Malcolm McDowell on "A Clockwork Orange's" 50th Anniversary

Few performances on the big screen are as memorable as Malcolm McDowell's portrayal of ultraviolent Alex, who terrorizes the night with his Droogs. The film catapulted McDowell to international stardom and firmly entrenched Stanley Kubrick in the pantheon of world's most interesting and innovative directors. An endless repository of fascinating stories, we learn from Malcolm about the serendipitous collaborations that made the film come alive, the futuristic design and eccentric costumes that brought sharp relief to the movie's dystopian message. Malcolm also says that what made Alex such a compelling villain was "his joie de vivre. He really enjoyed life." McDowell also talks about how the fascist subtext and corrupt authorities make the film seem so timeless, and how after a half century it speaks so directly to our present moment. Besides gem-like observations about working so closely with Kubrick, a director known to be difficult with actors, we also spend a fair bit of time talking about director Lindsay Anderson, "If," and "O Lucky Man." Anderson was a director known to be fond of his actors, so the contrast gave the young actor the resiliency and durability for which he is justly famous. We also talk about current projects of McDowell's, his case of Covid, living in Ojai and Kubrick's "Napoleon," known as the "Greatest Movie Never Made." We did not talk about McDowell's passion for golf, blood diamonds or Rupert Murdoch.