A Clockwork Orange (R)

A violent meditation on violence. Not for kids.

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Common Sense rates it
3
Seen the movie? Review it
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Movie details
  • Studio: Warner Bros.
  • Directed By: Stanley Kubrick
  • Cast: Malcolm McDowell, Patrick Magee, Adrienne Corri
  • Running Time: 137 minutes
  • Release Date: 02/09/1971
  • Video/DVD Release Date: 05/06/1991
  • Genre: Science Fiction
  • MPAA Rating: R
  • MPAA Explanation: rape, violence, sex, and nudity.

Parents need to know

Parents need to know that this is an extremely violent film. Within the first 13 minutes there is a violent beating of a homeless man, an attempted rape, a gang fight, another beating and a rape. Sex and violence are paired. Hope for a "cure" for violence is scuttled. For mature viewers, the messages about violence and cultural decay are present but these may be lost amidst the sensationalism on younger viewers.

Families can talk about the nature of violence. Are some people naturally destined to be violent or does it come from experience? Does our current penal system work? Is it ethical to try to brainwash criminals, as they did to Alex? Or are there other means to use psychology that might help?

Message

Social Behavior:

Characters engage in violent, deviant, criminal behavior.

Consumerism:

Drugs/Alcohol/Tobacco:

Some drinking of a drug liquid called Miloko

Violence

Violent beating of a homeless man, attempted rape, gang fight, beating, rape, beating to death of an elderly woman

Sex

Full frontal female nudity, rape, sexual innuendo, male nudity, explicit sex scenes.

Language

Common Sense says

What's the story?

Reviewed by Afsheen Nomai

Based on the Anthony Burgess novel, A CLOCKWORK ORANGE tells the tale of Alex (Malcolm McDowell), a young man whose cravings for sex and violence rule almost his every motivation. He and his roving gang of "droogies" fight and rape their way around town beating up hapless strangers or rival gangs. But Alex's droogies aren't that happy with his leadership. They soon ambush Alex and leave him for the police to find after he murders a woman in her home. After two years in prison, Alex is chosen to participate in an experiment to brainwash the violent tendencies out of criminals: He becomes deathly sick and incapacitated anytime he encounters or thinks about violence. The unintended side effect is that he also feels that way when he hears his favorite composer, Ludwig Van Beethoven. The latter is exploited to disastrous ends in a case of political and personal revenge.

Is it any good?

3

The film itself is solid Kubrick, and any fan of his work would surely not want to miss this one. McDowell pulls out a career making performance as he mugs and leers into the camera, turning from vicious animal to pouty innocent boy at the drop of a hat.

This movie was way ahead of its time.

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Parents and kids say

All Reviews

There are 12 reviews.

5


Posted on 04/17/08 by bubbo Kid contributor, age 15

A Clockwork Orange

Great movie, but also extremely disturbing. I felt sick during some scenes because of the horrible things on display, but that's the intended side-effect so Kubrick did his job well. Aside from the disturb factor, it's an undeniably well-made movie. Very surreal and original, with fantastic camera work, great music, and a couple knockout moments. And compared to modern-day films like 'Saw' and 'Hostel,' 'A Clockwork Orange' is nothing. Which is really kind of sad, and just shows that today's society is coming closer and closer to the violence-obsessed future depicted in 'Clockwork Orange.'
5


Posted on 12/07/07 by thebaloob123 Kid contributor, age 13

Okay, People...

I am 13 and this is my favorite movie of all time. As with all my reveiw from this point I am going to start out saying something to the parents: Your kid isn't stupid! They can tell the difference beween a film and reality. Okay now to my reveiw: Colckwork Orange...is the greatest film ever made, Stanley Kubrik is a genius and I don'r mean genius as in oh what a smart guy I mean genius in: he is one of the smartest people of any generation. I think that it would be very hard for kids to try and mimic anything in the is film or even be influenced by it. The time and place that this film takes place in are so surreal and bizzar that it is hard to make any comparison to our times. This film althought so sexually violent and graphic is butiful in it's execution. Alex is a young man, him and his pack of droogs (Nasdat for "freinds") go about engaging in ultra violence by beating the homeless, rapeing teenage and adult woman, and all around harrasing the futeristic land scape of 2012 england. Alex gose to far one night, he kills a woman and is betrayed by his faithful droogs. He is then sent to prison and that is when the story really begins. Parent may be concerened about all the nudity and violence but it is all so surreal that it really shouldn't concern kids, if you have sensitive kids or are still in the delusion that kids should be shuned for sex and violence then this may not be good for them but really most kids can handel it.
4

Posted on 11/30/07 by Anonymous Kid contributor, age 13

This is really what a rated R movie is these days....

I'll start off by saying I've read the book and seen the movie. I Loved both. The movie was amazing, though. The only really bad scenes were the violence ones, and only a choice few(it never really showed what the person looked/s like after getting beaten up, raped, etc). The sex scenes shouldn't be that big of an issue, because let's face it: Most kids have taken sex ed or have at least accidentally seen the "un-speakables" of the opposite sex. And the other thing that parents have to realize, is in the end Alex grew out of his violence. Kubrick made the edited version of the book, and it kinda ruined the ending. By today's standards, this is a R movie, I've seen way worse than this, and that should be considered when a kid asks to what it.
5


Posted on 11/10/07 by MovieBuffMan123 Kid contributor, age 15

One of Kubrick's greats

A clockwork Orange I can not say enough is NOT for your children, or teenagers of that mater, all of the DVD's out to day on the stands are all Rated X(NC-17) like the original that was cut from the theaters back in 1971. But don't get me wrong it is none the less a masterpiece that your kids will just have to see when they are 18
5


Posted on 09/08/07 by Danieldude Kid contributor, age 10

Good 2 is a good age for it

5


Posted on 09/07/07 by nnowgoo Kid contributor, age 13

Stanley Kubrick's Masterpiece

"A Clockwork Orange" is definatley one of the greatest films of all time. Malcom McDowell's acting performance was absolutely amazing, and put together with Kubrick's directing it really is amazing. I would suggest this definately to an older audience. Smaller kids won't get it, and there is DEFINATELY a lot of sex (full frontal nudity), graphic violence, rape and so on. One of the greatest films of all time, for mature teens and up.
5


Posted on 08/19/07 by moviegeek222 Kid contributor, age 13

Excellent

One of the best movies ever made. For some reason, I had low expectations for this movie. However, I proved myself wrong. Stanly Kubrick's work on this is nothing short of amazing. Let me put it to you this way- It's better than the matrix.
5


Posted on 07/11/07 by # 1 DukeBlueDevils fan Kid contributor, age 15

A Stanley Kubrick masterpiece

This is one of the greatest movies of all time.Malcolm McDowell is superb as Alex. I am so sick and tired of common sense media selling all these classic movies as if their horrible. Not every kid wants to watch animated Disney movies. They act like kids have not seen this stuff before. I don't care what this movie is rated, its a classic, and I encourage all kids at any age to see it.And how can they give this movie three stars, it deserves five. I also encourage kids to start going to rotten tomatoes.com, because they know how to grade movies.
5


Posted on 04/07/07 by damoviecritic Kid contributor, age 14

Most kids won;t get it

This is one of my favorite films. It is strange and quirky, giving a powerful message about the cost of freedom. However, most kids probably won't enjoy it. It is slow and strange, giving an ambigoius message. Not stuff kids normaly like. The violence is not nearly as explicit as most horror films. However, the sex and nudity, while not nearly pornographic, are about as explicit as a film can be. Most kids who want to see it will end up disliking it. However, if they are older than about 14 or 15 (by 15 I don't know how much you should censor) it wouldn'd do them any harm to let them see the film. However, they make think it a wasted 2 hours.
5


Posted on 09/18/06 by bballdiaries Kid contributor, age 12

stylish, cool, amazing

this movie is wonderful,it is soo great, but , true to its controversy, it is very nasty... 5 scenes of rape, a grphic killing with a statue of a penis,probably the most violent movie ive ever seen , but really great, pobably only for REALLY REALLY mature thirteen year olds...

See all 12 reviews >

Adult Reviews

There are 1 reviews.

2


Posted on 03/07/06 by fenixataris182 Adult contributor

Kids Reviews

There are 11 reviews.

5


Posted on 04/17/08 by bubbo Kid contributor, age 15

A Clockwork Orange

Great movie, but also extremely disturbing. I felt sick during some scenes because of the horrible things on display, but that's the intended side-effect so Kubrick did his job well. Aside from the disturb factor, it's an undeniably well-made movie. Very surreal and original, with fantastic camera work, great music, and a couple knockout moments. And compared to modern-day films like 'Saw' and 'Hostel,' 'A Clockwork Orange' is nothing. Which is really kind of sad, and just shows that today's society is coming closer and closer to the violence-obsessed future depicted in 'Clockwork Orange.'
5


Posted on 12/07/07 by thebaloob123 Kid contributor, age 13

Okay, People...

I am 13 and this is my favorite movie of all time. As with all my reveiw from this point I am going to start out saying something to the parents: Your kid isn't stupid! They can tell the difference beween a film and reality. Okay now to my reveiw: Colckwork Orange...is the greatest film ever made, Stanley Kubrik is a genius and I don'r mean genius as in oh what a smart guy I mean genius in: he is one of the smartest people of any generation. I think that it would be very hard for kids to try and mimic anything in the is film or even be influenced by it. The time and place that this film takes place in are so surreal and bizzar that it is hard to make any comparison to our times. This film althought so sexually violent and graphic is butiful in it's execution. Alex is a young man, him and his pack of droogs (Nasdat for "freinds") go about engaging in ultra violence by beating the homeless, rapeing teenage and adult woman, and all around harrasing the futeristic land scape of 2012 england. Alex gose to far one night, he kills a woman and is betrayed by his faithful droogs. He is then sent to prison and that is when the story really begins. Parent may be concerened about all the nudity and violence but it is all so surreal that it really shouldn't concern kids, if you have sensitive kids or are still in the delusion that kids should be shuned for sex and violence then this may not be good for them but really most kids can handel it.
4

Posted on 11/30/07 by Anonymous Kid contributor, age 13

This is really what a rated R movie is these days....

I'll start off by saying I've read the book and seen the movie. I Loved both. The movie was amazing, though. The only really bad scenes were the violence ones, and only a choice few(it never really showed what the person looked/s like after getting beaten up, raped, etc). The sex scenes shouldn't be that big of an issue, because let's face it: Most kids have taken sex ed or have at least accidentally seen the "un-speakables" of the opposite sex. And the other thing that parents have to realize, is in the end Alex grew out of his violence. Kubrick made the edited version of the book, and it kinda ruined the ending. By today's standards, this is a R movie, I've seen way worse than this, and that should be considered when a kid asks to what it.
5


Posted on 11/10/07 by MovieBuffMan123 Kid contributor, age 15

One of Kubrick's greats

A clockwork Orange I can not say enough is NOT for your children, or teenagers of that mater, all of the DVD's out to day on the stands are all Rated X(NC-17) like the original that was cut from the theaters back in 1971. But don't get me wrong it is none the less a masterpiece that your kids will just have to see when they are 18
5


Posted on 09/08/07 by Danieldude Kid contributor, age 10

Good 2 is a good age for it

5


Posted on 09/07/07 by nnowgoo Kid contributor, age 13

Stanley Kubrick's Masterpiece

"A Clockwork Orange" is definatley one of the greatest films of all time. Malcom McDowell's acting performance was absolutely amazing, and put together with Kubrick's directing it really is amazing. I would suggest this definately to an older audience. Smaller kids won't get it, and there is DEFINATELY a lot of sex (full frontal nudity), graphic violence, rape and so on. One of the greatest films of all time, for mature teens and up.
5


Posted on 08/19/07 by moviegeek222 Kid contributor, age 13

Excellent

One of the best movies ever made. For some reason, I had low expectations for this movie. However, I proved myself wrong. Stanly Kubrick's work on this is nothing short of amazing. Let me put it to you this way- It's better than the matrix.
5


Posted on 07/11/07 by # 1 DukeBlueDevils fan Kid contributor, age 15

A Stanley Kubrick masterpiece

This is one of the greatest movies of all time.Malcolm McDowell is superb as Alex. I am so sick and tired of common sense media selling all these classic movies as if their horrible. Not every kid wants to watch animated Disney movies. They act like kids have not seen this stuff before. I don't care what this movie is rated, its a classic, and I encourage all kids at any age to see it.And how can they give this movie three stars, it deserves five. I also encourage kids to start going to rotten tomatoes.com, because they know how to grade movies.
5


Posted on 04/07/07 by damoviecritic Kid contributor, age 14

Most kids won;t get it

This is one of my favorite films. It is strange and quirky, giving a powerful message about the cost of freedom. However, most kids probably won't enjoy it. It is slow and strange, giving an ambigoius message. Not stuff kids normaly like. The violence is not nearly as explicit as most horror films. However, the sex and nudity, while not nearly pornographic, are about as explicit as a film can be. Most kids who want to see it will end up disliking it. However, if they are older than about 14 or 15 (by 15 I don't know how much you should censor) it wouldn'd do them any harm to let them see the film. However, they make think it a wasted 2 hours.
5


Posted on 09/18/06 by bballdiaries Kid contributor, age 12

stylish, cool, amazing

this movie is wonderful,it is soo great, but , true to its controversy, it is very nasty... 5 scenes of rape, a grphic killing with a statue of a penis,probably the most violent movie ive ever seen , but really great, pobably only for REALLY REALLY mature thirteen year olds...
See all 11 kids reviews >
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