Wilfully vibrant and arty, A Clockwork Orange's status as a classic cult film speaks for itself. Following teen rebel Alex and his 'droog' friends as they hell-raise, the majority of the movie is actually set in prison as Alex undergoes revolutionary, '1984'-themed quick-resolve treatment designed to 'reform' criminals for good before they are released back into Civvy Street, with a dash of hope in their respective families' back pockets.
Malcolm McDowell who plays Alex does so extraordinarily. His rash acts of spontaneous violence do show him as the biggest bastard of all bastards, but once Alex's character is subjected to the sadistic prison reformation, McDowell makes Alex as vulnerable and humble a character as the cinema has ever seen, especially when he's strapped into a cinema seat himself and shown inhumane footage on the big screen: his eyes stretched open so he can't flinch away from what he's seeing and experiencing in a 'poetic justice' turn of the unspeakable.
This movie is making a major statement about how forgiveness for sin is often impossible even if it is deserved, as once Alex survives the treatment and is sent home, his poor family don't know how to react - even if Alex genuinely is a changed-forever and for-the-best man. Kubrick masterfully pursues a stark 'eye for an eye' climax, and while the OTT violence of a few brief yet essential scenes in this movie will always seem the main attraction, this late director has undeniably crafted a fantastic melodrama of sorts that deals with all manner of well-observed scenarios and social situations that mirrors real-life with grace, verve and - believe it or not - even poignant tenderness. (STEVE RUDD)