Cinema
Sci-fi thriller
A Clockwork Orange (1971): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Plot
A Clockwork Orange is a 1971 sci-fi thriller directed by Stanley Kubrick, starring Malcolm McDowell and Patrick Magee. It runs 2 hours 16 minutes and earned $27 million worldwide on a $2.2 million budget. It won 1 award from 15 nominations, among them 4 Oscar nominations. Critics gave it 86% on Rotten Tomatoes and 77 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 8.2/10.
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- Released
- Runtime
- 2h 16m (136 min)
- Director
- Stanley Kubrick
- Original language
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English - Studio
- Warner Bros. Pictures
- Budget
- $2.2M
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
The story
What Is A Clockwork Orange About?
The premise of A Clockwork Orange without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
In a chilling dystopian future, a charismatic delinquent named Alex leads a gang of droogs in a reign of ultra-violence. After being captured, he volunteers for an experimental aversion therapy program intended to reform him. This controversial treatment leaves him unable to commit violent acts, but also strips away his free will, turning him into a "clockwork orange"—a person who appears reformed but remains inherently flawed. The film explores complex themes of morality, free will, and the potential dangers of societal control.
A Clockwork Orange Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- dystopia
- sex crime
- police brutality
- aversion therapy
- sociopath
- forced to watch rape
- psychopath
- drugs
- youth gang
- home invasion
- rape
- lust
+38 more Show fewer
- thug
- social decay
- controversy
- nihilism
- forced to strip
- star appears nude
- clothes cut off
- public humiliation
- invented language
- gang rape
- murder
- slow motion scene
- public nudity
- tied to a chair
- coming of age
- robbery
- human experimentation
- torture
- female frontal nudity
- milk bar
- group sex
- based on novel
- famous line
- slang
- absurd violence
- rape and revenge
- attempted suicide
- futuristic
- cult film
- teenager
- mental conditioning
- bathtub
- rainstorm
- gang leader
- brawl
- masturbation
- pavlovian conditioning
- crime spree
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Cast & crew
A Clockwork Orange Cast
Malcolm McDowell leads the cast, with Patrick Magee. Directed by Stanley Kubrick.
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Director Stanley Kubrick
From the director
More from Stanley Kubrick
More films directed by Stanley Kubrick, best-rated first: Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, Paths of Glory, The Killing and Barry Lyndon.
Ratings
A Clockwork Orange Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave A Clockwork Orange 86% on Rotten Tomatoes and 77 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 8.2/10.
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IMDb 8.2 /10
See on IMDb -
Rotten Tomatoes 86% Tomatometer
Popcornmeter 93%
See on Rotten Tomatoes -
Metacritic 77 Metascore
User score 8.6
See on Metacritic -
TMDB 82% User score
See on TMDB
Plot
A Clockwork Orange Plot Summary
What happens in A Clockwork Orange from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
“A bit of the old ultra-violence.” Set in a bleak future London, the narrative follows Alex DeLarge (Malcolm McDowell), our somewhat unhinged protagonist, and his gang of thugs known as droogs: Georgie (James Marcus), Dim (Warren Clarke), and Pete (Michael Tarn). At the onset, they find themselves in the infamous Korova Milk Bar, indulging in drug-laced milk.
Full summary
The whole story of A Clockwork Orange, scene by scene
Box office
A Clockwork Orange Box Office & Budget
A Clockwork Orange grossed $27 million worldwide on a $2.2 million budget, 12 times what it cost. $26.6 million came from the US and Canada and $346,850 (1%) from the rest of the world.
Worldwide gross
$27M
12× its budget
- US & Canada
- $26.6M
- International
- $346.9K
- Budget
- $2.2M
US & Canada 99%
Rest of the world 1%
Awards
A Clockwork Orange Awards & Nominations
A Clockwork Orange won 1 award from 15 nominations, among them 4 Oscar nominations. Its biggest night was the Golden Globes 1972, with 1 win from 3 nominations.
1 win15 nominations4 ceremonies
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BAFTA 1973 7 nominations- Nominated Best Cinematography
- Nominated Best Direction – Stanley Kubrick
- Nominated Best Editing
- Nominated Best Film – Stanley Kubrick
- Nominated Best Production Design
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Golden Globes 1972 1 win · 3 nominations- Won Best Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical
- Nominated Best Director – Stanley Kubrick
- Nominated Best Performance in a Motion Picture – Drama (Actor) – Malcolm McDowell
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Oscars 1972 4 nominations- Nominated Best Picture – Stanley Kubrick
- Nominated Directing – Stanley Kubrick
- Nominated Film Editing
- Nominated Writing (Screenplay—based on material from another medium) – Stanley Kubrick
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DGA Awards 1972 1 nomination- Nominated Feature Film – Stanley Kubrick
Videos
A Clockwork Orange Trailers & Videos
11 videos: 4 trailers, 3 clips and 4 featurettes.
- Trailer A Clockwork Orange - ORIGINAL TRAILER
- Trailer UK Re-release Trailer
- Trailer Trailer
- Clip Full Movie Preview
Quiz
How Well Do You Know A Clockwork Orange?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
What is the name of the protagonist in 'A Clockwork Orange'?
Cars
Cars in A Clockwork Orange
6 cars on screen, including the 1970 Adams Probe 16 and the Ariel Arrow.
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1970 Adams Probe 16 Important role -
Ariel Arrow Minor role -
1966 Ford Transit MkI Minor role -
1961 Land-Rover 109'' Series IIa Station Wagon Minor role
Details
A Clockwork Orange Also Known As
33 alternative titles, including “Kellopeliappelsiini” and “Clockwork Orange - Urverkappelsin”.
- Also known as
-
- Kellopeliappelsiini
- Clockwork Orange - Urverkappelsin
- Uhrwerk Orange
- Arancia meccanica
- Clockwork Orange - Kellopeliappelsiini
- Otomatik Portakal
- Orange mécanique
- Laranja Mecânica
- Заводной апельсин
- La naranja mecánica
- Mechaniczna pomarańcza
- 发条橙
+21 more Show fewer
- Mechanický pomeranč
- Mechanikus narancs
- Το Κουρδιστό Πορτοκάλι
- Mechanický pomaranč
- 時計じかけのオレンジ
- התפוז המכני
- Portocala mecanică
- Портокал с часовников механизъм
- 시계태엽 오렌지
- Механічний апельсин
- 發條橘子
- 發條橙
- Paklena naranča
- Паклена поморанџа
- Cỗ Máy Tội Phạm
- پرتقال کوکی
- Kellavärgiga apelsin
- برتقالة آلية
- Prisukamas Apelsinas
- La taronja mecànica
- อะ คล็อกเวิร์ก ออเรนจ์ คนไขลาน, მექანიკური ფორთოხალი
Seen A Clockwork Orange?
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Movies Like A Clockwork Orange
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including THX 1138, Crimes of the Future and Brave New World.
From the blog
Articles About A Clockwork Orange
6 articles about A Clockwork Orange. The latest: “The Legacy of Cult Directors and Their Impact on Cinema”.
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FAQ
A Clockwork Orange FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Awards
Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings, awards and post-credit scenes of A Clockwork Orange, each answered in a sentence.
How long is A Clockwork Orange?
A Clockwork Orange runs 2 hours 16 minutes (136 minutes).
When was A Clockwork Orange released?
A Clockwork Orange was released on December 20, 1971.
Who directed A Clockwork Orange?
A Clockwork Orange was directed by Stanley Kubrick.
More films by Stanley Kubrick Who is in the cast of A Clockwork Orange?
A Clockwork Orange stars Malcolm McDowell and Patrick Magee.
How much did A Clockwork Orange make at the box office?
A Clockwork Orange grossed $27 million worldwide ($26.6 million domestic, $346,850 international) on a budget of $2.2 million.
How is A Clockwork Orange rated?
A Clockwork Orange has 8.2/10 on IMDb, 86% on Rotten Tomatoes, 77 on Metacritic and 82% on TMDB.
What awards did A Clockwork Orange win?
A Clockwork Orange won 1 award from 15 nominations, including Best Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical at the Golden Globes 1972.
Does A Clockwork Orange have a post-credit scene?
No. A Clockwork Orange has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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