The Structure
Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange is structured as a 2 hour and 16 minute long film. In terms of timeline, it's nearly identical to the source novel as it has a continuous narrative void of any flashbacks or flash-forwards, only spanning a few months at most (yet this remains unspecified). Also, it utilizes superimposed voiceover narration of Alex to maintain that first-person perspective of the novel, demonstrating the creative ways in which adapters can honor the spirit of the source in new mediums. Additionally, most of the dialogue seems to come directly from Burgess's Nadsat writing, providing the same sense of alienation and the uncanny.
In terms of content, the film chooses to follow the American publication, which is expected given the nationality of the director and the original release's audience, so it ends at the same moment as the 20th chapter: Alex reverting to his disturbed self. The cult-like following's infatuation with this scene and its impact on the themes have truly solidified the American publication as the "superior" edition. See the below video for a demonstration of just how closely it follows the source's final chapter in terms of the storyline (I'll later go into how the film takes stylistic and visual liberties in the Visuals section):
In terms of content, the film chooses to follow the American publication, which is expected given the nationality of the director and the original release's audience, so it ends at the same moment as the 20th chapter: Alex reverting to his disturbed self. The cult-like following's infatuation with this scene and its impact on the themes have truly solidified the American publication as the "superior" edition. See the below video for a demonstration of just how closely it follows the source's final chapter in terms of the storyline (I'll later go into how the film takes stylistic and visual liberties in the Visuals section):
Finally, the film follows the book's overarching plot line almost perfectly, with only minor differences in storyline details:
- In the book, Alex is recognized by F. Alexander because of some small references he makes to the previous incident. In the film, Kubrick twists this to be a much more dramatic and momentous moment as F. Alexander shockingly realizes as Alex sings "Singin' in the Rain," the song he sang while raping his wife earlier in the film. By including this renowned song from a happy American musical, Kubrick is demonstrating how an adapter can tweak small characteristics to appeal to their specific audience. This scene and song, while disturbing, have become a trademark for the franchise. See video below for the specific referenced scene (TW: RAPE)
- Speaking of F. Alexander, the film greatly dramatizes the extent of his injuries from the incident by having him wheelchair-bound with a personal assistant. This further demonstrates how filmed adaptions can take creative liberty to amplify an event to better shock/entertain/appease the audience
- In the book, Alex spends a lot of time in prison interacting with the other inmates, even murdering another man accidentally in a prison fight. In the film, scenes of incarceration are kept to a minimum to allow for more screen time of the Ludovico technique. This demonstrates how the time constraints of turning a lengthy book into a 2 hour movie necessitate weeding out the unnecessary information to best fit the specific adapter's goals and audience
- In the book, the two young girls that Alex seduces and rapes from the music store are described as 10 years old. In the film, this scene is depicted as consensual and the two women appear to be much older, still advancing the narrative that Alex is sex-obsessed but in a much tamer manner. This edit is probably because the original event was too graphic to depict visually.
