by Jerome Espinosa Baladad

Created on: January 09, 2010   Last Updated: January 10, 2010

This film, seen with an intermission of many years, reminds this reviewer of a lot of things that he thinks is bad about society (at large). No, this won’t be really a personal review (read: completely subjective), but will be more like how this film has touched aspects of the reviewer’s mind in between long periods of time when the film was first viewed (and seen again lately) – as all Stanley Kubrick’s films are considered to be works of art (with certain exceptions) that influence other artists’ works (no matter how suspiciously pretentious the notion can be to others). Artists look up as well to the best role model artists around them. And in this reviewer’s personal list, Kubrick ranks as among the best filmmakers ever. For a synopsis of the film, better read what Wikipedia has on its pages on this film,

here.

And proceeding into the meat of this review, this reviewer observes that in most societies, in general, specifically among those middle-ranking leaders who are already ensconced in comfortable positions (that require them not much hard work to do just to earn) tend to put in place conveniently designed controls in the lives of those starting-to-create-meaning-in-their-lives members below the ranks. This is where this film has supposedly revolved around with its story (written by Anthony Burgess). Most of us, at least those who grew up as adults, realize and are reminded of the personal disgust, angst, the ennui of growing up in a society that has failed us, and/or dampens our natural desires to accomplish, and gets in the away from making us great contributors to society. This attitude stems, too, from failing to see positive role models amongst society’s leaders.

The protagonists in this film represent this batch of individuals growing up, who are trying to make sense of their roles as members of society (who expect so much from them, apparently). In their confusion, they kill, randomly commit violence, and hurt themselves terribly in the process. Leaders, as represented by parents, those voted to elective positions, as well as members of the intelligentsia are aghast at how these start-ups behave – as these fellows disturb what’s decidedly comfortable in the lives of those who have arrived (i.e. born earlier, or were born in privileged surroundings) – the so-called elites. And the reviewer would find out that even these start-up, listless young fellows apparently also have so much unexplained

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