I admit, this movie is tough to watch. This movie is actually BEYOND tough to watch. How do I know this? Well, in 2006 (maybe 2005) they showed it for the first time in the UK. This movie came out in 1971, think about that. And by my first comment in this review, it’s definitely not a movie that women love. Alex is so terrible, so unpredictable and so uncaring in his violent nature that it’s tough to disagree with the sentiment. This movie isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s difficult to watch, difficult to understand and very difficult to appreciate. But, with that said, you must respect it to an extent. Kubrick translated the book (which had it’s own glossary due to the mix of Russian slang and English verse) into a cohesive storyline that truly showed how terrible someone could be, and how helpless and lost when you strip away that terribleness. It’s certainly a good film, classic even, but it will make you uncomfortable. You should at least view this once in your lifetime.
Aside from the storyline, you’ll find that Kubrick’s eye for a film is quite sharp. Every horrible detail isn’t missed and especially the Blu-ray version (which shows every gory and beautiful detail that you can expect from a 1971 film). And let me just add that this is the most beautiful Blu-ray that I’ve seen to date. I didn’t know what to expect as most transfers to HD from the seventies are typically crap. When the first title came up I knew this was going to be well-done. It’s a shame that the content may be holding people back from experiencing this beautiful film in HD. Credit WB and Kubrick for making this film beautiful.
Extras
As for extras, you get some great commentary from Malcolm McDowell, who was pretty much type-cast after this film into dark roles. I can’t think of a single movie that doesn’t portray this great actor as an a-hole or a bad guy. Halloween doesn’t count because that movie is crap anyway (the new one, not the old one). The features are good in general and the one that is especially interesting is O Lucky Malcolm! Discover that one on your own.
Also, aside from the restored and beautifully presented picture the audio is so damn good. You’ll get a nice remix in 5.1 which will make you cringe even further.
Final Thoughts
Outside of the movie being banned for nearly 40 years in the UK and most people having an extreme distaste for it, Clockwork Orange is a masterpiece from Kubrick and is a film with a hard-hitting message. If you’ve never experienced it before, you definitely need to in Blu-ray if you have it available. It’s a visual and audible experience that will leave you sweating and cringing, but ultimately appreciating. To boot, you get some great special features that make the purchase worthwhile.
Excellent release of a 70’s film in HD. Something that Warner Brothers should be proud of. Again, not for the faint of heart.