Horror History: A CLOCKWORK ORANGE Is Now 49 Years Old
On this day in horror history, Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange hit theaters here in the United States back in 1972. Kubrick adapted, produced, and directed the dystopian crime film based on Anthony Burgess’s 1962 novel of the same name.
Malcolm McDowell stars as Alex DeLarge
The film premiered in New York City on December 19, 1971. It then hit the United Kingdom on January 13, 1972. Heavily controversial due to its depictions of graphic violence, Kubrick withdrew it from British cinemas. Several other countries also banned the film. That said, in the years since it gained a cult following.
It also snagged four nominations at the 44th Academy Awards. In 2020, the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress selected the film for preservation as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”.
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The film takes place in the England of the future. Alex (McDowell) and his “Droogs” spend the night getting high at the Korova Milkbar. Then they embark on “a little of the old ultraviolence. After bludgeoning a lady to death, Alex is thrown in jail. He submits to behavior modification techniques to earn his freedom and condition him to abhor violence. Returned to the world defenseless, Alex becomes the victim.
The film sports an 86% approval rating over on Rotten Tomatoes. The Critics Consensus reads: Disturbing and thought-provoking, A Clockwork Orange is a cold, dystopian nightmare with a very dark sense of humor.
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