Why Is A Clockwork Orange Banned

In 1971, A Clockwork Orange, a philosophical and dystopian film written, produced, and directed by Stanley Kubrick, was released. Before being withdrawn from the British public sixty-one weeks after its release, by Kubrick himself, this movie gained the attention of several different groups- churchgoers, media, police, local authorities, teenagers, and other townspeople. While some reactions to the film were positive-specifically among teenagers and young adults- there were numerous negative reactions that argued that the film was morbid and unnecessarily violent. Despite those comments, however, the film did phenomenally well among American audiences, grossing almost thirteen times more than its modest budget of 2.2 million dollars. The
This film, after all, is considered to be one of the most violent, disturbing, sexually explicit, and controversial depictions of youth in film history. However, this film is no longer considered to be damaging, or more specifically, worth banning. Since its release, the film has continued to be successful, both economically and culturally. A Clockwork Orange, has become a cult classic and has subsequently been a huge influence in popular culture, earning several references in many television shows- The Simpsons, Franklin & Bash, and Phineas and Ferb- as well as films- Batman & Robin and Fargo. This film has largely become the source of inspiration and a medium of expression for filmmakers and artists alike. Some may argue, that the film has become so accepted in the modern day- as it has become a midnight movie event and a source of Halloween costumes- that people have forgotten how “dangerous” it is (Whitty). Whether seen as “dangerous” or “inspirational”, one thing can be said for sure: due to this film’s ability to bring to light the ideas of ultra-violence and rape in a way that was largely before its time and the issues that grew because of these depictions, A Clockwork Orange is one of the most controversial films of all