A Clockwork Orange

🔥97% 2nd Watch | Top 100 | Stanley Kubrick Ranked After his odyssey through the deep stretches of interstellar space, Stanley Kubrick returned to Earth as a god-like entity, channeled his inner youth (maybe a baby was too young) and continued his reign of masterpieces by adapting the brilliant novel, a story about a youth who struggles to cope with the poor decisions he made during his childhood and the morality of choice, by Anthony Burgess into one of the most depressing yet masterful works of all-time. I just finished the book and I decided to celebrate reading the remaining 100 pages by viddying A Clockwork Orange. Once again, Kubrick has created a film which either exceeds or matches the quality of the book, which is a rare feat by any filmmaker; it was truly horrorshow. Allow me to be Your Humble Letterboxd Reviewer and explain why I believe A Clockwork Orange is a masterpiece. To begin with, the cinematography was absolutely stunning. From the opening shot to the final, everything was beautiful from the framing to the lighting to the color pallet to the camera movement. I've most likely explained at least of one my more recent Kubrick reviews, but his films have a high tendency to have an insane amount of shots that make my jaw drop (and I mean drop). 2001 is one of those films. The Shining is one of those films. After my rewatch, A Clockwork Orange is one of those films. I will always appreciate great and inventive cinematography. In addition, you have a tremendous screenplay which creates a fast paced story and it always keeps you on your heels. From the very beginning, the film displays its disturbing nature. The viewer receives no grace period; they only witness "ultra violence." In the middle of the film, the story does slow down. However, it picks back up near the end with an unforgettable climax. "But you said the middle is kind of slow?" Well, it's slow compared to the beginning and end. Even in the middle, I believe the slowness helps achieve a sense of tranquility. The beginning and end are fast paced because it shows everything inside his gulliver is scrambled and unstable. By reading in his prison, he gains that stability and calms down. In other words, he isn't a psychotic rapist (well at least during his stay in prison). I don't think I need to discuss the genius of the ending. It was tragic and beautiful at the same time. I'm so glad that Kubrick didn't adapt based on the English version; the darker ending is way more fitting! The acting performances were spectacular as well. Malcolm McDowell easily gives the greatest performance as the main protagonist. However, you can't forget about the coldness of the other characters surrounding him. If the surrounding characters weren't bone-chilling, then the film could've lost a lot of its meaning. However, the characters were brilliantly acted and they created a gloomy effect. Alex was destined to forever (and ever and ever) be casted in darkness. Music has always been an important aspect about Kubrick's films. A Clockwork Orange is arguably the most notable example of how Kubrick uses music to drive a scene. Sure, they are strikingly beautiful to the ears, but Kubrick uses music in a metaphorical way as well. Once again, Kubrick's choice in music was outstanding and the result was enlightening. This may be somewhat of a spoil depending on the reader, but the purpose of the music is to show that even flawed individuals (with maybe some exceptions aka Hitler) still have humanity to them. By removing that humanity from someone's soul, by making Alex hate the 9th symphony, Alex is essentially losing his humanity. He is losing his ability to make a choice. There was an excellent quote from the book which asks about the importance of choice: "Does God want goodness or the choice of goodness?" It's an important question to think about. Kubrick wasn't only the Master of music; he was also... well.. the Master himself. There is a reason why Kubrick's filmography is so beloved by critics and audiences today. His films are not just metaphorical. They are revolutionary too and they are extremely pleasing to watch. No matter what subject he embraces, whether a horror movie or an historical epic, his perfectionism as a visionary director makes his films some of the greatest works to ever be crafted. There is a reason why Kubrick's films are so hard to rank. Any order is acceptable because they're all so great! A Clockwork Orange is just another masterpiece whose exemplary status was elevated by the late Kubrick. Without him, it would've been way messier and less powerful. Kubrick made it powerful. He made it a masterpiece. "I was cured alright."