In the future, a sadistic gang leader is imprisoned and volunteers for a conduct-aversion experiment, but it doesn’t go as planned.
Based on the eponymous novel by Anthony Burgess, “A Clockwork Orange” polarized reviewers while simultaneously drawing sizable box office numbers upon and after its release in 1971. The film satirizes whether behavioral and psychological conditioning should or could be used by governments to keep the proletariat in line.
Like all of Kubrick’s works, the stunning visuals are framed in each scene with thoughtfulness and purpose, as if they were a piece of fine art. Notorious for insisting on a large number of takes, Kubrick’s craftsmanship shines through this classic motion picture at every angle.
Then there is the cast of characters. At first blush, they might seem like overblown caricatures, but this hyperbole is very intentional, adding to the surreal journey that Alex, as the humble narrator, must traverse. Malcolm McDowell stars as Alex, leader of a gang of vicious thugs and hoodlums wandering about the city in search of diversion. Still in high school, Alex accrues a cache of stolen valuables in his bedside drawer to support his many naughty leisure time activities.
One evening, Alex and his fellow delinquents land upon an upscale house in the country with the intent of doing evil to a middle-aged couple – one of several disturbingly violent moments depicted in the course of events. Patrick Magee plays Mr. Alexander, a successful writer who Alex ruthlessly and repeatedly kicks in harmony with his rendition of “Singing in the Rain.” Then, as Alexander later describes – but the audience mercifully does not witness – the gang of criminals brutally rape his wife. Utterly unaffected by the mayhem, Alex wakes up in his own bed the next morning as if it were just another day.
When Alex misses too much school due to his nocturnal prowling, Mr. Deltoid (Aubrey Morris) shows up at his parents’ flat to admonish the young fellow. All to no avail, as Alex has no intention of mending his ways. A hitch in plans occurs when Alex encounters his droogs waiting downstairs, unhappy with his vindictiveness toward them. As a result of the falling out, the disgruntled minions turn on Alex at the scene of a murder by incapacitating him with a milk bottle and leaving him at the hands of the police.
Found guilty and sentenced to fourteen years, Alex becomes a model prisoner, trying to game the system once again. This works to his advantage when word gets around about a new therapy that will immediately commute an inmate’s sentencing – the pet project of a newly-elected Minister of the Interior. Alex enthusiastically volunteers for the opportunity to become a human guinea pig, despite the objections and animosity of the chief guard (Michael Bates).
For just a mere two weeks, research scientists condition Alex to physically recoil at any attempt on his part to commit violent acts – a treatment that proves surprisingly effective. However, Alex’s most cherished tune – Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony – is inadvertently associated with the treatment. He becomes deathly ill at the slightest hint of Ludwig Van Beethoven’s well-known masterpiece. The scientists notice this, shrug, and simply dismiss the issue as an unfortunate side-effect of the therapy.
Upon release from the penitentiary, Alex learns that his parents have rented out his room and harbor no desire for him to return. This marks the beginning of a series of scenes in which Alex is forced to atone for his sins of the past.
On a sidewalk along the Thames, a homeless man (Paul Farrell) recognizes Alex from a prior encounter and engages his fellow tramps to pummel the helpless lad. He is rescued by two policemen, who turn out to be his old disgruntled gang members, quite pleased at the opportunity for revenge. After nearly drowning Alex, they leave him bleeding in the dark countryside during a torrential rain. Unbeknownst to him, Alex stumbles upon Alexander’s home. There he encounters David Prowse – probably best-remembered for his work as Darth Vader (not the voice, of course) in “Star Wars IV, V, VI,” – who turns in a brief appearance as the caretaker, for the now wheelchair-bound Alexander.
The two men take in poor Alex and provide him food and comfort. Alexander sympathizes with the young man victimized by the police. However, when Alex unexpectedly starts belting out “Singing in the Rain” from the bathtub in the next room, the old man goes berserk, realizing at last who he has admitted to his home. Alexander locks Alex upstairs while loudly playing Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony in the room below. This drives Alex to near madness causing him to leap from the third-floor window in an attempt to commit suicide. Incredibly, Alex survives and wakes up in a private hospital ward, bruised and bandaged.
A chastened Minister of the Interior eventually visits Alex, eager to deflect the blame leveled at him – due in no small measure to a tremendous backlash from the press. In exchange for cooperation during the upcoming election cycle, the minister offers Alex a steady job with a good salary. Most importantly, it is clear that Alex no longer suffers from the psychological conditioning – so much so that he seems ready to resume his previous life of wanton sex and violence. His “cure” brings the story full circle, punctuated by a crescendo of loudspeakers on wheels blaring Beethoven’s Ninth to the delight of all present – especially the minister. Alex beams and mugs for the cameras, free at last from the government’s brainwashing experiment perpetrated upon him.
Controversial upon its release, “A Clockwork Orange” was nonetheless nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay, among others. It’s the rare sort of movie that etches into the mind, guaranteeing that the well-crafted images and powerful narrative will endure long after the final credits roll.
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