Great Bolshy Yarblockos!: Making 'A Clockwork Orange' (2007)
In this documentary, we follow Stanley Kubrick as he creates one of the most controversial films of all time, one that retains its power to shock audiences, even after 35 years. At the time of its release, A Clockwork Orange created a firestorm of controversy. Through interviews with collaborators, filmmakers, screenwriters and authors, we come to appreciate Stanley Kubrick as an artist unafraid to take risks and court controversy, committed unwaveringly to his single-minded goal: the highest artistic quality of his films.
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Overrated and overhyped
Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.
A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.
Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.
Great Bolshy Yarblockos! Making 'A Clockwork Orange' (2007) *** (out of 4) Nice, 28-minute documentary on the making of Stanley Kubrick's A CLOCKWORK ORANGE features interviews with various Kubrick experts and other directors. In the short running time we learn why Kubrick originally turned the story down only to change his mind and (as usual) go through several different screenplays before finally getting one he likes. The production of the film also gets some good stories including how Kubrick got "Singin' in the Rain" to be in the film and the eventually falling out between him and star McDowell. Speaking of McDowell, he's not interviewed here, which is a real shame and it's an even bigger shame that none of the actors were either. I'm not sure if they simply weren't available or what but with the lack of those involved in the film it does take away some entertainment. With that said, it's always fun to see other great directors talk about another one and a great film like A CLOCKWORK ORANGE and we get Steven Spielberg (in a clip taken from the EYES WIDE SHUT extra features), Ernest Dickerson, William Friedkin, Sydney Pollack and George Lucas. The documentary does a good job at letting them explain their love and thoughts on the film and we also get to hear them discuss all the controversy surrounding the film and it's eventual pulling from Britian by Kubrick himself.