• qualia@lemmy.world
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    22 hours ago

    I loved A Clockwork Orange in college. The longer I reflect on it though I notice how Alex’s overwhelming charisma (cool, funny, aspirational qualities) completely outshines the film’s intended artistic thesis of the tension between free will vs social control.

    My guess is that since Kubrick realized he had so much high art cred by that point in his career, that he challenged himself to direct this with so much elegance and care that his audience would know something is off but that the social and emotional cost of admitting it had become too high. By doing this he could maximally identify with Alex. It’s a film about Alex foremost.

    Burgess’ nadsat slang creates stylish distance from the more objectifying aspects and functions to legitimize them (e.g. ultraviolence, the old in-out in-out). I wish I could live my life in perfect alignment with my values and goals, while externally appearing disinterested and hilarious, with the evidence of the former only available to those who look deeper. Unfortunately I’m just a piece of shit and that poster is fucking badass!