A Clockwork Orange is a film that needs no real introduction; an unquestionable Stanley Kubrick classic, the English Sci-Fi psychodrama is based on the novel by Anthony Burgess and had Kubrick nominated for the Best Director Academy Award. 

 

The film was first released in England in December of 1971 and then later released in the States in '72. When a film is publicised with a strap-line that reads "Being the adventures of a young man whose principal interests are rape, ultra-violence and Beethoven." it's not surprising that controversy wasn't far away. Although it was passed, uncut for release in British cinemas, the authorities considered the sexual violence in the film to be 'extreme'. Within a year of it's release, the influence of the film was linked to three criminal cases; one of manslaughter, one of murder (an elderly vagrant killed by a 16 year old) and one of rape - these all formed part of a spate of copycat violence and this, in combination with threats against his family lead to Kubrick requesting the withdrawal of the film from British release in 1973. The film wouldn't be seen again in Britain until Kubrick's death in 1999.  

 

When it was first released in America it was rated X, but shortly after, Kubrick voluntarily replaced approximately 30 seconds of sexually explicit footage from two scenes with less explicit action, this got the film downgraded to an R rating when it was re-released in 1973. This poster here must've been released on the cusp of this change over - the date marker in both the front lower right and in the distribution company's rubber stamp on the back shows it as a '72 film. When the film was re-released new posters were printed with an updated ratings box, in this example we see that a larger, bolder 'R' ratings marker has been pasted over a smaller 'R' ratings marker so it's likely this poster was part of the first batch of posters printed for the re-release in 1973. Even more interestingly/unusually we see that the word 'women' has been pasted over the word 'rape' in the film's strap-line. This is the only example we've encountered with this 'alteration' and isn't a practise that we can find documented anywhere. The cut-out for the word 'women' seems contemporary to the amended 'R' ratings box, so we'd speculate that this cover-up was done when the poster was first displayed - perhaps it hung in a cinema in America's conservative south where it would have been particularly frowned upon to have the word 'rape' on display as part of an advertisement... Regardless it adds another layer of interest and history to a film that has a fascinating back story. 

 

Aside from the amendments the poster is in very good condition, minimal discolouration and no major folds or tears other than those formed when the poster was shipped to cinemas. It has been professionally framed using conservation grade backing board and is ready to hang. 

 

Including the frame the poster measures 107cm high x 71.5cm wide x 2.5cm deep.