More than 50 years have passed since the production of “A Clockwork Orange Orange.” Immerse yourself in the joy of violence that Kubrick left behind.

The twists and turns surrounding rating

Due to its nature, A Clockwork Orange had its share of twists and turns over sexual and violent content. The film's promotional campaign took place before the MPAA approved its rating, and four days before its release (December 19, 1971), the MPAA took issue with Kubrick's supposed final cut, which was given an X rating. That version was shown in major American cities for nine months, but Kubrick realized he needed an R-rated version to lift the restrictions, and re-edited the film to obtain an R rating from the MPAA.

A total of 30 seconds were cut from a high-speed sexual shot of Alex and the two women, as well as a Ludovigo rape reenactment, and replaced with less explicit footage from the same scene. Warner withdrew the X-rated version in October 1972, allowing an R-rated version to be released in the remaining markets over the Christmas holidays. Critics complained that the MPAA had demanded a reduction in sexual content and not objected to the film's graphic violence, but the film was a major hit.

“A Clockwork Orange” © 1971/Renewed © 1999 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All rights reserved.

This measure made A Clockwork Orange Orange a huge success in the UK, where Kubrick had moved, and it became the first film to be screened for a full year at the Warner West End Theatre in London. However, despite this box office success, A Clockwork Orange was withdrawn from distribution in the UK in 1974. The reason for its withdrawal remained unknown for many years, but Kubrick's adopted daughter, Katharina, revealed on an FAQ site answering questions from fans about her father's life and films that Kubrick had received death threats against him and his family as a result of the film, which was the reason for its withdrawal. The reasons included a desire to protest against the depiction of violence, which shows the extent of its influence.

A Clockwork Orange was finally re-released in the UK in March 2000, one year after Kubrick's death, 26 years after its withdrawal. The version we have access to today is the X-rated version, while the R-rated version was available for a time on the original video and laserdisc releases in the US.

reference:

" Stanley Kubrick " by Vincent Lobrot, translated by Yasuki Hamano and Eriko Sakurai (Shobunsha Publishing)

Rodney Hill, Gene D. Phillips “The Encyclopedia of Stanley Kubrick” (Facts on File)

Text: Kazuo Ozaki

Film critic and writer. His main writing sites include print media such as ``Figure King'', ``Champion RED'', ``Eiga Hiho'', and ``Hokkaido'', and web media such as ``Eiga.com'' and ``The Cinema''. In addition, he has contributed many explanations and essays to theater pamphlets, movie mook books, and DVD & Blu-ray software booklets. She also formed a cinema comedian unit [Movie Gachinko Brothers] under the name "Dolly Ozaki" and appears on TV and at talk events.

Twitter: @dolly_ozaki

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"A Clockwork Orange Orange"

[First limited production] <4K ULTRA HD & Blu-ray set> (2-disc set) 6,980 yen (tax included)

Publisher: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment

Distributor: NBC Universal Entertainment

© 1971/Renewed © 1999 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All rights reserved.