A Clockwork Orange
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A struggle against the freedom of choice.
Posted originally @ http://www.commoncritics.com
Check out CommonCritics.com for more reviews!
A Clockwork Orange
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066921/
I recently viewed A Clockwork Orange and found the movie intriguing to say the least. It is a very artful piece of literature, one that requires thought and a definite concentration on the words the main characters say. After viewing the movie, I read a bunch of different analyses on the book. It is interesting to note that the movie follows the same pattern as the book and that most of the literary devises used in the book are used in the movie.
This movie, while enjoyable for the carnal mind, actually had a lesson to teach the audience. The pastor sums it up when talking to Alex in jail about the radical procedure to change the way that Alex thought. The pastor said that one must choose to be or do good, and that one who cannot choose is not human. Alex undergoes the procedure and in a sense, becomes less than human. He feels a physical pain whenever thoughts of violence enter into his head. This renders him defenseless to those that wish to harm him. It is also interesting to note that this book came out around the time that other prominent authors were discussing human qualities in writing, such as Animal Farm.
The use of music in the movie was another wonderful addition by Kubrick. He incorporated lots of classical music, mostly Beethoven, into the movie to truly show the relation between the story and a piece of music. There are three main parts to the movie, and part I and III resemble each other, which makes this similar to a piece of music written by Beethoven and other composers of that era. The middle piece is different, but the last mimics the first and twists it around until the conclusion of the story when Alex becomes himself again.
One of the hardest things to understand about this movie was language. It takes place in an English country and the slang they use is hard to understand. I saw it similar to reading a Shakespearian novel in that the meaning was understood, but not some of the old slang. A viewer is usually able to pick up the meaning about ninety percent of the time, but there are a few conversations where not every word can be easily grasped.
Another downside for me, but not for the movie, was the use of sex. It had to be included in the movie to show how Alex viewed life. Sex and rape were as pleasurable for him as was violence, and had to be shown. I am personally not a fan of excessive nudity, which is why I say it is a downside. Kubrick could have done some of these scenes without showing some of the events depicted, but I will agree that some of it was indeed necessary for the portrayal of Alex?s personality.
In summary, this movie is an automatic favorite in my book. The lesson to be learned here is enormous. Humans need the ability to choose. Once a person loses that ability, he is no longer human. It brings to mind images of Pavlov and his experiments with dogs and conditioning. Is it humane to train a dog by inducing physical pain every time a choice is made? Can society truly be benefited by a human that has been trained to feel pain with every thought of violence? The answer is no. People should be left to learn and grow according to their own desires, not by force. Although they will follow if forced, they will do so grudgingly and will turn on you the second they are allowed. A definite 8 or 9.
Check out CommonCritics.com for more reviews!
A Clockwork Orange
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066921/
I recently viewed A Clockwork Orange and found the movie intriguing to say the least. It is a very artful piece of literature, one that requires thought and a definite concentration on the words the main characters say. After viewing the movie, I read a bunch of different analyses on the book. It is interesting to note that the movie follows the same pattern as the book and that most of the literary devises used in the book are used in the movie.
This movie, while enjoyable for the carnal mind, actually had a lesson to teach the audience. The pastor sums it up when talking to Alex in jail about the radical procedure to change the way that Alex thought. The pastor said that one must choose to be or do good, and that one who cannot choose is not human. Alex undergoes the procedure and in a sense, becomes less than human. He feels a physical pain whenever thoughts of violence enter into his head. This renders him defenseless to those that wish to harm him. It is also interesting to note that this book came out around the time that other prominent authors were discussing human qualities in writing, such as Animal Farm.
The use of music in the movie was another wonderful addition by Kubrick. He incorporated lots of classical music, mostly Beethoven, into the movie to truly show the relation between the story and a piece of music. There are three main parts to the movie, and part I and III resemble each other, which makes this similar to a piece of music written by Beethoven and other composers of that era. The middle piece is different, but the last mimics the first and twists it around until the conclusion of the story when Alex becomes himself again.
One of the hardest things to understand about this movie was language. It takes place in an English country and the slang they use is hard to understand. I saw it similar to reading a Shakespearian novel in that the meaning was understood, but not some of the old slang. A viewer is usually able to pick up the meaning about ninety percent of the time, but there are a few conversations where not every word can be easily grasped.
Another downside for me, but not for the movie, was the use of sex. It had to be included in the movie to show how Alex viewed life. Sex and rape were as pleasurable for him as was violence, and had to be shown. I am personally not a fan of excessive nudity, which is why I say it is a downside. Kubrick could have done some of these scenes without showing some of the events depicted, but I will agree that some of it was indeed necessary for the portrayal of Alex?s personality.
In summary, this movie is an automatic favorite in my book. The lesson to be learned here is enormous. Humans need the ability to choose. Once a person loses that ability, he is no longer human. It brings to mind images of Pavlov and his experiments with dogs and conditioning. Is it humane to train a dog by inducing physical pain every time a choice is made? Can society truly be benefited by a human that has been trained to feel pain with every thought of violence? The answer is no. People should be left to learn and grow according to their own desires, not by force. Although they will follow if forced, they will do so grudgingly and will turn on you the second they are allowed. A definite 8 or 9.
By herbshangout 365 days ago.