Alignment and Allegiance in A Clockwork Orange

From the very first shot of A Clockwork Orange the spectator is encouraged to align with Alex. The film begins in an Extreme Close Up of his face as he narrates. He breaks the fourth wall provides a direct mode of address by talking to the spectator. After waiting for several seconds in the ECU, the camera begins to track backwards. As the camera tracks we are still encouraged to align with Alex as he is the centre of the shot. This continues throughout the first half of the film until the spectator finally gives their allegiance to him. 

The driving scene is used to reinforce the techniques Kubrick is using to align the spectator with Alex and helping to build the alignment. A narration is provided again so the spectator is guided through the foreign world by Alex. POV's are also used to align the spectator with Alex as we experience the world through Alex's eyes. Eye contact is also used so help us align further. The droogs appear to be out of control and manic, this is contrasted with Alex's demeanour as he is still and in charge of both the vehicle and the droogs. The final shot from that scene ends on a close up of Alex, he is the last thing the spectator sees. 

The home invasion scene comes straight after the driving scene so the spectator is already partially aligned with Alex. This scene somewhat challenges the spectators alignment with Alex as we get to see him perform rape but as he is wearing a mask and we never see the act through the female's POV so he is disconnected from the ultraviolence. We don't get to see any rape either as Alex stops the spectator from watching, saying "Viddy well my brothers" and the scene ends. By doing this he is protecting the spectators from the violence. In every opportunity we get to watch the rape taking place the spectator never experiences it from the women's POV so we are denied the chance to view Alex as a rapist. Instead we see the husbands POV and reaction to the rape through an extreme close up of his face. This encourages sympathy with the husband but again the spectator isn't as affected by the events as they would if we got the women's POV. Alex's mask helps to disconnect him from the violence as well as he creates a new persona in which the spectator can't align with. Because of this we are encouraged to align with Alex when he isn't wearing his mask. 

The interrogation scene is the scene where allegiance is intended to take place. After aligning with Alex throughout the first 40 minutes of the movie the spectator finally accepts his ideologies and feels empathy for him. In my opinion, the part in the scene where I finally gave my allegiance to Alex was was the headmaster spits on him because I felt empathy and shocked that he was being abused by authority figures as he is only a young boy. I understand that Alex has committed murder and rape but I don't associate him with the acts and instead I feel empathy for him because he is young and alone in a world that doesn't understand him. Alex looks vulnerable in many of the shots as he is shot from a high angle and the authority figures a low angle POV from Alex's perspective. The men all look extremely dominant and through doing this the spectator is encouraged to view Alex as a victim. Close up's of Alex's face also make him look child-like and innocent, again encouraging the spectator to pledge their allegiance to him.