A Clockwork Orange (1971)

In the future, a sadistic gang leader is imprisoned and volunteers for a conduct-aversion experiment, but it doesn't go as planned.

Director:

Stanley Kubrick

Writers:

Stanley Kubrick (screenplay), Anthony Burgess (novel)

Stars:

Malcolm McDowell, Patrick Magee, Michael Bates

Top Rated Movies #91 | Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 9 wins & 19 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

Protagonist Alex DeLarge is an "ultraviolent" youth in futuristic Britain. As with all luck, his eventually runs out and he's arrested and convicted of murder and rape. While in prison, Alex learns of an experimental program in which convicts are programmed to detest violence. If he goes through the program, his sentence will be reduced and he will be back on the streets sooner than expected. But Alex's ordeals are far from over once he hits the mean streets of Britain that he had a hand in creating.

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Plot Keywords:

gang | sexual assault | female full frontal nudity | dystopia | forced to watch rape | 

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Taglines:

The Breakthrough Presentation Of Stanley Kubrick's Clockwork Orange For The Millions Who Were Not Allowed To See It Until Now!

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 February 1972 (USA)

Also Known As:

Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange

Filming Locations:

Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$2,200,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£618,615 (United Kingdom), 19 March 2000, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$26,589,355, 31 December 1973

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros., Polaris Productions, Hawk Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

136 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital (re-issue) Mono

Color:

Black and White Color (Warnercolor) (uncredited)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

During a Guardian interview in 2019, Malcolm McDowell claimed that he negotiated a salary of $100,000 and 2.5 % of the profits, but Kubrick told McDowell to just take the $100,000 as Warner Brothers would never agree to the percentage deal also. Much later, McDowell bumped into a Warner executive who said that the 2.5% must be keeping his bank manager happy. Apparently Kubrick had kept the percentage for himself.

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Goofs

Just before Alex and Miss Weathers fight in the health farm, the room is full of cats. During the fight, the panning camera reveals that there are no cats in the room. The cats mysteriously reappear immediately after the battle.

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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.

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Crazy Credits

There are no opening credits after the title, which is followed by the opening shot of Alex the Droog. Although it is now commonplace for major films to not have opening credits, in 1971 it was considered rather unusual and was considered a trademark of director Stanley Kubrick.

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Alternate Versions

In 1973, a new version of "A Clockwork Orange" was released to theaters with an MPAA rating of "R", replacing the previous "X". The new version contained approximately 31 seconds of replacement, less lascivious footage for two scenes: the high speed (2 fps) orgy in Alex's bedroom, and the Ludovico rape scene. The bedroom scene was made more comical by having one of the girls fall off the bed and Alex joins her down there. The Ludovico rape scene was altered in that the scenes with the first two droogs was from the side and waist-up, so it is less explicit. The third droog was removed completely and replaced with a close-up of one of the doctor's face as they are watching Alex's treatment.

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Connections

Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Unexpected Singing Moments in Non-Musical Movies (2015)

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Soundtracks

The Thieving Magpie (Overture)
by Gioachino Rossini
Recorded by Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft

User Reviews

One of the most beautiful films I've seen...

It's funny, after you watch a film many times you begin to fall in love with it. This is true with a lot of films but for Clockwork Orange, I only had to watch it 2 subsequent times to fall in love with it. There are so many elements of this film that bring it together and make you totally enjoy the story. The music in the film is one such example, at times it's beautiful and at times dark and disturbing, setting the right tone for the scene. Technically this is a sci-fi film because it does take place in the future and there is the plot which involves brainwashing. When many people think of Stanley Kubrick, they think of 2001 and this film. It's because this film stands out as possibly the scariest image of the near future