Having watched Eyes Wide Shut and The Shinning as a few of Stanley Kubrick's previous movies, I knew that this movie would not be easily understood and I was not mistaken. One thing to keep in mind when watching his movies it to not take everything shown in face value. There are usually multi-faceted layers of issues he is trying to make the audience aware of. At first there seems to be abrupt and lose fitting connections between the various events in the plot. However, after re-analyzing the story and doing some research regarding the movie, I have come to see that this is part allegory, part dark comedy and part drama set in a futuristic political satire.
The movie addresses various topics one of which being the dehumanization of people, and mainly understanding the dependency we have towards a sense of security within society. Alex who is played by Malcolm McDowell is a character which would be perceived as a gangster today, has no remorse towards anything or anyone along with his 3 other gang members bring destruction to the city by anything from random beatings to raping woman of houses robe to murder.
The city is ramped with violence and immorality, and the jails are overflowing with criminals politicians propose to restore the security of the city by "brainwashing" those who have lost their compass to morality. And so Alex is chosen as a subject for their test trial and is shown images of violence and rape along with medication that bring on uncontrollable nausea is "programed" against acts of indecency and in turn allowed to return to society as a "productive" zombie. There is obvious opposition proclaiming that men are "no longer capable of [making] a moral choice"
The movie questions what we are willing to sacrifice in order to live in a seemingly safe environment. Is being human mean only doing what is right and moral? Is it better to control one's actions rather than sentence them to the death penalty? These are a few of the questions the movie seems to ask its audience.
A Clockwork Orange is not a comfortable experience. It does not cater to please the audience but rather through visual demonstration is able to deliver a message which although no one would like to hear, its a message we need to hear. Its a movie that demands thought, compels the attention, and refuses to be dismissed.
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