A Clockwork Orange 4K Blu-ray Review & Comments

Just shows the power of this film that still 50 years since release it's still causing debate and argument.
 
Just shows the power of this film that still 50 years since release it's still causing debate and argument.


I don't think many would be that interested in it if it were otherwise?

The central message of A Clockwork Orange seems to be that the freedom to choose (good or evil) is fundamental to mankind.



Wouldn't editing it be a contradiction of this?

… is moral depravity better than forced morality? Are evil and suffering (freely chosen and caused by people) better than a docile, peaceful state (engineered by the Government)?
That is what the book and the film were about, not rape.


Behavior that is not chosen, but dictated or forced, is neither moral nor immoral, because the freedom to choose one's actions underlies the very concept of "morality."
 
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I watched all the extras on the BD last night... all three are pretty much identical and not anything we haven't seen before - just loads of clips with people talking about the film.

It's a shame that they didn't really bother much with shooting any "making of extras" back then. Makes sense though, no point shooting DVD extras for a format that hadn't been invented yet :p

I know there are some outstanding exceptions to this where film makers have documented the shoot (including The Shining of course) ... I just wish this had been one.

One really interesting point though (and relevant to the discussion above) is that the film misses out the ending of the book where Alex makes a life-changing choice.
 
I watched all the extras on the BD last night... all three are pretty much identical and not anything we haven't seen before - just loads of clips with people talking about the film.

It's a shame that they didn't really bother much with shooting any "making of extras" back then. Makes sense though, no point shooting DVD extras for a format that hadn't been invented yet :p

I know there are some outstanding exceptions to this where film makers have documented the shoot (including The Shining of course) ... I just wish this had been one.

One really interesting point though (and relevant to the discussion above) is that the film misses out the ending of the book where Alex makes a life-changing choice.


Neither are specifically about the film, but I did enjoy watching the additional Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures and O Lucky Malcolm documentries that came on the last disc.
 
it's previously been cited as a major influence by men that have been convicted for committing rape, yes they had a problem, but that is the whole point.

i'm just saying that the phrasing of the single line comment to not say it was controversial because there was an extended rape scene, but to remove that is part of the problem in putting the onus on women, rather than educating male behaviour, which we should be focussing on
Nobody put the onus on women though, we're all very familiar with the film, a very long time has passed and he shouldn't need to box tick his review to pander to those looking to be offended.
He referenced a very well known scene and said enough to get that across.
If a man needs to read film reviews to know that rape is abhorrent then there are far bigger issues going on in that mans life.
We shouldn't be focussing on educating male behaviour (I'm assuming you missed a word out here), this is a thread about a film, we should be focussing on the film.
 
As I said, no one watches this and then decides to rape someone or be violent. Those perpetrating such crimes were in a mind to do so prior to ever hearing of or seeing this film. It is just another case of "the dog told me to do it" excuse if they say otherwise.

There's also one hell of a lot of bullsh*t surrounding this film eminating from the press reaction to it when first released. They too were blaming it for every concievable crime that followed. Did the crime rate actually suddenly rise after the launch of this film, were there more crimes commited against women? No.

If you want to be finite about it, no rapes were in fact depicted in the film. Violence towards both men and women yes, but the physical act of rape was not actually shown.

If you watch something or read anything that explores morality and then decide to go be immoral then you had that thought in you to begin with. Anyone who suggesting the film alone inspired them to act in such a way is a liar or looking for an excuse for their behaviour. Most people know what they are seeing isn't aceptable and that what this film depicts is not reality, the whole pretence of the film is based upon the principal that what you were watching was not normal.

Are you saying that everyone who watches this is or will become a rapist? Why are you so eager to edit out the violence towards women and not bothered about violence expressed towards other sections of society such as vagrants?

Yes, rape is wrong, but editing this film will not prevent it from happening. If what you say is so disturbing then I don't really think you should be watching the film at all?
well mr passive aggressive, convicted rapists have said that her reaction in this particular scene was a contributing factor
obviously you are wrong to begin with if you do this (& this is why we need to better educate & put the onus on men), but there are steps that push you over the edge



you are all getting what i am saying wrong, some people aren't even talking about the correct film

all i am saying is that the one line quote should have said contained a controversial (extended) rape scene, rather than its throwaway did she enjoy it or not mention.
simple language that puts the onus on where the blame in this sort of offence should lie, at the feet of the man & its about time that we used correct language when we looked at this issue rather than victim blaming, small steps that will lead to better educating men out there.

the resistance to that simple premise should be surprising to me, but...

and that's me done on the subject.
 
well mr passive aggressive, convicted rapists have said that her reaction in this particular scene was a contributing factor
obviously you are wrong to begin with if you do this (& this is why we need to better educate & put the onus on men), but there are steps that push you over the edge



you are all getting what i am saying wrong, some people aren't even talking about the correct film

all i am saying is that the one line quote should have said contained a controversial (extended) rape scene, rather than its throwaway did she enjoy it or not mention.
simple language that puts the onus on where the blame in this sort of offence should lie, at the feet of the man & its about time that we used correct language when we looked at this issue rather than victim blaming, small steps that will lead to better educating men out there.

the resistance to that simple premise should be surprising to me, but...

and that's me done on the subject.
But now you're changing what you're saying, you said you wanted the opening of the review edited in light of recent events, you haven't yet said what those events were.
You're talking about the onus being on men, that goes without saying and does not need to be specified with every mention of the act, particularly in a movie review, and now you're talking about victim blaming...
Honestly you need to assume that people have the wherewithal to understand what the reviewer was saying and not have every last box ticked, every base covered, it kind of seems you'd be able to find fault regardless of what written simply because of the subject matter.
 
well mr passive aggressive,
????

The film isn't the cause of the problem, the morals of the person who claims it caused them to rape someone are!


What else are you proposing be censored? Why aren't I a rapists after watching this film or are you saying I am?


If ill at ease with the film then I'd suggest you not watch it.
 
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well mr passive aggressive, convicted rapists have said that her reaction in this particular scene was a contributing factor
obviously you are wrong to begin with if you do this (& this is why we need to better educate & put the onus on men), but there are steps that push you over the edge



you are all getting what i am saying wrong, some people aren't even talking about the correct film

all i am saying is that the one line quote should have said contained a controversial (extended) rape scene, rather than its throwaway did she enjoy it or not mention.
simple language that puts the onus on where the blame in this sort of offence should lie, at the feet of the man & its about time that we used correct language when we looked at this issue rather than victim blaming, small steps that will lead to better educating men out there.

the resistance to that simple premise should be surprising to me, but...

and that's me done on the subject.
My advice to you would be to not watch Irreversible. Ever.
 
Well, my LE arrived the other day and I'm looking forward to watching it again.
 
This is a thread to discuss the 4K release of A Clockwork Orange which seems like its getting derailed. Any chance of getting back on topic?!
That's fair, it just winds me up.
I'll only be picking this up at sale prices, i got the blu a few years ago and it holds up alright.
 
I'll be watching this tonight, can't wait... an all time favourite.
As noted, not an easy watch at times, but superb film-making.

Superb film-making, disturbing at times and takes you places well out of your comfort zone and back. All time classic.
 
you are missing the point


No, I think you are.


You say you've seen it so you must be therefore fighting the urge to go out raping and pillaging?



You've missed the entire ideology at the core of the book the film was based upon.



You cannot impose morality, it is a choice and not an edict.
 
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as this is a different thing will reply
i've seen it

you are missing the point

There is a robust discussion going on here if you want to persist with this, I think you are taking the thread off topic.
 
It is the exact same soundtrack.

I read that the included BD was the old disc, not based on the new 4K version...that was in this review which also thinks the new sound mix is atrocious:


So soon after The Thing 4K audio changes - it's frustrating to get upgraded picture quality and downgraded audio quality at the same time!

At least the mono is on there, but I've always watched ACO on DVD and BD in 5.1 and been happy with that. It's disappointing if they've unnecessarily messed that track up.
 
I was concerned about the DTS-HD MA 5.1 track after reading a few reviews, but it wasn't as bad as others have made out. Great transfer as well!
 
Great film but very indifferent 4k bluray transfer.

If you've already got the bluray then don't waste your money on the 4k bluray.
 
it's previously been cited as a major influence by men that have been convicted for committing rape...
Easiest and laziest defence tactic ever. "A film made me do it m'Lud!"

I worked in video distribution at the height of the whole video nasties fiasco. Within weeks of the tabloids spreading horror stories about what these dreadful videos were doing to our children's minds, etc, court cases began to crop up with monotonous regularity, where in cases involving crimes of violence, so-called video nasties were cited as a mitigating factor by the defence.

One particular case that I've never forgotten was in a rape trial where the defendant claimed he was driven to committing the crime after watching a video.

The video cited was John Carpenter's 'The Thing', a film hat not only does not depict rape, but which does not even feature a woman in the cast.
 
Great film but very indifferent 4k bluray transfer.

If you've already got the bluray then don't waste your money on the 4k bluray.
And of course long time forum members will have learned by now to completely ignore anything that this member has to say about technical specifications or picture quality on disc releases.

Here's' a professional review...

"A beautiful transfer of an ugly film." That's the best way to describe this new 4K edition of A Clockwork Orange, which was likely sourced from a restoration created around the time of the 2011 Digibook's release (but not included on that disc, for whatever reason). It's a fine upgrade that offers moderate to strong improvements in all key areas, the most obvious of which are color, density, and film grain. First, the color. It's important to remember that most DVD and early Blu-rays often featured incorrectly "warmed" palettes that, while pleasing to the eye in some cases, rarely represented a film's true theatrical appearance. It's no surprise, then, that A Clockwork Orange now employs a colder atmosphere overall, yet it still looks more natural when considering the locations and emotional temperature of specific moments. The infamous "aversion therapy" scene above, for example, now more closely resembles a movie theater's light, and the "droog" scene at the top no longer has a sickly greenish-blue tone. The HDR enhancement, while not overpowering, brings a nice boost to the era-specific architecture and interior decoration, which are as gaudy as ever.

But the most potent improvement comes in the form of overall density, a byproduct of its better film grain and contrast levels; again, look at this image from the old Blu-ray, which almost now reads more like a photo of a screen capture. The 4K's image is so much more even and well-balanced in its overall black and white levels that garish elements, like the regular harshness of interior light (usually from unfiltered bulbs), are handled substantially better this time around. Fine detail is much improved as well, with close-ups and wide shots alike now taking on a more film-like appearance without the waxy sheen of heavy noise reduction. Even A Clockwork Orange's darkest moments, such as the opening droog attack, look more natural when the artificial brightness of its older transfer is no longer applied."

And another...

"Alex and his droogs kick Ultra HD right in the yarbles, volunteering, our dear and loyal brothers, a remarkable upgrade over previous Blu-ray releases, which were notoriously mediocre and disappointing.

Celebrating its 50th Anniversary, the film is redeemed with a brand-new restoration and remaster of the original 35mm camera negatives, which was reportedly supervised by Kubrick's former assistant Leon Vitali. Almost immediately, the HEVC H.265 encode boasts the improvements with the vibrant title cards hinting at the richly-saturated primaries about to come. The cinematography has always been more on the restrained and somber side complementing the plot's themes, but here, the crimson-rose reds really come to life, the blues range from electrifying cobalts to dark indigoes, and the shamrock greens vividly pop. The secondary hues enjoy better saturation and variation as well, showing a strong array of oranges, ambers, browns and golden yellows, making that 70s chic decor really standout.

Presented in its original 1.66:1 aspect ratio, the more noteworthy face-lift is the improved contrast and brightness balance, affording this Kubrick masterpiece with another lease on life. By comparison, the Blu-ray looks dull and flat thanks to the brighter, more radiant whites and rich, ebony blacks of this HDR10 presentation, providing the image with appreciable depth and a lovely cinematic appeal. Specular highlights furnish the visuals with a significantly tighter, crisper glow in the hottest spots like the various light fixtures, allowing for more of the finer details to come through, and the same extends to the superior visibility within the darkest, blackest corners of the frame.

Although it comes with its fair share of softer moments, which are easily excused as the result of the original cinematography and the condition of the elements, the native 4K transfer also displays sharper definition and clarity throughout. Background objects are plainly to make out, the lettering in newspapers are distinct, and the threading in the costumes are often razor-sharp. Facial complexions appear healthy and appropriate to the climate with lifelike textures, revealing the small pores and negligible blemishes in the entire cast.

Awash in a fine layer of grain that is consistent, this is a remarkable upgrade for a beloved Kubrick favorite, and the film has never looked better on any home video format as it does on Ultra HD. (HDR10 Video Rating: 90/100)"
 

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