In 1972, Kubrick refutes the idea that one film alone can trigger violent behavior. The British press seems to feel otherwise, chronicling a series of “copycat” crimes allegedly inspired by the film. Owning the rights to the picture, Kubrick delays A Clockwork Orange’s general release by a year, limiting its run to one London theater until the controversy dies down.
The controversy does not abate. In 1973, Kubrick himself, disheartened by continuing protests, bans A Clockwork Orange in the United Kingdom. The rape of a Dutch girl shortly thereafter, at the hands of men singing “Singing in the Rain” as Alex does, convinces many that Kubrick’s decision was wise.
Remember when … A Clockwork Orange spurred copycat crimes
During my third year of law school, the brother of one of my classmates was beaten to death by a gang of kids out to commit “ultra violence” after watching A Clockwork Orange. He had tried to defend a girl they were trying to sexually assault. My classmate was so upset that she took a leave of absence from school for the rest of the year, but did return to earn her degree the next year. Was Kubrick’s film the cause of her brother’s death? That’s hard to say. Those who assaulted the girl and killed my friend’s brother were not innocent, well-behaved kids who were compelled to do evil because they saw a movie glorifying violence. Only people who already wanted to commit violent acts would have been inspired by the film, but they were clearly inspired by it. If they hadn’t watched the film that day, they might not have gone out that night looking for victims, but they would probably have done something like it eventually.
People who get off on hurting other people are going to be attracted to movies like A Clockwork Orange and Hostel and will likely enjoy violent video games. However, the overwhelming majority of people who play those games and watch such movies would never want to do things like that in real life. Parents shouldn’t put their children in therapy just because they play World of Warcraft or CS Go, but if there are other signs of a violent nature, getting their kids help might save more lives than just such kids/