I first learned of this film from the 1974 book called «Алекс и другие. Полемические заметки о мире насилия» (Alex and others. Polemical notes on the world of violence), by one Yuri Zhukov. I remember how much I enjoyed reading this tendentious and hypocritical piece of work, especially the bits mentioning sex because, as we all know, there was no sex in USSR. Revisiting this book now — thanks, Internet! — I wonder if its author indeed believed all the things he wrote (unlikely), wanted the reader to believe them, or was just taking a piss.
По правде говоря, я долго колебался, прежде чем решил прикоснуться к этой теме: так ли уж актуальна для нашего читателя проблема преступности в буржуазном обществе? И стоит ли копаться в столь грязных делах, не оскорбят ли чистую душу советского человека их отвратительные детали, о которых неизбежно придется говорить по ходу повествования, ибо без деталей никакая картина не может быть достоверной?
Truth to be told, I hesitated for a long time before deciding to touch upon this topic. Is the problem of crime in bourgeois society really that relevant to our reader? And is it worth delving into such dirty deeds? Will their revolting details, which we inevitably have to talk about in the course of the story, insult the pure soul of the Soviet citizen, for no picture can be trustworthy without details?
Whatever it was, I am grateful to Mr. Zhukov (RIP) for those revolting details. Since then, I was longing to see the film in all its disgusting glory.
Much later, already in the early 1990s, I read the Burgess’s novel (as «Заводной апельсин») which was published in the magazine «Юность» (Yunost). I wasn’t impressed much by the Russian translation. The original remains on my to-read list.
Finally, I watched the movie as a part of the cycle «Hasta que el futuro nos alcance» of Filmoteca Canaria. What a surprise! I was preparing myself to be clockworkin’ shocked. Didn’t happen. I certainly haven’t expected so much Pythonesque comedy. I can easily imagine John Cleese as Chief Guard Barnes, Terry Gilliam as Dim, Eric Idle as Joe the Lodger, Graham Chapman as any of the officials and/or the Cat Lady, Terry Jones as Alex’s mum, and Michael Palin — sorry, Malcolm McDowell — as Alex himself. Another surprise was to see Prince Charles lookalike (2001 model) as the Minister of the Interior (Anthony Sharp). A masterpiece worth waiting 40+ years for.
No comments:
Post a Comment