A CLOCKWORK ORANGE
SET IN a futuristic England, A Clockwork Orange follows Alex (Malcolm Mcdowell) and his “droogs,” a gang of tough young blokes who get high on “milk plus” at the Korova Milk Bar before heading out to indulge in some “ultra-violence.” But after leader Alex is set up by his resentful underlings and jailed for murder, he volunteers for an experimental behavioral modification program in exchange for an early release, with unexpected results for all involved. A post-modern film that is also anticipatory in some ways of England’s coming punk movements and working-class unrest,
A Clockwork Orange has entered the collective consciousness and proven over the past 50 years to be infinitely quotable.
The movie was restored in 4K by Kubrick assistant Leon Vitali and the Kubrick Estate and brought to Ultra HD disc with HDR10 high dynamic range framed at a 1.66:1 aspect ratio. This is a film that has always looked a little soft and diffuse given director Stanley Kubrick’s method of single-source lighting to illuminate most scenes. That look is preserved, but the grain structure is reined in without loss of detail. The HDR highlights really pop when needed, as during the brainwashing scene when we see a blinding bright light from off-screen against an inky black background while Alex’s face is lit. Then there are the nuanced shadows, as at the 09:17 mark when Alex and droogs pull up to the house in the infamous “Singin’ in the Rain” scene and a horse can be seen running past in the dark background, a detail I had never noticed before.
Clockwork has an English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack mix as well as the original mono mix in Dolby Digital. The 5.1 soundtrack has been available before on other formats, but to my ears it has been remastered for this release since I used to hear more clipping in the dialogue. I even noticed the same clipping when I saw it screened in a theater thirteen years ago. That issue has been almost eliminated but for one stubborn spot.
Apart from that, the natural dynamic range and spaciousness of the score are top-notch.
Some previously released bonus features are included here, although all but the audio commentary can only be found on the repackaged regular HD Blu-ray. Mcdowell’s anecdotefilled commentary with film historian Nick Redman is an enjoyable listen, and the 2000 Channel 4 documentary Still Tickin’, wherein several film critics and experts offer up their thoughts on A Clockwork Orange, is well worth a watch. A Movies Anywhere digital code is included.