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Movie analysis: Sexual obsession in Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange

he brutally kicks the writer and while he methodically cuts off his wife's jumpsuit. The echoing of the lyrics by Dim adds to the idea that this is a performance, kind of like he is a backup singer or part of the chorus. The mise en scene consists of Alex, the woman, and Dim holding the woman so Alex can "perform" on her. It is a low angle shot, giving the viewer the sense that they are in the place of the writer watching helplessly as he, the sole audience, watches the rape of his wife. This also creates a feeling of helplessness and complete and utter horror in the viewer. But still Kubrick keeps the scene as an idea of spectacle, which makes it easier to watch the violence. But the audience this time is not portrayed as a gigantic theater and Kubrick is careful with the camera, consistently using low angle shots and reaction shots of the writer to insist the violence on the spectacle. It is much more intimate than the scene with Billy Boy and the co-mingling of spectacle and violence in this way dehumanizes the victim much more severely. She becomes a spectacle for all, including her husband, and the violence that ensues is on the victim itself, not between men. A gang wanting to brawl does not interrupt Alex and his droogs so they are able to carry out the violence on the object of the spectacle (the woman). This scene depicts a much clearer sensation of dehumanization through spectacle and violence than any other scene in the film.



The latter part of the film examines spectacle and violence in a much different way. After Alex's "treatment" he is put on display for the important people in society to view how the government has "cured" him. Once again, we have a stage but this time with an actual audience and we are in a controlled environment. This is quite different from the scene with Billy Boy or with Alex and his droogs as this time we are actually witnessing spectacle with a lack of violence. But that does not excuse the spectacle part. The woman who is used to show Alex's "new self" echoes the mannequins in the milk bar. She is a white woman with brightly colored hair. She is naked, except for panties, and she is being put on a stage for people to watch. She is also being used as a sexual object despite Alex feeling sick. There is no question that this woman is indeed a spectacle, but what is different is that she is not a victim of violence but seems to take joy and find power in being a spectacle. Unlike the low camera angle in the rape scene with


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Movie analysis: Sexual obsession in Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange

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