A CLOCKWORK ORANGE

Directed by Stanley Kubrick
Based on the novel
by Anthony Burgess

Kubrick's rendition of Burgess' A Clockwork Orange was yet another example of the British phenomenon in adapting American culture and revisiting it in a mutated form upon its 'cultural colony'. Clockwork, along with Straw Dogs, represented a new wave of cinema in which graphic depictions of violence were manifested onscreen within powerful dramas that transcended the gratuitous levels for which said depictions were previously reserved.

The Book

Clockwork was a first-person narrative by Alex, a 13-year-old in a future England which falls victim to the erosion of law and order along with its moral standards. The pervasive influence of Bolshevism is strongly suggested with the heavy usage of Russian derivatives in slang throughout the story. Alex is the leader of a street crew who terrorizes the city along with other roving packs of predators who stalk London at night. Brought to justice at last, he is able to shorten his prison sentence by volunteering for a State-controlled mind experiment that chemically eliminates his penchant for 'ultraviolent' behavior. Only Alex is caught up in a chain of events that leads to the ouster of the political group that has sponsored his treatment. He is then 'cured' by the new ruling party, restored to his primal instincts, and begins a new chapter in his career as a representative of the New Order. The 'lost chapter' (rarely printed by publishers) depicts Alex as an older person, looking back ruefully at his past life and admitting his wrongdoing, resolving himself to a better life led only by repenting of the old.

The Movie

Malcolm Mc Dowell's immortal role as Alex was an experience he would never forget in working with Kubrick, whose search for realism was such that Mc Dowell broke bones and suffered multiple contusions throughout the filming. Burgess was somewhat taken aback by Kubrick and Mc Dowell's efforts, chagrined that his 13-year-old monster had been transformed into such a charming snake onscreen. Alex has become arguably the biggest figure in cult cinema history, the film itself rivalled only by the Rocky Horror Movie for their cult followings across the planet. The movie combined a 19th century soundtrack (Alex was a classical music buff), 20th century social issues and a 21st century backdrop in constituting a triple-tiered masterpiece that will forever be remembered as one of Kubrick's greatest works, immortalizing both Burgess and Mc Dowell in the process.

For further information on this topic:

A Critical Look at A Clockwork Orange

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