LIBRARY RESEARCH PROJECT FOR TA7B COVERSHEET

NAME: _Antoine Syverain___

NAME OF PICTURE: _A Clockwork Orange_

RELEASE DATE/YEAR: _1971

PRINT OR PHOTOCOPY A COPY OF EACH CRITICAL REVIEW OF THE FILM FROM VARIETY AND THE NEW YORK TIMES AND ATTACH THEM TO REPORT.

Bibliographic Information for Reviews.

Submit the name of the periodical and the date of the publication: REVIEW #1: The New York Times: _20 December 1971 _ REVIEW #2: Variety: _15 December 1971__ Review Directions for the TA7A Research Project handout: PT.1) WRITE A BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE FILMS STORY: (1/2 PAGE) Pt.2) WRITE A BRIEF COMPARISON OF CRITICAL REMARKS: (Minimum one full, typed page. Pay close attention to project directions and details. Please note: organization, use of paragraphs, grammar, punctuation and spelling count!) PT.3) STATE SPECIFICALLY WHY YOU WOULD OR WOULD NOT GO TO SEE THIS FILM OR REVIEW THE FILM IF YOU'VE SEEN IT: (Minimum 1/2 typed page. See directions.)

Summary: Alex is an intelligent young man who likes to express his free will through acts of violence and rape. The beginning of the film shows him and his gang of friends, whom he calls the "droogs" meaning, "buddy", walk around poor areas of London looking for trouble. They come across an old HOMELESS MAN lying on the ground and singing loudly. They harassed the homeless man by brutally beating him with canes they were carrying. Their crime spree does not stop there. They also take pleasure in breaking into people's home, creating chaos and disorder joyously and finally, Alex and his gang takes turn raping a woman in front of her husband. Alex however ends going to prison for murdering a woman in her home. Upon arriving in prison, Alex has a change of heart. He struggles to become a better person and begs for an early release. While in prison, he becomes the test subject for the "Ludovico technique", a new form of therapy designed to restore violent criminals by forcing them to watch violent and sexual films, high on psychedelic drugs. Two weeks later, Alex is release into the world, but he is not himself. The treatment does work. It prevents the patient from acting out any sexual or violent desires, by completely paralyzing him. Alex later encounters the people he previously had caused trouble and now they want revenge, including the HOMELESS MAN and his old buddies, the Droogs, who are now policemen; they give him a severe beating. Life keeps on getting worse for Alex until he finally jumps out of a window, attempting to commit suicide. He survives and the government has finally decided to put an end to the program and Alex is immediately put into rehabilitation. There is treated like a king and receives a personal apology from the Minister Of Interior. At the end, Alex not

only becomes his full self, but also a better person.

A Clockwork Orange has received several reviews from both the New York Times and Variety by different authors who talk about the movie from several points of view, because of its strong sexual and violent contents. Review #1 from the New York Times By Vincent Canby. Vincent Canby has a very positive attitude toward the movie. He titled the article " 'A Clockwork Orange' Dazzles the Senses and Mind". He begins by describing the fire he saw in Alex's eyes in the very first scene. He mentions the effect of the imagery of the scenes, which adds a futuristic atmosphere that back then, mesmerized the audience. He quoted "However, I won't quibble over the point. "A Clockwork Orange is so beautiful to look at and to hear that it dazzles the senses and the mind, even as it turns the old real red vino to ice". The author did not give specific about the plot, rather the good feelings that it induces in the audience. The film shows lots of senseless acts of violence and rape, both authors go over in their article due to the fact that the central core of the film is the value of free will. Vincent Candy finds the film overwhelming. At the end of his article, he admired Malcolm McDowell's acting and gave him a lot of credit.

Review # 2 from New York Times By Staff The second review by Variety is somewhat vague. The only description he uses is "A Clockwork Orange is a brilliant nightmare". He gives a brief narration of the film, how during the night, street gangs comes out at night looking for

some fun, and during the day keep a low profile. He mentioned the main theme around the film, which is "free will", which does not concern itself with any moral values at all, since the only way their free will is expressed is through violence or rape. At the end of the article, the author gave more credit to the camera supervisor, sound editor and stunt coordinator.

Both reviews are similar and different. Review number #1 (NYT) describes its emotional effects as well as the characteristics of Alex, the main character. He feels very positive about the movie and encourages people to watch it. Review # 2 (Variety) on the other hand is not negative, rather neutral. He talks a little more about the plot of the film. He gives the film positive feedback, but not as much as the previous author. Similarly, both articles mentioned the idea of free will and how it is expressed. The New York Times author however thought it was McDowell's performance that made the film great, while the other author gave more credit to the post-production staff for doing a good job editing the film.

Personal opinion: I love that movie. Just because it is old, does not mean it is unworthy to watch. In fact, the fact that back in the 1970s they did not have the advanced technology we have today, I thought it was a brilliant film. The Mise en scene is well put together. Malcolm McDowell not only play his character brilliantly, but I love the character that he played, a young man who likes to express himself without barriers. Besides that, he is in control of his life. He demonstrated Will power and intelligence throughout the whole movie. He knows what he wants and goes for it. I can identify with Alex because once upon a time I was not

allowed to hang out all. I spent 4 years of high school with no social experience. I finally cracked and left home at the age of eighteen. I had the same desire as Alex. Even when he was sent to prison for murder, he still used his intelligence to find a way out. I also love the fact that he sets out to achieve any goal that he sets out. As soon as he arrives in prison, he made it his personal goal of not only to become free, but also to become a better person.