Clockwork Orange, A (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray)

This movie is truly timeless and although certain elements betray its age e.g. use of cassettes in the future instead of cds, use of a typewriter instead of a desktop pc by the writer etc, this film transcends time and its message is still very thought-provoking and evokes strong responses from viewers just like modern avant-garde artworks are supposed to. From "Dr. Strangelove" to "2001: A Space Odyssey" to this, Stanley Kubrick's brilliant directing genius can only be described as producing cinematic high works of art. Just like in the great "2001:...", Kubrick forces you to think about serious issues, stunning and shocking you to come to your own conclusions and to stimulate your senses all the while refusing to tell you what to think. Some may feel Alex got off too easy and for all his major offences against society should be severely punished ala capital punishment and may actually come to this conclusion from watching the film. Others may actually feel sorry for and happy for Alex that he returns to "normal" and that the powers that be get what they deserve with the threat of a loss of power. Either way, the film disturbs you enough to elicit strong responses making it difficult to remain indifferent or to not have an opinion which is the definition of good modern art. This film could also be a metaphor for thought control and governance asking the question: is it proper to force people to accept an ideology even if they don't truly believe it themselves? Whether it is Communism or even Capitalism or any religion should people be given a choice which one to go with or should society take all steps to penalise even to the point of using physical pain and suffering to ensure compliance? It is telling at the end when Alex becomes "healed" only when he realises that the very powers that are trying to "heal" him are sick and maybe even sicker than he is; a different sort of corruption but corruption nonetheless. This film as time has shown is the true winner of the Oscar for the Best Picture, Director and Actor awards for that year and how "The French Connection" won for these categories is beyond belief. This film is certainly a lot more rewarding on so many levels and has certainly aged a lot better to rank among the best ever films. The great news is that the digital restoration and remastering has been done very well making both the picture and sound quality of this dvd very, very good indeed. Although the Special Features are nothing to speak about, I'm hoping the newly-released Blu-Ray version will have extras such as making-of and other sorts of documentaries as well. By far a film masterpiece by the great Kubrick and a must-have for every film buff's dvd library. Highly recommended!

It brings the film to higher quality for all to read

Really good Stanley Kubrick film

"A Clockwork Orange" could have been the movie in the Stanley Kubrick canon known only as the film that followed "2001: A Space Odyssey." Released in 1971, three years after that masterpiece, "Clockwork" faced the peril of comparison with what has become the greatest cinematic achievement of all time. In short, how could Kubrick follow "2001," a film that was so incredibly good that one could not imagine a worthy successor? He did it by making a film so different from its predecessor that any comparisons simply fall apart. "A Clockwork Orange" is its own animal -- and "animal" it is, indeed. Whereas "2001" was about the exploration of space but also the exploration of humankind's capacity for change, "Clockwork" was the at-times painful study of a young man caught between violent individualism and repressive society. Malcolm McDowell is brilliant as Alex, the young "droog" who's ever on the prowl for deviant sex, "ultraviolence" and, seemingly, all manner of wickedness for its own sake. The character's relentlessly immoral (or amoral?) behavior stunned audiences at the time. The violent scenes -- of various victims being raped, beaten, kicked, murdered -- proved that, in 1971 at least, people had not yet become inured to extreme depictions of violence. Some of the film's detractors called it sick. In UK, there was a considerable amount of copycat behavior, which so unnerved director Kubrick that he had the film pulled from distribution there -- for quite a number of years. In between those two extremes -- those who would condemn the film, and those who seemingly condoned it by acting it out -- was an audience that pondered the dilemma posed by Kubrick: Which is worse? An insistence upon individual freedom, which allows for such horrible behavior, or a society that may be going too far in trying to cleanse the populace of such villainy? Alex, you see, is caught and subjected to a conditioning program that is supposed to make him incapable of committing any more crimes. But the effect of this behavior modification upon him is so drastic that he is effectively stripped of any free will at all. It's a diabolical film in part because it steadfastly refuses to provide any answers. Kubrick was a filmmaker, not a moralist, and so his audiences were left to decide, for themselves, which could be more cruel -- the solitary human heart, or the collective conscience that sometimes grows so harsh that it, too, seems hopelessly corrupted. This is a brilliant film. Do not see it, though, if you are easily offended. Upon its initial theatrical release, the film was one of a very few non-pornographic productions in those days to receive an X rating. Frankly, I've seen films far more graphically violent than this one that got tagged with an R, not an NC-17, the successor of the X. But it is true that there is something about this film -- something about Alex's gleefully nightmarish world -- that disturbs the mind like nothing else.

I ordered a used DVD and it was in perfect condition. Very happy with purchase.

¡Delícate, hermano! ¡Qué despliegue de violencia visual me he marcado con este nuevo formato! La naranja mecánica, ahora en 4K, es una sinfonía para los ojos. Cada poro de Malcolm McDowell, cada gota de leche, cada movimiento de los drugos, ¡todo está ahí, tan real que podrías meter el puño en la pantalla! La calidad de la imagen es como un Korova Milk Bar para los sentidos, una droga que te inyectan directamente en las retinas. Los colores son más vivos que un Nadsat, el sonido más profundo que un agujero negro. Es como volver a ser un joven drugo, pero esta vez con un televisor de última generación. Si eres un amante de la ultraviolencia, del buen cine y de las experiencias alucinógenas, esta edición 4K es un must. ¡No te la pierdas, hermano! ¡Compra, compra, compra! Y si no lo haces, ¡te daré un buen susto!

Excellent movie. Shipping was 💨

Impeccable très bon film, pas pour tout les goûts

Excelente film para tenerla de colección

Ojo, comento la edición DVD "Colección Stanley Kubrik", no el Blu Ray. La remasterización es realmente buena, mejorando mucho la imagen y el sonido originales, que ahora quedan en formato pantalla 16:9 compatible y audio Dolby 5.1 tanto en V.O. como en el doblaje al castellano (que siempre me pareció muy bueno, por cierto). Vamos, que se ve y se oye de maravilla. Eso sí, de extras nada, aunque la verdad es que tampoco hacen falta. En cuanto a la película, pues que decir no se haya dicho ya millones de veces: una obra maestra de uno de los grandes genios de la historia del cine. Película futurista, que no de ciencia-ficción (no confundamos los géneros), original, dura, extraña, impactante, genial ... La fantástica interpretación de Malcom McDowell ha pasado a la historia. En fin, posiblemente la mejor película de Stanley Kubrick, con eso ya está dicho todo. Imprescindible para cualquier cinéfilo que se precie.