Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange. Book & DVD Set

by Andrew Bailey

Based on the futuristic novel by Anthony Burgess, A Clockwork Orange is a masterwork of cinematic satire. When a flamboyant, Beethoven-obsessed, murderous gang leader agrees to undergo experimental violence-aversion therapy in exchange for early release from prison, he winds up “cured” of his own free will. The film’s highly stylized sets, choreographed brutality, and Moog synthesizer score―conceived to heighten the effect of each scene―were so ahead of their time that, to many, they obscured the overall message. In fact, so much controversy over the violent scenes ensued that the film’s notoriety became, itself, the stuff of legend. From a contemporary perspective, what stands out above all is Kubrick’s extraordinary gift for entertaining us while making us think. To quote Burgess: “Is it better for a man to have chosen evil than to have good imposed upon him?” The ethical queries so central to this visionary film are every bit as relevant today, and every bit as difficult to answer. This collection is part of the Making of a Masterpiece series, offering a behind-the-scene glimpse into cinematic milestones. This set includes: film stills, behind-the-scenes photographs, screenplay drafts, and other exclusive material from Stanley Kubrick’s archives background about the making of the film, interviews with Kubrick, and an illustrated biography and filmography a fold-out film poster a DVD of the remastered film

Genres: Film

95 pages, Paperback

Published September 27, 2019

Reviews

[Todd Condit · Rating 5 out of 5]

No reason to grab this unless you're a fan of clockwork orange, Stanley Kubrick, or behind the scenes filmmaking.

[Yoda · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Excellent “Behind the Scenes” Book on the Movie

This book is very good “behind the scenes” book on the movie, despite its relative short length of only 93 pages. This is so for a number of reasons. One is that the illustrations are very high. This is of particular importance as they are the real “stars” of the book in that they account for the majority of the book’s space. In addition, there is a very good overview of the production itself. Over and above that there are two interviews of Kubrick, specifically relating to this movie, as well as one “letter to the editor” (to the New York Times to be exact) that responds to his critics. The interviews are very informative with respect to the making of the movie and what went on behind the scenes, as well as to more profound meaning of the book. The letter to the editor shows well Kubrick’s eloquence and artistic self.

All and all a five star book. Highly recommended.

[The Anoiders · Rating 4 out of 5]

If Kubrick was a book writer he’ll be one of the best.

[Ken Nilsestuen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, but not much depth. I watched the movie again, too, and once again was really impressed with Kubrick's vision for Burgess' story.