A Clockwork Orange star, Malcolm McDowell, says he resented the film for the first decade. The dystopian dark comedy directed by Stanley Kubrick is based on the Anthony Burgess novel of the same name about Alex DeLarge and his journey to redemption through experimental therapy and techniques, after committing a series of crimes with his gang. Like many of Kubrick films, it received mixed reviews upon release, but is now considered a cult classic and has received four Oscar nominations, including Best Picture.
McDowell has had a career spanning over half a century in hundreds of films and television shows, beginning his career in the 1968 British drama film, If…., directed by Lindsay Anderson. He also starred in Caligula where he played the title Roman emperor, before going on to have significant roles in Bombshell and in television shows like Entourage, Franklin & Bash, and Mozart In The Jungle. Despite his impressive resume and plethora of work, he is best known for playing DeLarge in A Clockwork Orange early in his career.
McDowell spoke to Screen Rant in an exclusive interview for the film’s 50th anniversary, explaining how the popularity of A Clockwork Orange made him resent the film for the first ten years of its release. McDowell talks about how he eventually got over that, and went on to discuss his experience working on the movie, the legacy of A Clockwork Orange, and more. Read what McDowell said below:
“No, no, you’re absolutely right. I think, honestly, for the first 10 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 within Lindsay Anderson? Let’s talk about those, or whatever.” I wasn’t really happy with it, but I think roughly 10 years after it came out, I had a realization that I was part of something that was pretty extraordinary. You can either accept it, smile, go with it, or never talk about it again. And I decided, listen, I made the bloody movie. I put a lot of myself in that part and I’m extremely proud of it. I loved working with Stanley. And for the most part, we have a great time. So I think I’ll take the road of, yep, I’m proud of it. I love it. That’s it.”
It is certainly understanding for an actor like McDowell, who has worked for so long and has done numerous performances since A Clockwork Orange, to feel that it’s a bit tiring talking about the movie after a while. It is definitely the case for many actors when they play a memorable role or are in a popular project that they are now synonymous with for the rest of their career. But it is nice to see the retrospective for McDowell to realize that many fans love his performance and how impactful the film is 50 years later.
McDowell has led a multifaceted career and served as an inspiration for many artists. A Clockwork Orange continues to be long remembered and influence directors with its filming style and inventive ways of telling a story through camera movements and framing. A Clockwork Orange can now be viewed in 4K on digital and Blu-ray, and while McDowell probably will not watch the film again, he can be proud that the movie has made such an impact.
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