Having read Anthony Burgess's novel years ago and working my way through the amazingly creative, futuristic dialogue, I really looked forward to seeing the movie. It was not a disappointment. In the hands of Stanley Kubrick, it comes to life. It is the product of the desensitized world that we see unfolding before us in the beginning of the 21st century. There will be a lot of Alexes in the future; there already are. We are slowly moving away from conventional morality and playing with forms of nihilism. Our politics are beginning to diminish the individual rights and safety of our citizens. Our young people are beginning to band together in little covens, the cell phone and the computer creating little worlds where anonymity can lead to diminution of what is good. Pardon my diatribe, but what Alex and his droogs are doing isn't all that out of the ordinary these days. The manipulative, controlling, anything for "me" society is just being formed. Kubrick and Burgess had a a vision. Sometimes this movie is called science fiction. The only science fiction thing about it is that it takes place in the future. The violence we see is the violence of those who no longer care what that word means. This whole world is more frightening than the terrorists we see behind every rock. This enemy is us; or the us yet to be.

A disturbing but yet very beautiful piece of film-making, Kubrick has created the ultimate study of mind manipulation in this film. It is a protest against reform programs that take away freedom of a choice, and the message of the film in terms of paying for one's sins in all eternity is inescapable, evident to a large extent in the sardonic nature of the tale. Although set in the future, it hardly feels like it is, this being because the message of the film is overwhelmingly powerful and capable of applying to any age. The film has a number of possible hidden meanings to it – a feat equaled on scale only by Kubrick's former film '2001: A Space Odyssey'. Besides for the meaning behind the film, there are still the marks of a masterpiece. Kubrick's direction is superb alongside the good photography, capturing shadows and angles needed to establish tone. The editing is excellent too, done in a flashy, brainwashing style at times to have relevance to the film. The choice of cast is again inspirational, however the film achieves the most in terms of music. Kubrick manages to use one of the earliest forms of art, classical music, and give it an unforgettable style and importance in the film. It is truly a difficult task to explain what is so great about a film such as 'A Clockwork Orange' – it is maybe best explained by watching the film itself.

This classic controversial film from Stanley Kubrick is a love-it-or-hate-it movie which tends to divide audiences like the rest of the director's filmography. It's certainly a unique movie, perfectly made up to Kubrick's impeccable standards and with important messages for us all. Take for example the core "corrupt oppressive society" vibe that runs from 1984 to BRAZIL and you have the basis for A CLOCKWORK ORANGE, which tells of mind control being used on thugs and irredeemably evil prisoners. As well as this, Kubrick's movie looks at violence and its effects on both the purveyors and victims and proves to be a rewarding character study of an angry young man, as played by Malcolm McDowell (CALIGULA) in what can be called one of the defining performances of his career.

Classical music has never been put to such good use as this in a film (aside from, perhaps, Kubrick's own 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY) and it fully complements the on screen action. Brutal street battles are played out in slow-motion as soothing tunes blast out on the soundtrack and the result is an effective depiction of the beauty of violence, if it can be called as such. Scenes showing Alex and his droogs going about their daily business of raping innocent women and beating innocent men are thoroughly horrific and very violent for the time, although of course the impact has been dulled by what has come since. However, the best parts of the film come during Alex's therapy, as he is forced to watch violent film after violent film in a dark cinema and gradually becomes sickened to the sight of violence and, indeed, sex. The aftermath keeps you guessing as to the eventual outcome, making for some very tense scenes when Alex finds himself in the home of a man he had previously crippled.

The acting is of a high calibre, with many strong supporting performances to complement Malcolm McDowell's own shining example. Of particular note are Warren Clarke and the others playing Alex's scarily sadistic droogs; Patrick Magee (DEMENTIA 13) who has a field day as the mentally unstable victim; Adrienne Corri as a rape victim of the gang and the actors playing the various doctors and scientists. Sharp eyes may spot future Darth Vader Dave Prowse playing Magee's strongman bodyguard. My only complaint with the movie is that it has now become inevitably dated. The use of obscure language for the most simple of terms just seems a bit pretentious and unnecessary and defeats the air of realism the movie is trying to put across. However, seen with a fresh eye, A CLOCKWORK ORANGE is daring and intelligent cinema and a well-made film to boot, not exactly entertaining but certainly though-provoking and challenging.