McDowell said he was a little shocked to learn that so many audiences only reacted to the violence in “A Clockwork Orange” when it was first released. Yes, there are many scenes of aggression, but in his opinion the violence was so unbearably exaggerated that it would be difficult for the audience to take it seriously. Surprisingly, they did. McDowell said:
“Well, obviously, I was thrilled when it came out. People recognized it. I was a little upset that they seemed to think it was a very violent movie. And I honestly thought they missed the point, because it’s really satirical. , that part, I mean, yes, it’s violent, more violence, it’s psychological violence, which is, of course, harder to bear, but it’s certainly not as violent as a Sam Peckinpah movie, that’s real slow motion violence, bodies that. they explode and all that, but even that, to me, was like a ballet.”
McDowell’s view draws on a long-standing contemporary debate about representation versus advocacy. If a director chooses to include an act of violence in his film, some consider this to be an implicit approval. Others, more wisely, point out that a film’s attitude and context provide the true perspective on its violence. McDowell sees the violence in “A Clockwork Orange” as entirely artificial and presented in such a savage context that one could watch it without being disturbed. Indeed, at a certain level, “A Clockwork Orange” could be seen as a particularly aggressive slapstick comedy. Just one that seems to be about moral depravity.
Leave a Reply