A few days ago My Rare One and I had the rare pleasure of seeing A Clockwork Orange on the big screen at our local arthouse cinema. This year marks the film's 45th anniversary, if you can believe it (which I can't: where have the years flown?) Its satirical message has aged well although all the shocking nudity, sexuality and violence for which it was so infamous back in the day does seem rather tame by today's standards.
I read Anthony Burgess's novel when I was an adolescent. I was totally enamoured by the book, especially by nadsat -- the language invented by Burgess to be spoken by his teenage hooligans in their dystopian society of the future. It was a weird mix of anglicized Russian terms, childish nonsense words and cockney rhyming slang. It even inspired me to try to learn Russian from a Berlitz book at the library, LOL!
I was 14 when Stanley Kubrick's film was released in 1971. Oh, how badly I wanted to see it! About a year later, the movie finally made it to Manitoba. Unfortunately, its R rating (18 and older) meant that a poor little underaged devotchka like me could not see it unless accompanied by an adult. So I persuaded my mother to take me. She was not thrilled by the idea and was even less so once she actually saw the movie with me, LOL! But I loved it!
Thanks, Mom!
Oh, and in case you were wondering, viddy this, my droogs means "look at this, my friends," nadsat means "teen" and in this context connotes "teen-speak," devotchka means "young lady."
interesting post dear,glad your mother was agreed to take you to watch the movie and you liked it, my mom also was so friendly and caring about my emotions
ReplyDeleteThanks, but no, thanks :)
ReplyDeleteGreat Mom. My mother would never have done that because she wasn't a movie fan, which I could never understand. Dad was the one who shared my love of movies and he would never have taken me to that one.
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting to look at things from our youth with our eyes of today and see how revolutionary they really were for that time. I have to keep reminding myself that it is the western world that has evolved, maybe not for the better in some respects. In many parts of the world, the people are still in the medieval period or before. How would they perceive Clockwork Orange I wonder?
Have a great week!
I think it is one of those movies that people should see. I had no idea it was so old. Though I'll have to disagree a little on the sex and violence. While it is a little tame by today's standards the initial rape scene would not be called that. Movies are far more sexual and violent but sexual violence is still a big no no and if anything has become more taboo in recent years.
ReplyDeleteI also had no idea the language was an invention of the author. I assumed all of it was cockney.
I took my sons o see easy rider and rocky horror show..I was a good mom too..ha..
ReplyDeletethat book and movie just never appealed to me..??? no reason ..just didn't do it for me...
Movies and theater change and then come full circle again, right?
ReplyDeleteHave a great week my friend!
Well my little devotchka, you were very fortunate to have a mom that went along with this!
ReplyDeletethanks for the translation too.
Yes, this was quite a shocking movie for its day. And it is quite timeless. You have a great mom! I didn't see it till it was run on cable...
ReplyDeleteLOL, I am in the same position now with my 16 1/2 year old and Deadpool. I want to see it first actually. Though Clockwork Orange is probably much more thought provoking as entertainment goes! I should probably pick up the book at some point.
ReplyDeleteI saw it when it played at the UofC even though I was only 16. I don't think our uni student cards had our birthdays on them - I suppose that's why I got in! The violence really bothered me back then and still did when I tried to watch it on TV a few years ago. I credit Malcolm's acting for how much it affects me still.
ReplyDeleteOh my????? In Toronto, Yonge St, , 18, recent runaway.......the rest blurry. Oh 2000 ? Space Odessey as well, Allacadadavida playing loud!
ReplyDeleteI'm afraid to watch them now not sure I want to remember! Thanks for the memory poke! xo
Still one of those movies I can't quite comprehend or sit right through! Just a bit too much off midline for me to grasp! :)
ReplyDeleteYes I was wondering what it all meant. I have to confess that I never read or saw the movie and was never interested to read or see it. I can't figure that out - and now it is too late. It is all so tame now?? Can't believe it was that long ago!
ReplyDeleteI had to stop watching the first time I saw it, just couldn't get through that rape scene. I finally saw the entire film some twenty years later. It truly is an amazing film, but ultimately one that I've never chosen to watch again.
ReplyDeleteYou're making me feel old. I already felt weird.
ReplyDeleteI have never never seen this one! If I see it on Netflix I will check it out. It is awesome when local cinemas air classics!
ReplyDeleteYour mom was so cool for taking you! I've never read the book or seen the movie, but I'm planning to change that, at least with the book, which I picked up not too long ago. It is sitting on a shelf waiting to be read and I suppose I'll get to it eventually. I want to read it just to see what the hell it's all about.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the vocabulary interpretation - I remember watching a British TV science fiction serial when I was still at school called Quatermass and I used to hid behind the sofa at the frightening bits. I saw it recently on YouTube and cannot understand why I was scared. The stuff that frightened me just look like a huge mound of moving porridge.
ReplyDeleteMaybe my favourite movie, from my favourite director, based on a novel by my favourite writer. It is the novel every teenager should read. Real horrorshow.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this enjoyable post
ReplyDeleteSaw this movie when it first came out
My mother wouldn't let me see it and all the books were pulled from our library shelves. I have never seen it...now I will have to.
ReplyDeleteoh my has it really been that long? I must admit that like it's hero I was put off Beethoven for some time afterwards.
ReplyDeleteI can believe it, Malcolm McDowell doesn't look a day over a hundred in 2016
ReplyDeleteOne of these days, you must write the story of 14-year-old you and your mother watching this movie. Seriously. I love the movie, too. The first time I watched it, with my cousin... she didn't talk to me for days.
ReplyDeleteI've never seen it on the big screen. :(
Hey Debra,
ReplyDeleteAh yes, I remember being in high school and seeing that movie at a cinema in Vancouver. We basically snuck in. All I can think of is some dude wearing an attachment on his nose.
Have a good one, eh.
Gary
That one is way, way over-the-top for me. You have a very altruistic mom.
ReplyDeletethe plot sounds good, but I think I wouldnt be able to watch this one :P
ReplyDeleteThat's so cool. I'd love to see that on the big screen. We recently saw Psycho on the big screen accompanied by an orchestra playing the score live. I'd love that same treatment for A Clockwork Orange. Someone get the governor on the phone for this idea!
ReplyDeleteLoved this movie as a teen. Still fascinated by it all these years later. It really holds up. One of my favorite quotes that I use with his Lordship all the time??? "That's part of the new way..." I also love to say "gorgeousness and gorgeousity" and "eggywegs". In fact, there are so many quotable lines from this movie that I think I only quote Lord of the Rings more.
ReplyDeleteThanks for explaining the dialog..I try to learn something each day..;) I'll have to revisit that movie..I remember some of it but should watch it again..Would be nice to watch it as an over the hill adult..
ReplyDeleteI tried reading this when I was like 13/14 but could NOT get into it. The language thing threw me hard and a lot of the words I had a hard time figuring out. I'm not sure if the books now have a dictionary in them with all the words, but mine sure didn't. I never finished it, but I thought the movie was pretty great and have been wanting to try and reread it.
ReplyDeleteI watched that again last year for the first time in ages. It was quite the bizarre movie but considering it's time, I think it was fantastic. I love Malcolm McDowell and I loved him in Caligula too!
ReplyDeleteI heard scads of thoughts about this movie for years, but didn't get the chance to watch it until about several years ago. Thought it was pretty good. Tried reading the book but gave up after a couple of pages, which teaches me that one should read the book first before seeing a movie adaptation of same.
ReplyDeleteFather Nature's Corner
never watched it but understood it to be very violent
ReplyDeleteI have never seen it! Your mom was a sweetheart to take you!
ReplyDeleteI have never seen it either, and I'm kinda not sure I'd want to really. You know I'm a right prude underneath all my coolness. Ha.
ReplyDeleteNever have seen that one yet. I may have to check it out. I was a tad young for it at the time and while having heard about it never did seek it out.
ReplyDeleteThis movie still freaks me out.
ReplyDelete