There is something about this film that, for me, defies explanation. The plot is epic and labyrinthine as it follows Mick Travis - yes, that Mick Travis... - in various stages of his life, his various ups and downs to his final enlightenment through a form of shakubuku.
The characters and situations are quite complex with many of the actors play multiple roles. Throughout the film I got the feeling that there was more to the film than what I thought, that there was a layer of meaning that I hadn't quite penetrated. The first time I saw this film I understood the zen-like ending and it had quite an impact on me, and each time I see it I still feel the same way, but not how it linked into the rest of the story.
Now, I think it has more to do with the path to enlightenment that we all must take -from innocence to ruin, to finding ourselves once again...!
Malcolm McDowell is superb as Mick Travis, a multi-layered, multi-faceted character - this is, for me, his best role.
The music plays an important part for me. The soundtrack is by Alan Price, and all the songs are uniformly charming and wonderful -especially the title track.
It's a shame this film isn't more widely recognised - it's a classic for so many reasons, and needs to be seen by more people!!
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