Malcolm McDowell in the 1971 film "A Clockwork Orange" (left) and last week at the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France.
The brilliant career of Malcolm McDowell began with playing a murderous teen thug. Although he attained some early success in his native England in movies like If… and The Raging Moon, McDowell's profile went into the stratosphere with the release of A Clockwork Orange. Based on the novel by Anthony Burgess, the 1971 film was directed by Stanley Kubrick and cast McDowell in the focal role of Alex, the unrepentant leader of a violent teenaged gang.
Released with an X rating, the movie shocked filmgoers and returns this week in a remastered 40th-anniversary Blu-ray edition, on which McDowell, 67, provides commentary.
McDowell became a much sought-after actor in the wake of A Clockwork Orange and has spent the past four decades in a wide range of roles, including memorably nasty appearances on Star Trek Generations, Heroes and Entourage. He spoke to The Globe from Los Angeles.
Does it really feel like 40 years since A Clockwork Orange?
To be honest, it's like a blink of an eye. I really can't believe it's been that long. If someone had told me it was 15 years ago, I would have thought that felt right. But hey, we're really not here that long, are we?
Do you think the film holds up?
Visually, it's stunning. It's a feast for the eyes. I think Kubrick would be so proud of the way it looks now. It's one of those films that just goes on and on and the meaning changes with the decades and the different audiences.
Why was the movie so controversial when it came out?
Nobody had seen anything like it before. People sat there in shocked silence. It was just overwhelming to audiences - the look of it, the sound. It was a complete overload of the senses. Of course, when it first came out, there was an obsession with the violence; now it registers with the whole political thing. Since the rise of terrorism and the Patriot Act eating away at our civil liberties somewhat, the checks and balances are now a bit fuzzy. I think the film addresses that.
What was unique about working with Stanley Kubrick?
Kubrick's eye was brilliant. He was a stills cameraman first off, so even the lighting in the film is stunning. Besides that, as source material you have Anthony Burgess's magnificent book, simply an amazing piece of work.
Had you read the book before filming?
I hadn't, but Kubrick didn't give me a script, he gave me the book. Burgess's book is remarkable but difficult to read, because of the language he created. I had to read it three times before I really got it. But once I had it, I had it.
Did Kubrick advise you on how to play your role?
No, because I asked him and he said, "I'm not the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, that's why I hired you." It soon became apparent that the way he worked was: Show me. Show me what you can do, and I'll tell you if it's going to work. To him, if the script was good, the scene was good.
Did playing Alex shape your career thereafter?
Yes, to some degree, since I played Caligula and all these crazies after A Clockwork Orange, but I really can't complain about it.
Was A Clockwork Orange the reason why you're so often cast as a villain?
That's true, actually. Of course the most indelible roles are going to be the villains. I'm an actor, so I don't want to get stuck doing one thing, so as many different choices I have the better. These days they want me to do villains mostly.
Is that a perception issue? I wouldn't consider your agent-mogul Terrance on Entourage a villain.
Neither would I! What's villainous about Terrance? If he's a villain, then most of the people in Beverly Hills and L.A. would have to be locked up. My God, the man's a charmer. Look, he's got a successful business and a hot agency. Of course he's a scumbag. Aren't they all? That's the name of the game.
Are you a good guy or a bad guy on the upcoming legal drama Franklin & Bash?
Neither, really, I'm a rather charming, benign head of a Los Angeles law firm who hires two thirtysomething ambulance-chasing lawyers to come in and provide some thinking outside the box.
Any other acting projects down the road?
I'm going to do a film next spring called The Monster Butler that I've always wanted to do. It's based on the true story of a man called Roy Fontaine. He was a con man who, in his 50s, turned into a psychopath. He killed five people in as many months. But it's a comedy!
This interview has been condensed and edited.