The wife and I got to talking about the movie "A Clockwork Orange" last night and she suggested we watch it again. I hadn't seen it in a few years, but watched it probably 20 or 30 times between 1992 and 1997. Women, as a rule, hate this movie, but she for some reason doesn't. She doesn't think it's a great movie or anything, but she likes the fact that it's thought-provoking and appreciates a lot of the black humor.
Rewatching it, I still think it's a pretty good movie, but it's hard to believe that it was once probably my favorite movie. I find the violent parts harder to watch than I did when I was younger. I was never excited by them before or anything, just kind of indifferent, but now they do affect me more negatively.
And there is a lot of gratuitous sex and violence in it. I think I always knew that but didn't care or really think about it. It stands out more, for some reason, and it makes the film seem a little cheaper in some respects, more manipulative, trying harder to get a reaction out the viewer than it should need to.
As I said, it's hard to deny that it's good movie. It's a good story and it explores a very interesting, very basic human theme. I attribute this part of its success to Anthony Burgess. The fact that it's compelling to look I attribute to Kubrick. I don't think any of the acting is that fantastic but Malcolm McDowell is certainly good for the role. It may have been a case of really good casting more than anything. Another quality that makes the film good and often gets overlooked is its soundtrack. There's almost always something interesting to listen to in the background.
Whatever personal connection I made to the film that made me not only think it was good, but also made it one of my favorties, has obviously dwindled over the years. I never felt a personal connection to the main character but perhaps the fact that he's a young guy who is both driven by and repulsed by the darker elements of his nature might have had something to do with why I was so drawn to it initially.
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2 comments:
I haven't watched it in years either. I also can't say that it's my "favorite movie" but that's only b/c I don't think I have a favorite movie anymore. It's definitely in my top 10, though.
And while one can debate if there is such a thing as "great" art, if it does exist, the movie definitely qualifies.
On the EW scale, it gets a A/A+.
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