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Bethany Schadel With Friends Like These, Who Needs Enemies OK, so the title sounds a bit cliché, but the two characters that I intend to analyze certainly are not. Nope, no cowboys wearing white or knights in shining armor grace the screen in Clockwork Orange or Underground. The antihero in each film is motivated by self-interest. They lie to many other characters, friends, and people who love them during their journeys in order to propel themselves in someway. I find these characters the most interesting types because it reminds me of the way people really are. Alex and Marko are exaggerated examples of the alpha-dog mentality that exists in human nature. Alex DeLarge is the antihero of Clockwork Orange. In the beginning of the film Alex is pure evil. He rapes, pillages, and destroys without remorse. He is completely despicable. Even his love of Ludwig Van Beethoven can not redeem his actions. Yet, I am drawn to him. Now, this could just be my own personality flaw. In life, I tend to gravitate toward smart-ass, cynical people who like to be in charge, and fetishize some kind of art whether it is musical, theatrical or visual. Alex and I would get along famously. Alex speaks eloquently, even though he uses slang. There is a certain truth in his narration that lets us know that he understands and accepts his life as an immoral creature. And, even though his actions are appalling, his matter of fact attitude about his being has an endearing quality. Marko has a magnetic personality as well. However, in the beginning of Underground, he seems to be a genuinely helpful man at least to his friends, though still a bit crazy. As the film progresses, so does his wartime success and he takes advantage of his "friends". He has done something that most people could never live with. Stealing your best friend's girlfriend is one thing, but keeping a whole group of people underground for 15 years is simply evil. And, he does this completely for his own benefit. One reason is so that Blacky doesn't kill him for taking Natalija and also so that he can sell the weapons that the underground dwellers make. Again, I have to admit that I have a certain affection for Marko. It is in the same vein as the affection I hold for Alex, but the language barrier is difficult. I wish that I could understand the inflection in his voice better. Also, when he is breaking Blacky out of the insane asylum, I think he's speaking fluent German, but I'm unclear. Regardless, Marco comes off as being very smart; he uses his whit to get ahead as opposed to Blacky who uses his brawn and rash nature to bully his way into the lead of a situation. One of the major differences between Alex and Marco is where they are coming from. I'm speaking of the state of their surrounding situations. Marko's country is in a state of violent war. He has a heightened sense of emotion to deal with on that level. Due to this fact he could almost justify his actions. Everything he does is "for the cause." Whereas, Alex's country is in a peaceful state on one level, but on another level, there seems to be a huge division in economic structure of his community. He and his family are obviously the have-nots. His flat is located in a very rundown building. The elevator doesn't work. There is trash and graffiti littering the foyer. When he is trying to rob the "cat lady" she says to him " I'll teach you to break into REAL people's houses" as if he's not a person at all. I believe Alex's actions are a result of rebellion and boredom with the hand that life has dealt him. Something that really bothers me about Stanley Kubrick's production of Clockwork Orange is the fact that the 21st chapter of Anthony Burgesses' book is totally missing. In the book, Alex changes from droog to victim, back to droog again and when this stage of adolescence has past, he "grows up" and chooses life to quote Trainspotting, another antihero infested film. He begins to think that maybe he does want something to care about. He carries a picture from a newspaper of a baby around in his pocket. By the end of the book, he is bored with the droog life. If the film version of Clockwork Orange were to end that way, it would be a stark contrast to Marko's downward spiral in Underground. Marco keeps on hurting people by selling weapons. Although, when everyone in Underground is finally dead, we see that what they really wanted all along was to choose life and have a peaceful country. They just couldn't have it in the physical world. Perhaps, the constant state of war in their country blinded and stopped them form even visualizing a life without violence. Another point of contention I have between Kubrick's version and Burgesses' novel is the age difference in the characters. I know that it would have been quite impossible for a 15 year old actor play the part of Alex in 1971 but I do think the scenario would be even more compelling than Malcolm MacDowell's performance, which I thought was great anyway. It is hard for me to watch the film and not reflect on the further twisted plot of the original story. In relation to Alex's age, the girls he brings home from the record shop are supposed to be 10 or 11 years old, and rather unwilling participants as opposed to the randy jaunt that is portrayed in the film. Alex takes women by force. It's his thing. It is hard to say from the film however, if his arousal has more to do with the violence toward women, just the attraction to women in general or some kind of theatrical fetish. Or, maybe the use of the stage atmosphere is Kubrick's fetish. Whenever Alex is with a woman, in reality or fantasy, they are not alone. There is at least one other person in the same space. In every scene involving sex, he's either with two women, or he's with one woman and multiple men are watching. I think this is meant to be a statement about him being the top dog in the pack. Alex always goes first while the others watch. Marko likes women as well but, he pays for them. In the first part of the film he is with a prostitute and seems quite bored until the bombs start going off, then he gets excited. He decides that he fancies Natalija when Blacky is about to marry her and starts courting her behind his best friend's back. Finally, once Blacky is out of commission, on his deathbed after the grenade accident, Marco decides to go in for the kill. Obviously, he has a penchant for dangerous sex also. He also likes to be beaten with a woman's healed shoe; his deviance is being both the giver and recipient of degradation. I say that he pays for Natalija as well because she goes with whichever man she thinks can provide her with the most financial security. Natalija feels horrible about what Marko has put the people in the Underground through and accuses him of lying and dragging her into his schemes. But, Marko protests that he has become a thief and traitor so that he can keep her. Alex also possesses a scheming nature. He tries to stay on top of whatever his situation is at the moment. Alex's trouble starts when he "tolchocks" Dim in the bar for making fun of an opera singer. Later, the droogs start questioning his authority. Because of that, he plots a battle with them and cuts Dim's hand. When Alex is imprisoned, he finds out about the program that will set him free. So, he plays the model prisoner in order to get accepted for experimental treatment where he is conditioned to be sick even at the thought of violence. He is rendered physically helpless. So, he tries to pass himself off in whatever way he can to come out of these situations unscathed. However, all of his efforts are futile at this point. Even at the end of the movie, Alex knows that he is a pawn for the Minister in a political battle, but goes with the flow to insure his freedom. My emotional response to these characters, play out in a similar
fashion. At the outset of the films I am drawn to Alex and Marko
with admiration and disgust, but at a certain point I begin to
feel sorry for them. With Alex, I start to pity him when his
mother and father won't take him in. I feel terrible for Marko
when he has to give Natalija back to Blacky and she hates him
for it. Though both characters seem to change and try to be good,
by the end of the films, it is apparent that they have not succeeded.
In Clockwork Orange, the theme is all about choice. So,
perhaps Alex has reached his goal, which is to be able to choose
his path. Marko finally reaches the goal of having a country
for his people when he is dead. I get very emotional and teary
eyed when I see the end of Underground. I think it's very
strange to have such a love for theses people who have huge faults.
But, that is the beauty of these films. I genuinely want the
characters to find their way and be happy, no matter what their
past is like or what "happy" means to them. |