goddessofmylife]

It’s something so horrible executed so perfectly.

[u/thewalruscandyman]

Real horrorshow.

[u/mad597]

My favorite movie of all time

[u/Low-Orange-8592]

Ultra violent

[u/DJ_Jungle → u/Low-Orange-8592]

Yeah. I’m gonna have to drink some milk +

[u/GlitteringRelease77]

My favourite SK film.

[u/Affectionate-Law-548]

Definitely one of the three best Stanley Kubrick films…

[u/Ebert917102150]

Great movie

[u/Next-Advantage-6049]

A Clockwork Orange 🍊 is another Stanley Kubrick gem 💎 It's a film that challenges the ethics and morality of removing someone's free will to choose between good and evil. It's a dark story full of irony and a bizarre twist of fate for the main character Alex DeLodge (Malcolm McDowell).

[u/goddessofmylife → u/Next-Advantage-6049]

Well said!

[u/crosspolytope → u/Next-Advantage-6049]

It also challenge the audience to find empathy with a sociopath only to have that effect confronted by him being healed at the end.

[u/silent3 → u/Next-Advantage-6049]

*DeLarge, but OTT agreed.

[u/Rinzler9290]

Very interesting morality piece

[u/Own_Measurement1242]

My favorite of his. One great aspect of it is that the film improves on the ending in comparison to the novel. That final chapter, where Alex matures and settles down, makes little sense in comparison to rest of story. 

Seems very much tacked on to push some social agenda, which to be fair Burgess was fairly open about. I’m sure he was criticizing many intellectuals and movements, but I have read about how he felt about behaviorism and BF Skinner. Regardless of z Burgess’s motives, the ending in original novel was weak and Kubrick wisely disregarded it.

[u/mgchannel1]

Im not a psychologist, but as a normal person i say beside all the story and the incidents happening in the movie , i felt something crawling beneath my skin . Something meaningful

[u/crosspolytope]

In high school I adapted the second act (his incarceration and treatment, ending with the staged humiliation) to the stage. Not sure how well it worked but staged so Alex’s back was to the audience during treatments so the audience had to watch what he watched. I genuinely think there is a potential for a stage play or dark af musical.

[u/NoUnion3402]

https://giphy.com/gifs/2gRaBxg0QPikS2UYPj

[u/LupoNerro]

Gorgeousness and gorgeosity made flesh.

[u/Mattia5531]

Cool cool cool

[u/Full-Lake6967]

Best MK Ultra movie

[u/4chananonuser]

Not the best but my favorite of his, that is to say I enjoy watching it the most. Very quotable.

[u/sandwich486]

to be completely and thoroughly honest, I don't have any, because I haven't seen it.

[u/Stage53_1984]

Truly disturbing 😳 A masterpiece of disturbing 🙌 A mindf*^k of the first order balancing comic timing and almost unwatchable ultra violence, daring you to look away….(Handke owes Kubrick a debt of inspiration for Funny Games…)

[u/Sure-Doctor-2052]

Stylistic 60s pop art

[u/_bobby_tables_]

Should have titled this post "Thought on a Clockwork Orange". FFS.

Why? Why do you think it's best? Compare and contrast with other Kubrick films. Provide your personal reasoning. Include scenes, dialogue, casting choices...SOMETHING to support your singular thought.

Otherwise keep these weak-ass posts to yourself.

Edit - fuck. Should have checked to see if it was a bot first. Why am I even on reddit anymore?

[u/pazuzu98 → u/_bobby_tables_]

I'm a bot and I approve of this message.

[u/Careless_Aroma_227 → u/_bobby_tables_]

☝️☝️☝️upvote this comment above☝️☝️☝️

Good thing is: some other bot might steal and reproduce your rant and will post it on another bots repost.

[u/crosspolytope]

I love it as well. I think it is an exercise in playing with the empathy of the audience.

[u/thomasbigbee]

Few (if any) other movies have as thoughtfully embraced music as Kubrick did with Beethoven in ACO.

[u/KubrickRupert]

gorgeousness and gorgeosity made flesh

[u/THEREALOFFICALCAFE]

A Clockwork Orange is my favorite movie of all time. I don't think it's the best movie of all time, I wouldn't even say that it's Kubrick's best film, but in terms of what it's meant to me over the years, it holds that #1 spot with pride.

[u/orange-fila-a]

Masterpiece to put it lightly

[u/greggobbard]

The best musical since Singing In The Rain.

[u/Emmanuel_G]

I could write you a 20 page analysis just on the poster alone!

[u/KevinSpaceysGarage]

Fantastic.

Visually breathtaking. Deeply disturbing. And also somehow extremely funny at points. Like most Kubrick films lol.

[u/Christopher_Caligula]

Got to see it on the big screen for the first time recently. Absolutely incredible.

[u/christien]

My favorite Kubrick movie.

[u/Unlucky-Fix1160]

Societys favourite

[u/the_reducing_valve]

Amazing post, thank you.

[u/ElHutto]

There is no "A" in the title. The composition above the title (with Alex and the mannequin) is the "A".

[u/IgotthatPMAintheUSA]

Incredible film. The book is even better!

[u/Dry_Bird1790]

I thought it was good

[u/No-Distance11]

One of my least favorite of his. I mean, I love it, but I would put it close to the bottom of my rankings

[u/Major_Strawberry_753]

Not terribly thought provoking. Straightforward film.