Great Character: Alex DeLarge (“A Clockwork Orange”)
Rounding out this month’s focus on notable anti-heroes, Jason Cuthbert analyzes Alex DeLarge from the movie A Clockwork Orange.
In 1971, screenwriter/director/producer Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange gave evil a new makeover: one set of long black eyelashes circling the right eye like a boxer’s shiner; one demon-possessed gaze that seems to be communicating with unseen heathens; one pair of combat boots deliberately parked on a public table and a Charlie Chaplin bowler hat. This completes the anarchic warrior pose that introduces us to the juvenile, sociopath anti-hero protagonist Alex DeLarge (Malcolm McDowell).
This dark yet colorful kaleidoscope of terror and lust expresses extreme youth angst, while using un-adolescent elements — “Singin’ in the Rain”, Beethoven, and suspenders. Due in part to its depiction of rampant rape and unprovoked “ultra violence”, A Clockwork Orange was stamped with an “X” rating — becoming the second X-rated film, following Midnight Cowboy, to be nominated for an Academy Award.
A Clockwork Orange plot summary from IMDB:
In future Britain, charismatic delinquent Alex DeLarge is jailed and volunteers for an experimental aversion therapy developed by the government in an effort to solve society’s crime problem… but not all goes to plan.
If Alex’s eyeballs had to be replaced with two visions — the left side would be sex and the right would be violence. Teenage rebellion may be nothing new, but Alex DeLarge eagerly ups the ante in the best and worst ways:
Confident yet confused:
ALEX: It’s funny how the colors of the real world only seem really real when you viddy them on the screen.
Charming yet menacing:
ALEX: What you got back home, little sister, to play your fuzzy warbles on? I bet you got little save pitiful, portable picnic players. Come with uncle and hear all proper! Hear angel trumpets and devil trombones. You are invited.
Humorous yet horrifying:
ALEX: One thing I could never stand was to see a filthy, dirty old drunkie, howling away at the filthy songs of his fathers and going blurp blurp in between, as it might be a filthy old orchestra in his stinking, rotten guts. I could never stand to see anyone like that, whatever his age might be, but more especially when he was real old like this one was.
In Alex DeLarge’s inexperienced youthful bliss, hurting people unfortunately doesn’t actually register as an event worthy of consequence. But what makes Alex such an enigmatic anti-hero is how he remains consistently clever during the collision between his warped reality of hostile hedonism and the guardians of morality. Alex’s zero-compromise outlook on life includes convincing his parents why he shouldn’t go to school, matching wits with probation officer Mr. Deltoid, brainwashing his trio of dastardly “droogs” into submission, kissing up to the prison chaplain and completely talking his way out of incarceration.
When Alex and his rowdy rogues lie about needing help to initiate an ultra-violent home invasion that goes “”real horror show” with writer Mr. Alexander and his wife — they seemingly evade the long arm of the law.
But years later when Alex really does need shelter, divine karma stretches out its own lengthy arm and yanks Alex back into Mr. Alexander’s realm for redemption.
Alex may be wild enough to scare potential parents out of furthering their family tree. But he also stands as an example of the nature versus nurture question in regards to behavior, and even more so, the idea of free will. Many try to deliver Alex from evil — parents, teachers, friends, victims, probation officers, police, priests, scientists, doctors and even politicians. But it always comes down to Alex making the decision that best suites his personal needs at the moment. Watching Alex DeLarge turning the world into his private mad house and then get relocated into houses that are arguably just as mad to pay for his selfish priorities makes Alex DeLarge a frighteningly entertaining GREAT CHARACTER.
One of the great anti-heroes in cinema history. See you in comments to discuss.
Thanks to Jason for the post. Next week, we start a new series. Tune in to see what
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