Tuesday 9 December 2014

Character Profile: Alex DeLarge - A Clockwork Orange

"What we were after now was the old surprise visit. That was a real kick and good for laughs and lashings of the old ultraviolent"

Name:  Alex DeLarge
Played By:  Malcolm McDowell
Build:  Skinny, Spindly
Personality:  Violent, deranged and mad

Relationships with other characters:  Alex DeLarge's relationship with other characters in this film are incredibly hostile.  He has a terrible relationship with his parents and with the community, both of whom he enjoys terrorizing and intimidating.  The only real relationship he had with other characters was with his 'droogs', and even them he betrayed and attacked when he felt his leadership had been threatened.

What makes them a great character?:  The character created a lot of controversy when the film was first released due to the violent and mentally deranged actions displayed, meaning the film ended up banned in many countries and this character was a huge step forward in the amount of violence occurring in films.  It is interesting as an observer looking into this film to explore the mind and beliefs of the young character whom I feel everybody can agree is an awful human being, and it is strange to wonder how we actually find ourselves feeling sorry for the man when he is being 'treated' into becoming a changed person.

Most iconic moment:  The horrible and almost slightly ridiculous rendition of 'Singin' in the Rain' performed whilst he and his droogs were invading somebody's home.

Shot-by-shot of coursework first draft


Interior dimly lit warehouse.

Shot 1 – Fades into a close up shot of a knife being cleaned with a rag, humming heard from man #1.  Camera pans upward to show the face of man #1 cleaning the knife who then he turns.

Shot 2 – Medium tracking shot of man #1 then continuing, walking past man #2

Shot 3 – Medium shot of a guy in a pool of blood on the floor, almost as if it’s through the eyes of man #2

Shot 4 – Medium-Long shot of man #1 walking out of the door carrying the knife with man #2 still in the foreground looking stunned, humming fades

Shot 5 – Close up on man #2 who mumbles “jesus christ” under his breath.

Shot 6 – Fly on the wall shot showing the whole situation.

Shot 7 – Same shot as #4 as man #1 returns through the door “it had to be done”, man #2 grunts as man #1 returns to lightly humming as he shuts the door behind him.

Shot 8 – As the door shuts the camera changes to a medium tracking shot as it follows man #1 walking back towards man #2 “I warned him, I did. You saw me warning him. I said, hey buddy, put your phone right back in your pocket…”

Shot 9 – Close up on man #2 “…Put that right back in your pocket or I’m gonna have to do something.”

Shot 10 – Medium shot “and well… *gestures to dead body*”

Shot 11 – Medium shot of man #2 “so what now then?”

Shot 12 – Close up of gasoline chugging out of a canister. “Yeah, that should do it” heard out of shot

Shot 13 – Medium shot of man #1 pouring the last of the canister out and slides it across to the side

Shot 14 – Ground shot of the canister coming towards the camera and the sound of it hitting the wall.

Shot 15 – Medium shot as he then gets a cigarette out of his pocket.

Shot 16 – Close up shot as he places the cigarette in his mouth and starts patting himself

Shot 17 – Medium shot as he continues to pat around for a light.  Sighs and then reaches down to the dead, bloody and gasoline covered corpse.

Shot 18 – Close up of the dead guy’s jacket pocket as man #1 reaches in and pulls out a lighter.

Shot 19 – Medium shot of man #1 is shaking the gasoline and blood off of his hand a little bit in disgust, mumbles with his cigarette still in his mouth “needed a light…”

Shot 20 – Fly on the wall shot of the situation again, “…you want one?”

Shot 21 – Over the shoulder shot of man #1, man #2 shakes his head mumbles ‘nah’, ‘suit yourself’ as he lights and walks out of shot.

Shot 22 – Medium shot of an obviously disgruntled man #2

Shot 23 – Medium shot one catches his eye and double takes “what?”

Shot 24 – Medium shot from different angle “you think I should have let him do it?  Are you nuts, he had to go, no. No sir, im not going to stand here and let you make out like I’m the bad guy…” as he turns away from man #2

Shot 25 – A tiny glimpse of man #2 is visible on the side of the screen. Man #2 still ranting “if anything I’m surprised!! I thought that if anybody was going to pull some stupid shit like this then it would be-“ (while man #1 has his back turned whilst talking, man #2 is loading a gun very casually and points it at man #1)

Shot 26 – Medium shot of man #1 who turns back and is quite surprised to see what he is faced with.  He confidently laughs, “Aha, so what…”

Shot 27 – Close up on man #1’s face, “…you gonna shoot me?”  he guides the gun into his own mouth.  “Go on then, do it.”

Shot 28 – Shot of the exterior of the building as a gunshot is heard.

Shot 29 – Fades into title.