The film takes place in a future totalitarian society and deals with violence and crime. The main character, Alex, is a gang leader who is also a criminal. After his release from prison, Alex is subjected to a series of tortures in order to prevent his violent tendencies during the rehabilitation process that begins with his being pushed out of society.
The film caused controversy due to its violent scenes and moral arguments. Some critics criticize the film for legitimizing violence, while others see it as a tool to discuss issues such as social control, freedom and morality.
The movie revolves around the lead character of Alex (Malcolm McDowell). Alex is a gang leader who is also a criminal. Alex and his group terrorize the streets by staging violent attacks, looting and other crimes.
However, after Alex is released from prison, he is subjected to a series of tortures in order to prevent his violent tendencies during the rehabilitation process that begins with his being pushed out of society. In the process, Alex's freedom is completely taken away and he is given a therapy called the "Ludovico Treatment".
This therapy provides Alex with highly evoked visual and auditory stimuli, aiming to reconcile his violent behavior with painful memories. In this way, Alex's violent tendencies disappear and they make him a proper citizen of society.
However, Alex's treatment sparks discussions of society's ethical values and individual freedom. Some argue that Alex's treatment is immoral and restricts freedom, while others think that such treatment is necessary for the safety of society.
The film has been used as a tool to discuss these moral debates and issues such as social control, freedom, and morality. For this reason, A Clockwork Orange is considered a cult movie and still remains the subject of controversy.
Here is some information about the movie:
- The movie is based on the novel of the same name by Anthony Burgess. The ending of the novel is different from the ending of the movie and Stanley Kubrick wanted to write a more promising ending than the ending of the novel.
- After the film was released in the UK, it was banned for promoting violence. The lifting of the ban lasted until 1999.
- The main character of the film, Alex, was intended to be played by Mick Jagger, David Bowie, and one of the members of The Monkees, before Kubrick was chosen.
- The violence in the movie is so intense that some copies of Kubrick's movie had to be cut before they were released from movie theaters.
- The film is famous for the wide angle Kubrick prefers to use and cinematic techniques where the viewer is very close to the characters.
- While playing the character of Alex, Malcolm McDowell fell ill during a scene where his eyes remained open and his eyelids dried.
- The "Singin' in the Rain" scene in the movie was shot during a scene where McDowell actually broke his arm.
- Besides the famous masks in the movie, the glasses of the "Ludovico Treatment" used to keep Alex's eyes open are also an iconic item.
- The soundtrack for the movie was composed by Wendy Carlos and recorded using Moog synthesizers.
- The film was restored and re-released in 2021. The restoration provided a better amplification of the film's original soundtrack and made its images more vivid.
Director : Stanley Kubrick
Writers : Stanley Kubrick, Anthony Burgess
Director of Photography : John Alcott
Music : Wendy Carlos
Production : 1971 - UK, USA - 136 m.
Genre : Crime / Drama / Science Fiction
Writers : Stanley Kubrick, Anthony Burgess
Director of Photography : John Alcott
Music : Wendy Carlos
Production : 1971 - UK, USA - 136 m.
Genre : Crime / Drama / Science Fiction
CAST :
Malcolm McDowell
Patrick Magee
Michael Bates
Warren Clarke
John Clive
Adrienne Corri
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