#7 A Clockwork Orange

7. A Clockwork Orange

"What's it going to be then, eh?"

The opening of this Stanley Kubrick film finds young Alex

peeting a glass of milk plus in best platties with his droogs at the

local milk bar. In this society young hoodlums roam the streets at

night dolling out their ultra-violence to whoever they happen upon.

These youth have no regard for human life or decency and seem to

easily avoid punishment as they kill, rape, and vandalize at random.

This film is about societal ills and the problems with finding a

easy solution to them. Alex (Malcolm McDowell) seems to have

a normal family, he is intelligent, enjoys Beethoven, and though he

goes on these night time terrors he seems much like a normal teen.

Apparently this is a common problem with this society. Society,

however, has found an answer in the form of a cure. When

young Alex is finally caught and sent to prison he finds that life is a

bit harder than before. However, prison is teaching him nothing as

he has the same ideas and values that he had before he was ever

caught. When a new procedure is developed to "cure" such

malchicks Alex is an eager volunteer because he is promised that he

will be released from prison in a few weeks after the treatment,

rather than serve his 14 year sentence.

The treatment, however, is extreme. For each session young

Alex is first drugged and then strapped into a chair which keeps his

eyes pried open and forces his head to face forward. The sessions

start out gently as he is forced to watch movies of mild violence,

but as the movies become more graphic and the drugs take effect

Alex becomes violently ill. Over repeated treatments this paired

association renders Alex to be cured through a form of Pavlovian

Conditioning.

The treatment is a huge success and each time thereafter that

Alex is faced with violence or lust he is reduced to a groveling

heap on the ground from intense nausea. However, the cure ends

up being a curse on poor Alex as he runs into old enemies and

former victims who will now seek pleasure tormenting a now

helpless youth. Society, in seeking a cure, created a monster by

empowering the oppressed to rise up and smite their former

oppressors. Because this is considered to be such a cruel turn of

events the State has no choice but to reverse the conditioning of

such reformed criminals like Alex back to the state in which they

found him.

Anthony Burgess wrote the novel upon which this movie is

based. Unfortunately, this book is now out of print so if you see it

you should buy it. Burgess explains in the forward that a man is

believed to have free will which is the ability to choose between

good and evil. However, if we take away that ability to chose we

create a clockwork toy to be wound up by either God, the Devil, or

whoever happens to turn the key (in this case the State). In any

event, such a person ceases to be a person when he or she loses

the ability to choose their morality. How can one be good and

without sin when there is no choice on the part of the person? This

is the delima of the society in this movie and book.

In the original British publication of this novel there is a 21st

chapter which was not included in either the American publication

nor in the movie (which was based off of the American version).

Thus, while the movie ends with young Alex beginning to enjoy

watching sex and violence again on his road to recovery the book

ends with an older Alex who in now mature and has left his nightly

pursuits behind him to raise a family. Some may say that this is an

odd sort of wrap up, however, one can easily envision events

coming full circle as Alex, again becomes the preyed upon.

Two things to note in both the film and the book is that violence

is not glorified. Also, Burgess used a very odd and difficult to get

accustomed to language which Alex (as our narrator) uses to

describe most of these events. This also helps to defuse any

glorification of violence. Perhaps, one of the most horrible things

that Alex must experience is that he becomes repulsed by the music

of his favorite composer, Beethoven, which is used in many of the

films which he must watch.

back to the list

"What's it going to be then, eh?"

The opening of this Stanley Kubrick film finds young Alex
peeting a glass of milk plus in best platties with his droogs at the
local milk bar. In this society young hoodlums roam the streets at
night dolling out their ultra-violence to whoever they happen upon.
These youth have no regard for human life or decency and seem to
easily avoid punishment as they kill, rape, and vandalize at random.

This film is about societal ills and the problems with finding a
easy solution to them. Alex (Malcolm McDowell) seems to have
a normal family, he is intelligent, enjoys Beethoven, and though he
goes on these night time terrors he seems much like a normal teen.
Apparently this is a common problem with this society. Society,
however, has found an answer in the form of a cure. When
young Alex is finally caught and sent to prison he finds that life is a
bit harder than before. However, prison is teaching him nothing as
he has the same ideas and values that he had before he was ever
caught. When a new procedure is developed to "cure" such
malchicks Alex is an eager volunteer because he is promised that he
will be released from prison in a few weeks after the treatment,
rather than serve his 14 year sentence.

The treatment, however, is extreme. For each session young
Alex is first drugged and then strapped into a chair which keeps his
eyes pried open and forces his head to face forward. The sessions
start out gently as he is forced to watch movies of mild violence,
but as the movies become more graphic and the drugs take effect
Alex becomes violently ill. Over repeated treatments this paired
association renders Alex to be cured through a form of Pavlovian
Conditioning.

The treatment is a huge success and each time thereafter that
Alex is faced with violence or lust he is reduced to a groveling
heap on the ground from intense nausea. However, the cure ends
up being a curse on poor Alex as he runs into old enemies and
former victims who will now seek pleasure tormenting a now
helpless youth. Society, in seeking a cure, created a monster by
empowering the oppressed to rise up and smite their former
oppressors. Because this is considered to be such a cruel turn of
events the State has no choice but to reverse the conditioning of
such reformed criminals like Alex back to the state in which they
found him.

Anthony Burgess wrote the novel upon which this movie is
based. Unfortunately, this book is now out of print so if you see it
you should buy it. Burgess explains in the forward that a man is
believed to have free will which is the ability to choose between
good and evil. However, if we take away that ability to chose we
create a clockwork toy to be wound up by either God, the Devil, or
whoever happens to turn the key (in this case the State). In any
event, such a person ceases to be a person when he or she loses
the ability to choose their morality. How can one be good and
without sin when there is no choice on the part of the person? This
is the delima of the society in this movie and book.

In the original British publication of this novel there is a 21st
chapter which was not included in either the American publication
nor in the movie (which was based off of the American version).
Thus, while the movie ends with young Alex beginning to enjoy
watching sex and violence again on his road to recovery the book
ends with an older Alex who in now mature and has left his nightly
pursuits behind him to raise a family. Some may say that this is an
odd sort of wrap up, however, one can easily envision events
coming full circle as Alex, again becomes the preyed upon.

Two things to note in both the film and the book is that violence
is not glorified. Also, Burgess used a very odd and difficult to get
accustomed to language which Alex (as our narrator) uses to
describe most of these events. This also helps to defuse any
glorification of violence. Perhaps, one of the most horrible things
that Alex must experience is that he becomes repulsed by the music
of his favorite composer, Beethoven, which is used in many of the
films which he must watch.