Stanley Kubrick wasn’t the first filmmaker to attempt to bring Anthony Burgess’ 1962 dystopian novel “A Clockwork Orange” to the big screen (Warhol made one in 1965, and Mick Jagger and the Beatles tried to make a go of it), but let’s hope his is the last. For what Kubrick created in his version about the free will of man became a controversial masterpiece audiences are still applauding, and new generations are discovering 50 years later. Kubrick summed up the point of his film as such, “Do we lose our humanity if we are deprived of the choice between good and evil? Do we become, as the title suggests, “A Clockwork Orange?”
The film was nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and its graphic depictions of sex and “ultra-violence” made it a rare (and quite possibly last) X-rated nominee. It has since given rise to copycat films (and crimes), homages, spoofs (influencing fashion and design) and endless cinematic study. While the style and substance get most of the attention, its cast, mainly made up of British stage actors, is what truly makes it unforgettable. For most of these actors, they are best known for their work under Kubrick’s steady eye. A lot of time has passed and we’ve lost many of these fine thespians, but some are still with us, so let’s explore whatever happened to the cast of “A Clockwork Orange.”
Comment