MovieChat Forums > A Clockwork Orange (1972) Discussion > I didn't realize that during the notorio...

I didn't realize that during the notorious scene the use of "Singing in the Rain"...

posted a year ago by TheMan18 (13047)
6 replies | jump to latest

... was done INTENTIONALLY to somehow block Alex and his gang mentally from the horror of the act they were committing (and what, did the song itself and them using it really succeed in doing the trick, and without it, they wouldn't have been able to carry out such a terrible assault?) including on Mrs Alexander, I thought they were just, you know, keeping the tune going per say and that for instance, even without the song, as terrible as it all is no doubt, they could still do such an act?

One article that stated it said about how people use art objects to you know somehow shield themselves from real life horrors of some or other things.

That may be true but how does that work, does that even really work?

https://www.cultureontheoffensive.com/a-clockwork-orange/

[–] Ace_Spade (9552) a year ago

I don't know if the article talks about this, or if this changes your perception of the scene, but apparently "Singin' in the Rain" was chosen because it was the only song Malcolm McDowell could recall all the words to. Kubrick and McDowell thought the scene wasn't working and added the song-and-dance to give it an extra jolt.

[–] christomacin (4658) a year ago

No, Alex was in a state of ecstatic joy, doing what he truly loved (rape and mayhem), and felt the urge to burst out in song.

[–] TheMan18 (13047) a year ago

But this article suggested that the song helped him and that by using art including songs during such acts it shields the culprits from the real horror of it, and I wondered basically, if that really is 100% true, how it works or maybe it doesn't fully work etc but slightly helps, but I wondered how?

[–] christomacin (4658) a year ago

The article is nonsense. Alex feels no pangs of guilt or remorse for what he's doing. He sees his actions almost as some sort of artistic self-expression. Sexuality, music and violence lead him to a peverse, almost religious kind of ecstasy. He's shown masturbating while fantasizing about rape and murder when listening to Beethoven. He even fantasizes about being a Roman soldier torturing Jesus during his crucifixion, which further emphasizes the quasi-spiritual nature of his actions.

[–] Seperatrix (1225) a year ago

That's exactly how I always saw it as well. I suppose there's always room for other interpretations. But Alex was about as depraved as it gets.

[–] whynotwriteme (7722) a year ago

That article is just someone's opinion based on half-baked ideas from a psychology class.

Alex was singing because the violence he was committing made him feel exultant and happy because he is a sadist. The only instance in the film of someone using an art object to shield themself from real life horrors was when Alex used the big porcelain dick to fend off the attacks of the old cat lady.