A Clockwork Orange

“I was cured, all right.” Today I watched A Clockwork Orange. My, my, Stanley Kubrick, the genius you are. I was of course a bit skeptical at first, since the film is most known for its controversy, its rape scenes and its “ultraviolence.” But let me say, even though this film has some gruesome moments, it is one of the best pieces of cinema I have ever seen. The film asks deep questions, is a person still truly human if their choices are taken away? And are you really a good person if the ability to do bad is simply removed? It also shows the terrifying power a government can hold and what happens when that power is used the wrong way. (This part includes spoilers) But what I want to talk about, something often overshadowed by the controversy, is the ending. It was not what I expected, and it blew me away. Alex sits in a hospital bed beside the Minister while the press snaps photos, Beethoven playing in the background. Suddenly we see his fantasy, Alex having “the old in-out in-out” with a woman in the snow while a crowd applauds. And then he says, “I was cured, all right.” It is a chilling image of the endless cycle of violence, showing how it will always return, and never cease to exist. I could write and talk about this film all day, and I probably will, because it deserves countless rewatches. But to say anything less than this would be wrong: today I watched one of the greatest works of cinema, and Kubrick’s masterpiece. To give it anything below a 5 out of 5 would hurt my conscience. This is absolute cinema. Absolute perfection. 5/5 ⭐