A Clockwork Orange is a 1971 film，an adaptation of Anthony Burgess’s 1962 dystopian novel of the same name.
Movie
review
A
Clockwork Orange set in a not-so-distant future
English society that has a culture of extreme youth violence, the film's
teenage protagonist, Alex, narrates his violent exploits and his experiences
with state authorities intent on reforming him.
In futuristic London, Alex DeLarge is the leader of his
"droogs", Georgie, Dim, and Pete. One night, after getting
intoxicated on "milk plus" (milk laced with drugs), they engage in an
evening of "ultra-violence", including beating an elderly vagrant and
fighting a rival gang led by Billyboy. Stealing a car, they drive to the
country home of writer F. Alexander, where they beat Mr. Alexander to the point
of crippling him for life. Alex then rapes his wife while singing "Singin' in the
Rain".
Alex murder a woman with a phallic statue.
Hearing police sirens, Alex tries to run away, but Dim smashes a pint bottle of
milk across his face, leaving him stunned and bleeding. Alex is captured and
beaten by the police,and he is sentenced to 14 years in prison.
Two years into the sentence, the Minister of the Interior arrives at the prison looking for
test subjects for the Ludovico technique, an experimentalaversion therapy for rehabilitating criminals
within two weeks; Alex readily volunteers.
The process involves drugging the
subject, strapping him to a chair, propping his eyelids open, and forcing him
to watch images of violence. Alex becomes nauseated due to the drugs. He realizes that one of the
films' soundtracks is by his favourite composer, Ludwig van Beethoven, and that the Ludovico technique will make him sick
when he hears the music he loves.
A Clockwork Orange on Film
Character
Alex (Malcolm McDowell), the main character, is a charismatic, sociopathic delinquent whose interests includeclassical
music (especially Beethoven), rape, and what is termed
"ultra-violence". He leads a small gang of thugs (Pete, Georgie, and
Dim), whom he calls his droogs (from the Russian друг,
"friend", "buddy"). The film chronicles the horrific crime
spree of his gang, his capture, and attempted rehabilitation via controversial
psychological conditioning. Alex narrates most of the film in Nadsat, a fractured adolescent slang
composed ofSlavic (especially Russian), English, and Cockney rhyming slang.
Director
Stanley
Kubrick （July 26, 1928 – March 7, 1999) was an American film director, screenwriter,producer, cinematographer,and editor who worked predominantly in the United Kingdom. Part of the New Hollywood film-making wave, he is regarded as one of the greatest and most influential directors of all time.
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| Stanley Kubrick with his camera, age 21 |
His films, typically adaptations of novels or short stories, are noted for their "dazzling" and unique cinematography, attention to detail in the service of realism. Kubrick's films covered a variety of genres, including war, crime, literary adaptations, romance, black comedies, horror, epic and science fiction.
（July 26,
1928 – March 7, 1999) was an American film director,
screenwriter,producer, cinematographer,and editor who worked predominantly
in the United Kingdom. Part of the New Hollywood film-making wave, he is regarded as one of the
greatest and most influential directors of all time.His films, typically
adaptations of novels or short stories, are noted for their
"dazzling" and unique cinematography, attention to detail in the service of
realism. Kubrick's films covered a variety of genres, including war, crime,
literary adaptations, romance, black comedies, horror, epic and science
fiction.
Kubrick’s A
Clockwork Orange is
as artful dark comedy of violence, and Malcolm McDowell’s bravura performance
as Alex lives large in the collective imagination; but the dazzling colours and
fast-paced nature of the film did not appeal to everyone.
Awards and
nominations and rankings
·
1983 – Prometheus Award (Preliminary Nominee)
·
1999 – Prometheus Award (Nomination)
·
2002 – Prometheus Award (Nomination)
·
2003 – Prometheus Award (Nomination)
·
2006 – Prometheus Award (Nomination)
·
2008 – Prometheus Award (Hall of Fame Award)
The novel was chosen by Time magazine as one of the 100 best English-language novels
from 1923 to 2005.
This film is very controversial and was unavailable for many years. Why do you think that was? Do you think Kubrick's film is a warning? About what?
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