Weekend Buff: A Clockwork Orange

A future Britain descends into hooliganism....

A Clockwork Orange is the film by the Bronx’s own Stanley Kubrick that helped solidify his place as one of the west’s great directors.  It also was the most successful (and least favorite) novel of acclaimed British writer Anthony Burgess. It is some experience.

The movie takes place in a communist dystopian future London where crime is rampant and life is miserable.  London itself is a Soviet-style wasteland of brutalist public housing and societal breakdown.  People do not go out at night and every door is buttoned up tight to prevent the criminal element access to people’s place of refuge (sound familiar?).  

But here the police themselves are little more than gangsters, too; brutal, unprofessional, and as a result, ineffective.

The movie is famous for the made-up dialect of the main characters that combines slang, Russian, and Cockney English.  Sounds strange but it works, and adds to the creepiness of the characters.

The film is narrated by the main character, Alex DeLarge, which give us a striking look into a twisted, sadistic mind.  He and his fellow “droogs” spend their nights getting high and going forth into the night to commit a “bit of the old ultra-violence.”  Blood and pain are their pleasure. 

British actor Malcolm McDowell portrays Alex, and it’s the film that made his reputation.  The brutality of his gang is disturbing even to someone who has seen a lot of crime.  You’ll never hear “Singin’ In The Rain” the same way again.

The book and movie have the same premise: Can Alex be re-programmed by the state into a productive citizen, using aversion therapy?  (The title refers to this idea – that nature can be tinkered with like winding a watch).

On a deeper level, the work examines free will and its role in morality.  Can Alex be reformed against his will or does change need to come from within? 

Interestingly, this is where the book and the movie diverge; it seems that Kubrick read the American version of Burgess’s book, which American publishers demanded be softened (today, the full British version is the standard). 

The film runs a lengthy 2 hours and 16 minutes, but it for sure does not drag.  It is immersive, disturbing, strange, and yes, even funny at times.  What it definitely is not is for the faint of heart.  If you thought our recommendation of Bad Lieutenant was a bit much….

The book is more of a novella and is a quick read at about 240 pages.  Somewhat unusually we recommend watching the movie first.  The book is fantastic and has a chapter at the end that is omitted from the movie, which dramatically changes the message of the work.  If you’ve seen the movie first, the difference will be that much more jarring and effective (it was for me).

The film is available to rent on Amazon Prime for $3.99.  Amazon has the book too, of course. 

Trust us, droogies.  You’ll want to viddy well, viddy well….

Even if you may not sleep so well afterwards.

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