Did the ending to A Clockwork Orange change upon being released toDVD?

Question

The reason I ask is because I watched it on VHS almost ten years ago now and I remember the ending being with the main character returning to a life of evil and corruption after being released from the hospital. Not getting sick anymore from violence. Now I just watched the DVD today and notice that none of that happens. He just has a chat with the guy who "cured" him. It is definately more hopeful than the ending that I remember. Does anyone remember an alternate ending before it was released to DVD?

Answer 1

The ending where Alex goes back to his life of crime was the final chapter of the original British version of the novel 'A Clockwork Orange' by Anthony Burgess. When the book was released in America this final chapter was omitted.

Kubrick did not include this ending in the movie. His reasons for doing so are not know. He did however state once that he hadn't read the British version until he had competed the film. And that even if he had known of the British version before it was to late, he would not have included the twenty-first chapter because it seemed to him to be inconsistent with the rest of the novel.

Answer 2

Kubricks always been a hard director to interpret.

The way I saw it, when he jumps out the window, the fall undoes all the chemical conditioning he received, turning him back into the sociopath we all came to know and detest. The quirky part is, he becomes a much more interesting character again, once this happens. When he was conditioned to get violently sick whenever confronted with violence, he was just another victim of society's ill-conceived attempts to legislate humanity out of humans, and consequently, became wimpy and boring. Afterwards, we are left with the feeling he will once again be a violent drain on society, but much more interesting to watch. Malcolm McDowell was BRILLIANT in this movie.

THIS is am ovie that's crying out for a sequel, Maybe with McDowell's character now in CHARGE of the conditioning program, but used in a way to turn victims into sociopaths themselves.

Answer 3

I truly hope not. That movie is a classic through and through. To change the ending would mean changing all the film's psychological implications...and it would just totally be wrong!

Answer 4

not on the dvd i watched