A Clockwork Orange (Your very, very first thoughts)

First thought: Wow, as in I never thought the concept of violence, both symbolically and literally on the screen, could further the story of a movie like that.

Yeh like I mentioned I agree with you on Fight Club. I don't like Fight Club because it's just full of violence and he claims it's meant to appeal to teens that love that kind of stuff or something. Hell I don't even think it's that violent at all.

I like Fight Club because the violent backdrop, the club itself serves as a backdrop to what the film is actually trying to say and the issues that it talks about. The whole Edward Norton character is brilliant, he his a victim of what is a controlled consumer-based world and the film is basically about his character and how he has become insane then we see how everything spirals out of control, the extent of what the fight club has because etc. the ending seems logical and is about the only think that would work and really make sense as well.

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It was and still is so disturbing that I feel uncomfortable to like it.

First viewing: Huh... That's pretty decent.

Every other viewing: This film is art conveyed unto film. It IS moving art. And I believe that some of the messages in the film are true.

Feeling ponderous and confused digesting the movie. Like all of Kubrick's films. True art and masterpieces. Sadly, one of the few filmmakers who didn't have to dumb down their films in order pre movie money making statistics.

I first watched it as a Drama class assignment when I was 16. I had never been exposed to this kind of concept so I was deeply disturbed by the rape and violence. As I continued to watch, however, my view changed and I began to loathe the legal system in the movie. All in all I've watched it many times over 20 years and I love that it invokes so many emotions and it forces you to think. Great movie.

First viewed it when I was twelve and initially detested its grotesque imagery and coldness. A few years later, all of its sharp satire and hilarity just seamlessly appeared and it has been a favourite ever since.

I turned it off. I was in Junior high and had heard the name before but somehow knew in a few minutes that I was in way over my head. I think the rape is when I gave up haha.

I believe I should try again.

I'll admit I was offended at first, and I'm rarely offended by movies.

If the rape scenes make you sick to your stomach, that's good. That's the reaction rape is supposed to elicit.

We as a culture are desensitized to rape because it happens so often. If a story on CNN reported a rape, you'd be mildly upset but you wouldn't be slam-your-fists-on-the-table angry. By being obnoxiously avant-garde with the rape scenes, he re-sensitized the viewer.

Damn, I just typed so much, hit "Post Quick Reply" and said it expired.. I'll phrase it quickly..

I thought the movie was great psychologically... What motivates humans, what causes delinquent behavior, how can it be modified (cured), how a guy like Alex can become a pawn, used by the government or by the media (who then realizes who he is).. There's the idea of karma - which I don't believe, but I do believe in indirect/instant karma - if you have a conscious, and you think you did bad, you might expect bad, which is punishment in of itself - and Alex does meet everyone he brutalized.

I love the language, the witty retorts, sarcasm, satire.. The music is perfect.. I usually don't make comments on cinematography, but the photography was so wonderful and colorful - I'd love to make a movie with that picture quality. I thought Malcom McDowell was great, and shouldn't have lost to Gene Hackman, who I think is a great actor.. Also didn't think The French Connection was even close to A Clockwork Orange.

Most people talk about the violence for shock value, but I didn't see it that way. I saw the movie at 17, it was my favorite back then, and I've seen it dozens of times.

Meh, just like meh to Irreversible, I never felt like watching either of these two films more than once. By the time A Clockwork Orange made it to a screen across from me, I was already desensitized by the influx of degenerates in society.

^^ i think irreversible lost its way abit though-from the tranny to gay sex club to the end/beginning-trying too hard to be shocking when it already was with Alexs storyline.

With clockwork orange,id heard about it several times before as a cult classic.I didnt care for it the first minutes because it wasnt all of what i expected.but then it grew on me.You do change from wanting him in jail,to feeling bad for him and then back. I didnt necessarily feel like there was a bigger picture to it as most others do but still an entertaining movie-
i think because i had such high expectations from it-it was nearly impossible for it to deliver.

i really liked the statutes in the movie though
But yeah,the rape scene was hard and humiliating-also the scene with the girl in the beginning-that was almost worst for me.

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Let's not forget about Ken Russell's The Devils (also a 1971 film) which IMO is much more controversal than A Clockwork Orange. The heretic perversion of established dogma in the film was unlike anything done up until that point. Even by today's standards it remains shocking and culturally relevant.

Color me desensitized.

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"Well, at least your intentions behind the UTTERLY DEVASTATING FAULTS IN YOUR LOGIC are good." - Captain Steel

I watched this when I was twelve and I think it changed the way I looked at human beings. The graphic depiction of rape and violence was brutal to me and it showed me the complexity of the human psyche. I think it's a film that everyone should see, maybe not at such a young age, but I believe it's a masterpiece. One of my favorite performances of all time by McDowell as well.

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It's only after we've lost everything that we're free to do anything.

It's not his fault he's such a mediocre actor. I also remember him from one of the weaker Star Treks.

I was 17 when I first watched it. I just remember the haunting music, and the imagery. I thought the video quality was so great, and Kubrick loves red and white (the bathrooms in The Shining). I love the language, and all the themes. I bought the book afterwards, couldn't understand it, have no idea where it's at.

My first thoughts of this was that it was a nasty weird vulgar and disturbing film filled with sex, violence and made on a low budget...

I first saw a bit of it in high school and thought it was much of the above and just strange. Such "out there" films I had yet to discover and dive into as a film fan. I loved films, back then but I was very much still in the mainstream when I was 14-15.

I later watched the first 20 minutes or so multiple times because of various different reasons and I think those watches made it easier for me to understand and get it all in when I finally watched the entire thing. The first parts of Clockwork Orange are definitely the most weird ones, so I think all those part-watchings benefitted the complete experience later on.

When I finally watched it all I loved it. Great film.

I was about 18 at that time, and the way it made feel.. I knew I had witnessed something extraordinary, the first time I watched it, even if I couldn't tell exactly why!

It was my favorite movie (or a Top 5) at 17, 18, and I probably love it more now, but I've seen thousands of more movies, making it a Top 20-30 now.