Beethoven is prevalent throughout the movie and always seemed like an obvious juxtaposition to the anarchy Alex thrives in. His views on the world are disgusting to their very core; elders are not respected, women are objectified, and human life (apart from Alex's and his droogs) has no value. Despite this acridness there is something beautiful about the way Alex and his friends are portrayed; the outfits they wear and the language they use. This is unlike Beethoven, whose music seems so chaotic on the surface however is beautiful once you break through the sporadic shell. This idea however clear right away, and in the book. One of the things I never noticed before however is how when Alex is beating the "cat lady" to death he is doing so with a bust of Beethoven, something not mentioned in the book. During the Ludovico treatment Alex remarks "This is sin! That! Using Ludwig van like that! He did no harm to anyone. Beethoven just wrote music!" The irony of course is presented in the fact that Alex disregards this core belief when in the adrenaline and moloko rage he is experiencing while killing the innocent women.
I also saw a common theme between A Clockwork Orange and All Quiet on the Western Front in that both movies show people portrayed as only numbers. In A Clockwork Orange the numbers given to the prisoners can draw the obvious comparison of prisoners in concentration camps, as the movie has a barely subtle political agenda. Alex's time pre and post prison shows a society that seems transformed from a ruined socialist place to a seemingly successful fascist empire, which also crumbles along with Alex's side effects to his treatment.
Despite the truly disturbing imagery there is something so beautiful about A Clockwork Orange that continues to boggle me long after the end credits, partly because of the lack of the inclusion of the concluding chapter of the book, that provides a redeeming closure to our hero/villain.
I also saw a common theme between A Clockwork Orange and All Quiet on the Western Front in that both movies show people portrayed as only numbers. In A Clockwork Orange the numbers given to the prisoners can draw the obvious comparison of prisoners in concentration camps, as the movie has a barely subtle political agenda. Alex's time pre and post prison shows a society that seems transformed from a ruined socialist place to a seemingly successful fascist empire, which also crumbles along with Alex's side effects to his treatment.
Despite the truly disturbing imagery there is something so beautiful about A Clockwork Orange that continues to boggle me long after the end credits, partly because of the lack of the inclusion of the concluding chapter of the book, that provides a redeeming closure to our hero/villain.
