"Come and get one in the yarbles, if ya have any yarble, ya eunuch jelly thou!"
– Alex (Malcolm McDowell)

"Brilliant. A tour de force of extraordinary images, music, words and feelings."
– Vincent Canby, THE NEW YORK TIMES

Stars: Malcolm McDowell, Patrick Magee, Adrienne Corri, Miriam Karlin

Director: Stanley Kubrick

Fast Facts:
  • The film is based on the novel A Clockwork Orange, published by Anthony Burgess in 1962.
  • Burgess based most of the Droogs’ slang on Russian, calling it "nadsat," which is the Russian word for "teen."
  • When the novel was published in America, the publisher deleted the original final chapter of the book, in which Alex grows up, becomes disenchanted with violence, gets married and has children.
  • Stanley Kubrick read the American version and persuaded Warner Bros. to buy the rights for $200,000 in 1969.
  • The nude mannequins in the opening Korova Milkbar scenes were created by sculptress Liz Jones, who also created the Star Child for the ending of 2001: A Space Odyssey.
  • With only a $2-million budget, Kubrick resorted to many documentary-style techniques during the filming, including recording the sound "live" on the set, shooting with only natural light and using a wheelchair for tight tracking shots.
  • A Clockwork Orange originally earned an X rating from the Motion Picture Association of America for its sexuality and violence. It became the second X-rated film (after Midnight Cowboy) to earn a Best Picture Academy Award® nomination.
  • A year after its release, Kubrick replaced thirty seconds of the film in order to get the rating changed to an R.
  • The film caused a scandal when it was released in England, and was blamed for several deaths and acts of violence. In 1974, Kubrick asked Warner Bros. to remove the film from distribution in England and it was not shown there (legally) again until 2000.
  • The New York Film Critics named A Clockwork Orange the Best Film of 1971, and Kubrick Best Director. It earned four Oscar® nominations, for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Film Editing.

Stomping, whomping, stealing, singing, tap-dancing, violating. Derby-topped teddy-boy hooligan Alex (Malcolm McDowell) has his own way of having a good time. He has it at the tragic expense of others.

Alex’s journey from amoral punk to brainwashed proper citizen forms the dynamic arc of Stanley Kubrick’s future-shock vision of Anthony Burgess’ novel. Unforgettable images, startling musical counterpoints, the fascinating language used by Alex and his pals — Kubrick shapes them into a shattering whole. Hugely controversial when first released,

A Clockwork Orange won the New York Film Critics Best Picture and Director honors and earned four Academy Award® nominations, including Best Picture. The power of its art is such that it still entices, shocks and holds us in its grasp.

FAQ's

*****

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