Hollywood star Malcolm McDowell once reminisced about his experience collaborating with the legendary Stanley Kubrick on the timeless 1971 masterpiece, A Clockwork Orange, a film that ended up clinching three prestigious Oscars for the director. Surprisingly, McDowell revealed during a particular The Guardian interview, that Kubrick’s approach was quite “overbearing,” casting an atmosphere of excessive possessiveness and control over the entire production of the project.
Malcolm McDowell Recalled Stanley Kubrick Being “Too Brutal” on the Sets of This Film
In 2020 The Guardian, while discussing his film, The Big Ugly, actor Malcolm McDowell reflected on his past experience working with the iconic director, Stanley Kubrick on the film, A Clockwork Orange. McDowell revealed that the director was incredibly tough and excessively brutal to deal with, making it difficult for them to form a connection on set. He said,
“People didn’t know what to do with me. I was a useful rebel in the 60s and 70s. But the Kubrick movie was overbearing. Everything was measured against A Clockwork Orange, which gets a little old. But that’s what happens when you work with giants.”
It’s widely known that the director has a bad reputation for being somewhat challenging on set, as affirmed by numerous actors who have worked with the director over the years. While the actor never questioned Kubrick’s vision or directorial prowess, his personal experience working on the film ended up being harsher than the actor had ever imagined.
McDowell also enthusiastically voiced his deep admiration for directors he truly cherishes and enjoys and Robert Altman is one of them. This director also happens to be one of his close buds in the industry, and someone he holds in high regard and greatly treasures working alongside with.
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McDowell’s Experience Working With Stanley Kubrick in Detail
The actor Malcolm McDowell in a separate discussion with The Guardian, wrote on how they made A Clockwork Orange possible and detailed his experience working with Stanley Kubrick. He stated,
“I spent nine months with Stanley before we started shooting, watching violent movies every day. They were the most horrendous films: concentration camps, bodies stacked up. He was thinking of using them in the treatment sequence, where Alex is given aversion therapy.”
McDowell vividly recalls enduring more than just mere challenges, according to him the director did not show any mercy at all, some of the things he had to endure while on set was reportedly being spat on, his corneas getting scratched during the intense lid-lock scene, and in the end, his 2.5% contractual share of the box office was also reportedly also manipulated by the director.
But after years, the actor has now found satisfaction in his performance in the movie and the effort he put in, even though he felt disappointed in the past. As he said,
“I sometimes think: ‘My God, I’ve just acted in a real piece of sh-t and I managed to produce a credible performance. I managed to turn that piece of sh-t into something watchable.’ That’s what’s worthy of an acting award.”
While it remains uncertain whether the actor-director duo is on supposed bad terms, recent interviews hint that the actor harbors no ill feelings.
A Clockwork Orange is available on Apple TV for rent.
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