Cinema
A Clockwork Orange
Stanley Kubrick · 1971
Synopsis
A milk bar, in the evening. Alex and his three companions, dressed in white, drink milk laced with drugs, then go out: they beat an old drunk under a bridge, fight a rival gang in an abandoned casino, steal a car and, by a ruse, get the door opened to an isolated house where a writer lives. Back at his parents' home, Alex listens to Beethoven in his room. The next morning, his probation officer is waiting for him at his home.
Context
The film was released in New York on 19 December 1971 and in Britain on 13 January 1972. It was withdrawn from distribution there in 1973 at the request of its author, and did not return to the country's cinemas until March 2000, after his death. On the reason for the withdrawal, accounts differ: some say the film had been accused of inspiring crimes, others that threats had been aimed at its author and his family, and neither excludes the other. The adaptation follows the American edition of the book, which lacked its last chapter, which according to the writer carried the meaning of the whole.
Who it is for
One hundred and thirty-seven minutes, in English with subtitles or in a French-language version. The book's invented slang, based on Russian, is kept.
Prizes and reception
Four Oscar nominations, including best picture; best film and best direction awards given by the New York critics.
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