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:

Gang | Aversion Therapy | Violence | Britain | Prison

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)
La naranja mecánica (Argentina) (Mexico) (Spain) [es]
Laranja Mecânica (Brazil) (Portugal) [pt]
Orange mécanique (Canada: French title) (France) [fr]
Arancia meccanica (Italy) [it]
Clockwork Orange - Kellopeliappelsiini (Finland) [fi]
Clockwork Orange - Urverkappelsin (Finland: Swedish title) [sv]
Kellopeliappelsiini (Finland) (short title) [fi]
Mechanický pomaranc (Slovakia) [sk]
Mechanický pomeranc (Czech Republic) [cs]
Mechanicus narancs (Hungary) [hu]
Mechaniczna pomarancza (Poland) [pl]
Naranja mecánica (Mexico) [es]
Otomatik portakal (Turkey: Turkish title) (Pay-TV title) [tr]
Paklena naranca (Serbia) [sr]
Paklena pomorandza (Serbia) [sr]
Stanley Kubrick'ten a clockwork orange (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
To kourdisto portokali (Greece) [el]
Tokei Jikake no Orenji (Japan) [ja]
Uhrwerk Orange (West Germany) [de]

Runtime:

136 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color (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:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): Devochka, the Russian word for a little girl who has not yet developed, is used throughout the movie to denote a grown-up, sexually mature woman.

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 Grand Theft Auto IV (2008) (VG)

Soundtrack:

I Want to Marry a Lighthouse Keeper

Kubrick's best

Stanely Kubrick's "A Clockwork Orange" is one of the first movies that proved that cinema can be the most enlightening and amazing art form around. Movies have always been a true love for me, but it wasn't until this film challenged me that I fell deeply in love. The first viewing left me speechless, unable to describe how weird and terrible I felt. I thought it was the film that left me in this mood, so of course that was the easy target to blame. It was just a bad movie, overrated and stupid and a waste of time. But upon further thought, I realised the film did exactly what it was supposed to. It showed how the world can be a weird and horrible place, and how this young man who goes around torturing people and being a wicked person ultimately doesn't have to pay for what he does. And it's funny too. So this film brilliantly satirises this world, showcasing pure evil and people who ordinarily do not perform such evil are forced to laugh and observe what we all hate to admit is the truth. It's sick, but at the same time brilliant. And when one gets down to the core, you can't really explain it. It just is what it is. It's real. No one really sees it very often, but it is out there and everyone knows. And no one does anything about it. In essence, "A Clockwork Orange" is the ultimate satire, and one of the ultimate film experiences. It's art, it's life, and in a funky way, it's entertaining.