Director Alexandra Spencer-Jones has transformed Anthony Burgess’s harrowing tale of youthful disaffection into a stunning visual spectacle, operatic in dynamic and laced with homoeroticism.
Some might argue that Spencer-Jones has strayed too far from the text. In the novel, Alex and his ‘droogs’ (the punk equivalent of homies)direct their violent urges against vulnerable females. Here, with an all-male cast, the acts of sexual violation occur between men,and there’s ample doses of homosexual flirtation and crotch-grabbing. Most brutal scenes are conveyed through dance, lessening their impact on the visceral level. Neither the book nor Stanley Kubrick’s 1971 film contain inferences of homosexuality, nor do they shy away from straightforward depictions of cruelty.
However, if we do not judge the production according to its textual integrity (and why should we, necessarily?), instead viewing it as a kind of adaptation, Spencer-Jones has succeeded beautifully.
As the disaffected Alex, Martin McCreadie astounds – terrifying as the uncontrolled, seemingly uncontrollable, adolescent, and tragic as the victim of government manipulation. From the moment of McCreadie’s appearance, his multi-dimensional emotional investment demand sour involvement.
A rollicking score, combining rock classics with spurts of Alex’s much-adored Beethoven, propels the action, and inspires choreographed fight and dance scenes.Even though this element of stylisation dilutes the violence to some extent, it does inject the production with an arresting, testosterone-fuelled muscularity that works. Plus it’s visually compelling. This effect is intensified by the set design – all black, punctuated with striking touches of white and orange.
Humorous moments, often involving the satire of authority figures, are added with subtlety – a fine achievement in a story driven by such a dark, disturbed heart.
Even though Burgess purists may disagree with Spencer-Jones’s diversions from the original, there’s no arguing that she has achieved her vision with conviction and power.
