Malcom McDowell on why he 'couldn't stomach' watching 'A Clockwork Orange' again

Malcolm McDowell reflects on A Clockwork Orange 50 years after its original release, and says it's not a movie he really wants to watch again.

Video Transcript

KEVIN POLOWY: Congrats on the 4k HD release of the classic film a Clockwork Orange which turns a Golden 50 years old later this year. Well, you occasions like this to to revisit the film to either watch it again or peruse the extras?

MALCOLM MCDOWELL: To be honest I really couldn't stomach watching it again Kevin I mean, give me a break here you know, it's still the same movie, it may look a little sharper, all the color be a little brighter, but still the same movie. And you know, I don't want to I don't want to watch it again, but listen I'm thrilled to be part of it, of course I mean, my God it's cinema history not many actors in their careers can have such an experience. So I'm thrilled about that, but I don't think I want to watch it well.

KEVIN POLOWY: Let me ask you this, how many times do you think you've seen it and when was the last time you watched it.

MALCOLM MCDOWELL: You know, I haven't watched it that many times I mean, the high end would be 10 times, but that's over 50 years.

KEVIN POLOWY: Right.

MALCOLM MCDOWELL: I in a lot of times it's been in some festival and I'm stuck watching it. The last time I was stuck watching it was at the Cannes Film Festival sitting next to one of the high honchos of Warner Brothers because we were celebrating the 40th anniversary. Thank God, we don't have to go to Cannes again because we stay up there watching it again.

KEVIN POLOWY: Has your perspective about a Clockwork Orange shifted or changed in any way in the 50 years, since it came out I mean, from the very beginning and up until now?

MALCOLM MCDOWELL: Well, of course you know, what's really come to the fore more recently in the film is probably you know, the narrative, that Burgess wrote, the actual story is really rather wonderful. And it gets lost a little bit in all the stunning looking things and you know, the carryover Milk Bar, and this, and that. And it being so beautiful in a way to look at, but the actual story about the government wanting to control our lives. Hello, I mean, are we talking about something we've heard before, but what is the film about it's about the freedom of man to choose which path he decides to take you know, it may be an immoral one or it may be a moral one, but you know I think we should have the freedom of choice.

KEVIN POLOWY: What do you remember about first coming on to this one? And were you aware that this had-- from what I've read, this had almost been a role that Mick Jagger was going to take? I mean, did you know about that? Did that any sort of-- add any pressure?

MALCOLM MCDOWELL: No. When the original producers bought the book from Burgess, they had an idea that maybe The Rolling Stones would do it and Mick would do Alex and The Stones would be the Droogs. But, you know, that was just a fleeting sort of idea that was floated. There was no script. There was nothing really there. There was no budget or money, or it was just a, you know, pie in the sky idea. I mean, it would have been fairly interesting.

- (SINGING) I'm singing in the rain. Just singing in the rain.

KEVIN POLOWY: Obviously there was, you know, a good amount of controversy surrounding the movie upon its release given the more shocking scenes, violence, and sexual assault. What was that period of time like for you, you know, as it was being sharply criticized and pulled from theaters and being, you know, accused of inspiring crimes, all these things?

MALCOLM MCDOWELL: I just thought it really made copy. It was just something for the tabloids to have fun with. Whether or not a film really makes any difference to what's really going on socially-- I mean, what I did here was the guy who shot Wallace, Governor Wallace, had watched the movie, and he kind of got obsessed with it. You know, you don't want to hear that.

But psychos are psychos. You don't know what's going to set them off. It could be, you know, a black cat crossing a road. You really don't know, so you have no control of it.

Did I feel any responsibility? Absolutely not. You know, we made a movie that was reflective of the times we lived in. And, you know, anything else would have been a form of censorship.

When it came out, it was, I think, Warner Brothers' biggest-selling movie of the year. It came out first off as an X, which was unfortunate. And Stanley got it changed in the end, you know, to an R, which was a fair rating. An X was ridiculous. But the "New York Times" editorial came out and accused Kubrick of being a fascist, which was really utterly ridiculous. People got carried away with it.

I understand why because the protagonist, who is an immoral man, you kind of root for him. That's hard for some people to stomach.

- I've learned my lesson, sir. I see now what I've never seen before. I'm cured. Praise God!

- You're not cured yet, boy.

KEVIN POLOWY: Tell me about filming the aversion-therapy scene. I mean, it's a well-traveled sort of meme on the internet now. That scene has become so iconic. Stop it. Please, I beg you. Sorry that's my terrible impression. But like it was not a very pleasant moment for Alex, I don't believe it was too kind on you to film either.

MALCOLM MCDOWELL: Well, you know, I mean, it scratched my corneas, so that was no fun.

KEVIN POLOWY: Yeah.

MALCOLM MCDOWELL: But, you know, the actual scene is very important, of course, and it's what the film is all about, forcing him to watch these things. I mean, I said, Stanley, is this necessary you have to pry his eyes open?

It is iconic, and People, you know, talk about it, but I wasn't blinded. I was injured in that my cornea was scratched, but luckily they do repair. And so there was no permanent damage. You know, I don't feel any anxiety about eye stuff like people say. You know, it's just not true. It's not.

KEVIN POLOWY: Yes, there's a lot a lot of rumors floating out there about--

MALCOLM MCDOWELL: Yeah. Most of them are nonsense. You know, they really are.

KEVIN POLOWY: "Clockwork Orange" was in the news relatively recently. Did you hear about this, that Alex made a cameo in the new "Space Jam" movie? Did you see that? It got a--

MALCOLM MCDOWELL: Oh, I heard about that. Yeah. No, I had to give my permission. It was fun.

KEVIN POLOWY: I mean, were you surprised that they wanted Alex? I mean, you know, "A Clockwork Orange" not necessarily known as, like, a big kid's movie.

MALCOLM MCDOWELL: Yeah. Well, hey, you know, there's no telling for taste, you know? I mean, it worked pretty well. I thought it was fun. Yeah, you know, so, you know, good luck to them. I thought it was terrific, actually. It was nice.

But it's nice to be remembered 50 years, you know, on. It's amazing, really, when you think about it.

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