A Clockwork Orange (1971)

Director:

Stanley Kubrick

Writers:

Stanley Kubrick (screenplay)
Anthony Burgess (novel)

Release Date:

2 February 1972 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Being the adventures of a young man ... who couldn't resist pretty girls ... or a bit of the old ultra-violence ... went to jail, was re-conditioned ... and came out a different young man ... or was he ?

Plot:

In future Britain, charismatic delinquent Alex DeLarge is jailed and later volunteers for an experimental aversion therapy developed by the government in an effort to solve society's crime problem... but not all goes to plan.

Plot Keywords:

Aversion Therapy | Gang | Britain | Prison | Violence

Awards:

Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 5 wins & 12 nominations

Cast

Malcolm McDowell	...	Alex
Patrick Magee	...	Mr Alexander
Michael Bates	...	Chief Guard
Warren Clarke	...	Dim
John Clive	...	Stage Actor
Adrienne Corri	...	Mrs. Alexander
Carl Duering	...	Dr. Brodsky
Paul Farrell	...	Tramp
Clive Francis	...	Lodger
Michael Gover	...	Prison Governor
Miriam Karlin	...	Catlady
James Marcus	...	Georgie
Aubrey Morris	...	Deltoid
Godfrey Quigley	...	Prison Chaplain
Sheila Raynor	...	Mum

Also Known As:

Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange (USA) (poster title)

Runtime:

136 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Black and White | Colour (Warnercolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital (re-issue) | Mono

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Ireland:18 (re-rating) (2000) | Ireland:(Banned) (1971-2000) | South Korea:18 (2004) | South Korea:18 (2005) (DVD rating) | Italy:VM18 (DVD rating) | Canada:18A (Ontario) (re-rating) (2008) | Canada:R (Ontario) (original rating) | Canada:R (Manitoba/Nova Scotia) | Brazil:16 | USA:R (cut version) (1973) | USA:X | UK:(Banned) (withdrawn by director) (1973-1999) | South Africa:18 (Certificate G/1999/0748 DVD) | Argentina:X (original rating) | Argentina:18 (re-rating) | Australia:R | Canada:16+ (Quebec) | Canada:R (Alberta) (re-rating) (1999) | Chile:18 | Finland:K-15 (re-rating) | Finland:K-18 (original rating) | France:-16 (re-rating) | France:-18 (original rating) | Hong Kong:III | Israel:18 (video rating) | Israel:X (original rating) | Italy:VM14 (re-release) | Italy:VM18 (original rating) | Japan:R-15 | Malaysia:(Banned) | Mexico:D | Netherlands:18 | New Zealand:R18 | Norway:18 | Singapore:(Banned) | South Korea:(Banned) | Spain:(Banned) (original rating) | Spain:18 (re-rating) (1975) | Sweden:15 | UK:18 (re-rating) (1999) | UK:X (original rating) | West Germany:16 | Portugal:M/16

Filming Locations:

Binsey Walk, Southmere Lake, Thamesmead South, London, England, UK

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

The first line of the novel is "What's it going to be then, eh?" and this line is repeated frequently throughout the book. Another recurring phrase is "dressed in the heighth [sic] of [insert adjective here] fashion," which is how Alex describes every single set of clothes that he or anyone else is wearing. The movie omits all but one occurrence of each phrase. Prison Chaplain Godfrey Quigley is introduced with the line "What's it going to be, eh?" In the next scene Alex imagines himself as a first-century executioner "dressed in the height of Roman fashion."

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: When the rampaging Alex is performing "Singing In The Rain," leaning over Frank, his mouth is not moving.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Alex: There was me, that is Alex, and my three droogs, that is Pete, Georgie, and Dim, and we sat in the Korova Milkbar trying to make up our rassoodocks what to do with the evening. The Korova milkbar sold milk-plus, milk plus vellocet or synthemesc or drencrom, which is what we were drinking. This would sharpen you up and make you ready for a bit of the old ultra-violence.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Teen Titans: Mad Mod (#1.10)" (2003)

Soundtrack:

William Tell Overture

My favorite movie

Without a doubt, my absolute favorite film of all time. I first saw this movie three years ago and I have been in love with it (and Stanley Kubrick) ever since. I never get tired of seeing this movie. Why it remains so underappreciated (at least by "casual" movie viewers) is beyond me. Everything is great; acting, direction, cinematography, the sets, everything.

Something that I don't think anyone else commented on was the Russian motif. The names of the droogs (Alexander, George, Peter, and Dim...short for Dimitri) are decidedly Russian. The singer referenced in the record store, Johnny Zhivago, has obvious Russian overtones. The statement made by the Minister of the Interior about the "peace-loving citizens" is a direct reference to the name that Soviet government representatives applied to their people when talking about the Cold War. Red seems to stand out from other colors. And, of course, who could forget Nadsat, the Russian slang language? I wonder what Burgess and Kubrick were trying to suggest about the future of Ingsoc (those familiar with "1984" will understand)?