Posted on 09/21/2021 10:59:26 AM PDT by Cronos
In a recent interview, veteran actor Malcolm McDowell has revealed he cannot stomach rewatching his 1971 dystopian crime film, A Clockwork Orange. The film was adapted from Anthony Burgess's 1962 novel about a disturbingly violent gang of youths in an alternate near-future Britain. McDowell played the violent delinquent Alex DeLarge in the infamous and controversial film directed by Stanley Kubrick.
It follows Alex, leader of his gang known as the Droogs. Following a series of drug-induced fights with another gang and various disturbing and brutal assaults, Alex is arrested and imprisoned for his crimes, before being subjected to an experimental form of therapy to make him averse to his former violence. A Clockwork Orange celebrates its 50th anniversary this year with a 4K rerelease, but originally, the film was met with bans upon its release due to the levels of violence and brutality on screen, an aspect which its star still struggles with.
McDowell revealed that he still finds it difficult to rewatch, stating that he cannot stomach sitting through the film despite the time that has passed. McDowell elaborated that despite any updates in quality the film might have received, it still holds the same violent content that made the film infamous upon its release, though he is proud of the impact it has made since last time he watched the film was during a screening at the Cannes Film Festival to celebrate its 40th Anniversary alongside Warner Bro's executives, before saying how glad he was that he could avoid similar screenings for the latest milestone.
...Despite becoming a film of historical significance , A Clockwork Orange had a complex and controversial history. Upon release, the film was met by polarizing reviews for its depictions of graphic violence and sexual assault, as well as condemnation from different groups,
(Excerpt) Read more at screenrant.com ...
I could hardly stand watching it in the first place. But that was back in my ‘edgy’ college days.
In retrospect, it seems as though it completely fits in with the ‘goals’ of 1963. Go figure.
Love Brazil…an underrated movie IMO
It forever ruined “Singin’ In the Rain” for me.
You know... I have friends (conservatives) who work out in LA in the film industry. Some have seen up close and personal how true your statement is. One actually had his career destroyed because he wouldn’t put out for a hot shot director.
It’s rampant out there.
How’s he feel about Caligula?
Clockwork Orange is iconic, a classic. Caligula, not so much.
CALIGULA.
Hard to believe that so many great actors got tricked into making a porno flick. The horrid “X” version of course.
I will stick with the I, CLAUDIUS BBC version.
In 1980 we College Republicans on campus raised money for the Reagan campaign by showing “A Clockwork Orange.” All screenings were sellouts. I also got a date with a pretty Texan, but alas, she dropped out.
My favorite Stanley Kubrick film is 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY. Not much on the acting, but the special effects were cutting edge. And the marriage of classical music was amazing. I was 14yrs old, a science fiction fan, and really into the US space program. It is a classic, the apes were kind of hokey, however🙂
I was an Audiophile
at that time and
It opened up
Classical Music to me.
“The Pawnbroker”
Excellent movie! So powerful it made him press his hand into a note spike. Watched it again not long ago.
As good as THE JUGGLER with Kirk Douglas.
When I was younger, I really liked the film, and I was a huge Kubrick fan. I now find it too horrific to watch. Alex’s crimes are portrayed in a somewhat humorous way that was entertaining when I was in college; now, not so much.
Didn’t like it, didn’t finish watching it.
Have you seen Killer’s Kiss? Very early Kubrick noir. It’s been on Turner Classic Movies a few times, very interesting if you like the genre.
I’ll have to look for it. We don’t have TCM, so I’ll have to look for it on a streaming service. Thanks for the heads up.
No doubt it is an excellent film, great script, great actors, great acting, and really gritty NYC in the early 60s. But wow is it depressing. I had to stop last night 20 minutes from the end (I often take two or three nights to watch a film).
Thanks for the tip to The Juggler. I haven’t seen that. I watched Kirk Douglas in “Ace in the Hole” (1951) a few months back. Great film, too
The name of the teen gang was NOT the Droogs. Droog or droopie was teen slang for friend adopted from the Russian word for friend.
Other teen slang in the film included both Russian origin and other words made up. When they said “real horrowshow” they meant horashoia which is Russian for “fine or good”.
Stanley Kubrick could create a scene but destroy the message. He sort of laughed through the key words in the film that presented the serious message. Words that originated from the prison Chaplain, the prison warden, and the anti-government conspirator.
The film’s message is very rightwing. The people will give up rights to enjoy a quieter life. The populace will not even mind human moral choices being taken away. Alex was an organic being like an orange. The Super State made him into something mechanical like a clock which had no free choice. He was thus programed by the state.
I couldn’t find “The Juggler” on any streaming service except YouTube. Our local library doesn’t have it. So I bought a copy on Amazon for $18. I rip the movies and put them on my home video serve so I always have it. The libraries of older films at Amazon Prime and Netflix have a terrible habit of shrinking quickly. So many films in my queue at Netflix are no longer available.
The “Korova Milk Bar”, came from the Polish “Bar Mleczny” (Milk Bars), which were State-Run restaurants that served low-cost basic meals for the workers, they still have them even today in Poland.
Makes three of us.
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