Review and critique at least one short film production

A Clockwork Orange

Review
A clockwork orange is an amazing film and has become quite controversial. Some people believe that the film glorifies violence and make the villain a hero.
The film is set in a weird dystopian Future and it’s about Alex a Antihero who at the begging of the film commits atrocious crimes with his “Droogs” like robbery, Murder, and rape. Alex is an interesting character who feels like he is superior to everyone around him, he is the only person in this movie who has an appreciation for art. After being ditched by his “Droogs” he is put in prison by police. In prison, he finds out about an experimental treatment that can make him good. After going through the treatment Alex has become good and has been excepted back into society. One of the main messages of the film is: “Is it better to be bad of one’s own free will, or to be good through scientific brainwashing?”.
Some points of the film are uncomfortable and hard to watch, the actions, especially from the protagonist, are horrid. We see violence, Rape, corruption, hate, and anger. Even moments that seem redemptive are fake.
The main reason the film is so controversial is that of the shocking violence that Alex commits in the movie. People think the scenes are overly violent and glorify it making it seem like it’s not a big deal.
In the movie, Alex is considered a glamorous psychopath, he basically does what he wants without justification. Examples of films and TV that have glamorous psychopaths are: (Hannibal Lecture, Basic Instinct, American Psycho & The wolf of wall street).

Who is it for
The film is rated 18 so the main audience is going to be people over the age of 18. The film is made for people that like to watch dramas and maybe people that read the book “A Clock Work Orange”. The target audience of this film is very widespread and people watch the film for different reasons. People watch it now because it considered a Classic British film that is very controversial.

What are the Themes
(Good vs Evil) Good and Evil is one of the main themes in Clockwork Orange, the main message of the film is “Is it better to be bad of one’s own free will, or to be good through scientific brainwashing?”.
(Honesty) Alex is the only honest character in the movie and unlike all the other hypocritical characters, who pretend to be good and socially responsible. Alex is honest from the start and this helps gets the audience on his side.
(Fate or free will) A clockwork orange highlights the questions of whether people are destined to their fate, or whether free will can influence people’s outcomes. Alex’s narration highlights his nature as a true individual, he speaks in his own made-up language and its heartbreaking when he is deprived of this individuality.

Why it’s Important
This film teaches us many lessons about Humanity and about good and Evil. The film shows us the Hypodermic needle theory in action, The Hypodermic needle theory is the belief that some people are spoon feed information and will repeat what they see on TV. A clockwork orange is so controversial not just because of its graphic violence and its comical portrayal of violence. The violence in the film actually inspired attacks in the real world that was on the news, the attacks made the film more and more controversial that it got banned for broadcast.
Semiotic Analysis

The film is shot as if the audience is seeing the world through Alex’s eyes.
The film is shot with a wide-angle lens, which at close range, distorts the sides of the image. In some scenes of the film objects in the center of the screen look normal, but those on the edge tend to slant upward and outward. Alex is usually placed at the center of a wide-angle shot or shot using a standard lens on Alex alone so that he is the only one who is never distorted. So, a visual impression is built up during the movie that Alex the only person who is normal.

The violence in the film is shot in a way that makes it feel unreal and distant. The violent scenes are often set to music or slowed down, and this along with the wide-camera beaks the illusion of reality.

Alex and his crew are dressed in matching white suits, their movements are choreographed. The beautified choreographed violence is what made critics angry.

Alex’s Room is very well designed and shows us more of his character. The room the designers created for Alex we see that Alex is a creative person. From the paintings on the wall, we learn that he has an appreciation for art. His bed covers are designed to look like citrus fruits cut in half. From his room, we find out about his appreciation for music epically Beethoven. Also, in the movie Alex has a pet snake named Basil, which symbolizes his sexual and violent instincts, but also shows that he has enough heart to care for another living creature.

Alex narrates the movie, so the audience watches the film through his perspective. He narrates in a language of his own invention called Nadsat. Nadsat is a mix of Old English, rhyming slang and Russian. Language reflects how we see the world, and in a clockwork orange, we can understand Alex’s world through his words.