A CLOCKWORK ORANGE: JAN HARLAN

Why did Stanley Kubrick, eminent director of A Clockwork Orange, withdraw his own film from distribution? On the film’s 40^th anniversary, assistant producer JAN HARLAN sheds some light on the controversy.

Great artists, who are critical of their societies, are one of the achievements of a free and democratic society. Stanley Kubrick was one of them. He was a great observer of society. His film, A Clockwork Orange, is still considered a worldwide success, for it stands out within its genre as a work of art.

 

Following the film’s release, “ever so virtuous people” who saw the film attacked Kubrick, neither understanding nor seeing the concern that this film expresses. Many felt that the rape scenes were excessive but Kubrick always felt that a rape on screen should be shown as the vicious and disgusting crime is. This in fact heightened the seriousness of the film’s central issue. Later, the press also entered the foray as a form of revenge against Kubrick, who disliked journalists. The whole hype turned into an uncomfortable attack on Kubrick who received many threatening letters. This led Kubrick to ask Warner Bros. to withdraw the film.

However, it has to be said that the intense reaction towards the film was expected. Yet, one cannot deny that A Clockwork Orange was and still is an extraordinary film. And on its 40^th anniversary, it is unfortunate that the film remains socially and politically relevant, now more than ever.

Jan Harlan was an assistant to the producer in A Clockwork Orange, and has worked closely with Stanley Kubrick in four films including his last, Eyes Wide Shut. He is Kubrick’s brother-in-law and directed a documentary about him, titled Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures.