A Clockwork Orange (film)

Synopsis

Set a few years in the future, the film follows the career of a teenager named Alex (surname ostensibly 'DeLarge' - but see below) whose main pleasures in life are European classical music, especially Beethoven, sex of all kinds, and random acts of extreme violence ("ultraviolence" in Alex's idiom). He tells his story in a teenage slang called "Nadsat", which mixes Russian with English slang.

Related Topics:
European classical music - Beethoven - Violence - Ultraviolence - Nadsat - Russian - English

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Eventually Alex is caught and "rehabilitated" by a program of aversion therapy spearheaded by the government in an effort to solve society's crime problem, which, though rendering him incapable of violence (even in self-defence), also makes him unable to enjoy his favourite classical music as an unintended side effect. The doctors whisper to themselves that "It can't be helped" and that this is "The punishment factor, perhaps?" thus undercutting their own supposed high intentions.

Related Topics:
Aversion therapy - Side effect

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The moral question of the film is that Alex is now "good", but his ability to choose this has been taken away from him; his "goodness" is as artificial as the clockwork orange of the title... a point which the prison chaplain verbalizes in criticizing the technique, echoing a point he had made to Alex earlier, that true "goodness" has to come from within. In fact, the chaplain appears to be the only good and honest friend that Alex ever has, although Alex does not realize it.

Related Topics:
Moral question - Good

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Eventually Alex falls afoul of both his former partners in crime ("droogies") and some of his former victims, and tries to "snuff it" by jumping out a window, but fails in the attempt. After a long recovery in hospital he seems to be back to his former self. While in the hospital, the head of the government visits Alex and apologizes for the treatment program, blaming the doctors administering it for sabotaging Alex in order to discredit the political party in power. Alex is then promised a position in government working for the party. The closing shots of the film feature Alex's voiceover saying "I was cured all right..." with him anticipating his return to creating havoc. However, his final vision suggests that his aggression is now accepted by society since Alex will be working with politicians instead of criminal outcasts.

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(It's worth noting that the film's ending, with Alex's return to violent behavior, was created by omiting the final chapter of the original book of the same title, in which Alex matures and "grows out" of his evil habits, eventually becoming an upright citizen.)

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