The first time I watched this movie (maybe about 6 months ago, and a few times since then) I was sure I was going to hate it. I’ve always heard bad things about how hard the book/movie is to understand, and overall it just seemed very weird. I watched it anyway because I’m a big fan of Kubrick and wanted to see all of his films. It won me over in the first shot. The bright red title sequence followed by a closeup of Alex and the slow zoom out was an incredible opening and set the tone for the movie. But my favorite part of this scene is the score. It allowed the long focus on the group to be menacing instead of awkward.
What I found most interesting about this film is the use of the ‘Ludovico’ technique (basically a sicker form of aversion therapy) and the idea of revenge by society. In Burgess’s/Kubrick’s dystopian London, the first to exact their revenge on Alex is the government. They are experimenting with a way to cure the incurable by means of psychological conditioning to further their political agenda/success. Alex, as one of their first subjects, is subjected to what turns out to be torture for two weeks straight. He begs to be released, but is forced to remain in the program. As the two weeks progress, he (involuntarily) becomes a ‘good’ person. But the involuntary part is they key here. He never wanted to be a good person. The effects of the aversion therapy elicit negative physical reactions, creating the outward illusion of disgust when exposed to triggers, though mentally he is very much the same person as before. Once he is released back into society is when the real torture begins. Everyone who he hurt in the first half of the movie gets a chance to exact their revenge, often in violent and excruciatingly uncomfortable ways. We can see why punishment by members of society never works. Victims so overcome by grief and anger can’t control themselves when it comes to their abuser, and will inherently become victimizers themselves. Driven to attempted suicide due to the relentless torturing by one of his victims, Alex ends up in the hospital. Fearing bad press, the minister in charge of the aversion therapy program apologizes to Alex and offers him a job on his political campaign. The movie ends on an alarmingly cheery note though it is made very clear that Alex is the same person he was before, leaving the viewer extremely uneasy. This movie is a great commentary; on society, punishment, political corruption and more. It leaves you feeling noticeably disturbed for hours or days. Kubrick is just a master of making you feel uncomfortable, and paired with a story like this, the effect is amplified. Most people will probably not want to watch or even think about it ever again, but many film enthusiasts have a special appreciation for it and will continue to watch it which is why it has turned into the cult classic that it is today.
1 Comment
|
May Featured Movie QuoteBarry B. Benson: Yellow-black, yellow-black, yellow-black, yellow-black... Oh, black and yellow. Yeah, let's shake it up a little.
Yeah, I have letterboxd now
|