Documentary "A Clockwork Orange" and the explanation of the ban

Forbidden Orange is a companion piece to Stanley Kubrick's film adaptation A Clockwork Orange and the crisis that the film causes, as shown in the documentary, is an interesting story in itself. In a filmography like Stanley Kubrick's, ranking films can be a futile exercise. One person's worst film may be another's favorite, so exalted and effective is Kubrick. A Clockwork OrangeFor example, it's an incredibly detailed dystopian crime film that would go on to inspire media for decades, but also attracted a significant amount of negative attention.

Based on the 1962 novel of the same name by Anthony Burgess. A Clockwork Orange The story takes place in a crime-infested near-future Britain. There, Alex DeLarge (Malcolm McDowell) is a monstrous criminal who leads a group of henchmen called "The Friend" who spend their time committing all sorts of heinous crimes. After his arrest, Alex is subjected to experimental psychological treatment that allows him to remain compliant. A Clockwork Orange it was referenced endlessly, but the reaction upon its release was so outrageous that the 2021 documentary Forbidden Orange was done precisely in response to the world reaction.

Kubrick pulled A Clockwork Orange from theaters in 1973.

Kubrick was shocked by the reaction to his film

A Clockwork Orange was so controversial when it first premiered in theaters that even Kubrick himself thought the film should be pulled from circulation, which it did. In 1972, the film was cited by a prosecutor in a court case (via DenOfGeek). The 14-year-old was charged with manslaughter in the case, and the prosecutor pointed that out. A Clockwork Orange as the inspiration for his actions. The film was quickly linked to a large number of copycat crimes. Protests against the film even occurred outside Kubrick's family home.

Kubrick was surprised by the reaction and stated that tying the film to real violence in the film was a mistake and that A Clockwork Orange was just one in a long line of films that were blamed for social ills. Despite his feelings, Kubrick played, and after its initial UK run ended in 1973, Kubrick demanded that Warner Brothers remove the film from circulation. Since films were not released on home video at the time, no one paid attention to the ban until 1979, when the National Cinema was refused permission to show the film.

It was only in March 2000 this A Clockwork Orange returned to UK screens legally. Shortly after Kubrick's death, Warner Brothers applied for a ratings certificate for the film, and it was, of course, given a rating of 18. The film arrived in UK cinemas on March 17, 2000, followed shortly after by home release. The public reaction was surprisingly muted, with public outrage over the film clearly having cooled over the decades.

A Clockwork Orange has been banned by fans around the world

Some countries have only recently lifted their ban on the film.

Other countries have also banned or imposed restrictions on A Clockwork Orangeand they didn't need Kubrick for that. The film was banned in Ireland in 1973, independent of Kubrick's ban, but by the time the film was re-evaluated in 1980, Kubrick's ban had spread to the general British-Irish film distribution market and the country had to wait for the UK to approve the ban. movie (via Merlin). The film was banned in Singapore for over 30 years, until 2011, when the ban was lifted and the film was screened as part of the Perspectives Film Festival (via Yahoo).

A Clockwork Orange was banned in South Africa for 13 years under the apartheid regime (via Visual memory). It was later approved in 1984, albeit subject to strict screening rules, including removing a scene from the film and making it illegal to own the film on video. The film was also banned in South Korea, Malaysia and Spain (via IOL). It was also banned in Brazil in 1978 (via Anthony Burgess). The film was banned in the Canadian provinces of Alberta and Nova Scotia until at least 1999 (via KHNMag). Malta also banned the film until 2000 (via Creativevita).

Bans on A Clockwork Orange books

Some American high schools have banned the book due to its offensive content.

Kubrick adaptation A Clockwork Orange This is not the first time the story has sparked controversy. Book version A Clockwork Orange also faced some censorship issues, especially in the United States (via ALA). In 1973, a bookseller in Orem, Utah, was arrested for selling the novel, and although the charges were dropped, the seller was forced to close the store and move. The book was removed from Aurora, Colorado High School in 2006 and Westport, Massachusetts High School in 2007.

It was also removed from two high schools in Anniston, Alabama, in 1982, but the books were later restored. This is all a bit ironic, considering that Burgess's novel originally had 21 chapters (via Gemsbok). The final chapter shows Alex seeing the error of his ways. Burgess himself said that his American publisher forced him to cut a chapter for the American version because they insisted that American readers would appreciate a more realistic and darker novel. Perhaps because Americans insisted on darker colors, it was banned in several American high schools.

"Forbidden Orange" documents the film's premiere in Spain

The documentary was released to mark the 50th anniversary of A Clockwork Orange.

Forbidden Orange 2021 documentary produced for HBO Max in honor of A Clockwork Orange50th anniversary. The documentary, narrated by Malcolm McDowell, chronicles the bans placed on Kubrick's film, with particular emphasis on its banning in Spain, which was under the rule of fascist dictator Francisco Franco in the 1970s. His well-documented disillusionment with the arts and cultural life meant that the film was not shown until 1975, when his reign began to weaken. In the same year, an international film festival was held in the city of Villadolid.

Most of all they wanted to show the controversial A Clockwork Orange and despite bomb threats, protests and a city where conservative older residents and progressive students are butting heads, the show went off without a hitch. In some ways, the documentary is largely conflict-free. There is some noise before the movie starts, but by the end of the movie, the only thing that can be seen on screen are the long lines of people waiting in the theater and some problems with printing the tickets.

Forbidden Orange is still an interesting companion for Winding mechanism and shows how important this film is as a cultural statement as well as an artistic one.

The legacy and influence of A Clockwork Orange

Stanley Kubrick's film remains a critical portrayal of morality

A Clockwork Orange is now considered one of the greatest films of all time, ranking 243rd BFISight and Sound Survey for 2022. That's not to say it didn't receive recognition upon release: the film received four Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture. He also received three Golden Globe nominations. A Clockwork Orange there is indeed explicit nudity, violence and graphic depictions of sexual violence, but the film's message is clear: these are not the actions or ideals to which one should aspire.

Alex is by no means a heroic character. He's a villain, and he's inherently evil. Just because Alex doesn't finish the movie, he's punished for his crimes in A Clockwork Orange this is not to say that Kubrick and the film glorify his actions. Instead of, A Clockwork Orange asks about the nature of "goodness" and whether forcing someone to be good at the cost of their free will is itself a worse crime. Forbidden Orange shows what happens when people refuse to understand the nuances of a film.