A Clockwork Orange, directed by Stanley Kubrick, is universally hailed as one of the greatest films ever made. However, if you were to ask its star, Malcolm McDowell, about it in the years immediately following its release, you would have received a different reaction.
In a conversation with ScreenRant, McDowell candidly reveals that he harbored resentment toward the film for the first decade after its release due to the incessant questions and discussions surrounding it. “I think, honestly, for the first ten years, I really started to resent the thing and go, ‘I’m over it. Oh, for God’s sake. Talk about something else. What about these great movies I did with Lindsay Anderson? Let’s talk about those, or whatever’,” McDowell explains. The relentless attention directed towards A Clockwork Orange, especially given its controversial nature and boundary-pushing depictions of violence, caused clear consternation for McDowell and the filmmakers.
However, as time passed, McDowell’s perspective on the film evolved. Roughly ten years after its release, he came to a realization that he was part of something extraordinary. He began to take ownership of his collaboration in what had become a historic cinematic masterpiece. “I decided, listen, I made the bloody movie. I put a lot of myself in that part and I’m extremely proud of it,” he says. McDowell also expressed his admiration for working with Kubrick and the overall experience of making the film. “I loved working with Stanley. And for the most part, we had a great time. So I think I’ll take the road of, yep, I’m proud of it. I love it. That’s it.”
