Showing @ Vue – Omni Centre, Edinburgh, Wed 03 Jun only
Stanley Kubrick / UK / 1971 / 136 min
In his recent book, The Anatomy of Violence: The Biological Roots of Crime, Professor Adrian Raine discusses the growing body of evidence suggesting that nature, as much a nurture and free-choice, plays a role in criminality. As if planned as a rebuke, Vue cinemas this week screened Kubrick’s 1971 cult-classic A Clockwork Orange as part of their Back in Vue season.
A famously truncated adaptation of Anthony Burgess’ controversial 1962 novella, A Clockwork Orange depicts a dystopian future in which sex, drugs and violence have become part of everyday life. Amidst the urban decay and gaudy décor, Alex and his perfidious “droogs” set out to get their kicks by any means possible. However, when Alex (Malcolm MacDowell) is left bloodied and betrayed by his erstwhile companions, he must submit to the forces of the state. But in the pursuit of justice, how far should the government go to exact punishment and rehabilitate this offender?
Over four decades since it’s initial release, even now this film captivates its audience. MacDowell’s Alex remains as iconic as ever with his bowler hat and fake eyelashes, while the first act continues to be cinematic, humorous and horrific in equal measure. Yet after the terrifying treatment scenes, the story begins to wander; though never becoming boring, it definitely feels like 135 minutes. Moreover, the omission of Burgess’s redemptive ending lends to an overall sense of ambivalence. What is clear however is that this movie isn’t about the dangers of the so-called ‘permissive society’. Rather, it’s about a population whose key injunction is “enjoy!” – when mindless consumerism has lost its fizz, where do you turn for stimulation? What’s more, in a world in which we could control criminality with medicine, should we? Though a little on the long side, A Clockwork Orange is relevant, disturbing and still proper horror show.