SSC Film Studies

ACWO Ludovico techniqueHow is Alex being punished? And how is this transferred to the spectator?

When the scene starts e see Alex grinning whilst watching “ultra violent” film on a cinema screen. The spectator is enabled to enjoy or experience and view violence and naked women on screen with Alex, the close up of him grinning reinforces the fact that he likes violence. As the scene progresses the spectator is no longer given the opportunity to view violence and nudity. Instead, we are forced to look at Alex in pain, he tell the doctors and in doing so, tells the spectator that he feels sick, and we get a close up of Alex’s face whilst his eyes are forced open by metal prongs.  He begins to wretch his throat in the seat, and makes the spectator feel rather ill, because they are forced to watch a man almost throw up.

The next shot opens with Nazi propaganda, the worst of the worst of humanity, and the spectator is forced to watch this hate filled and very negative imagery witch makes the spectator feel uncomfortable. We get an extreme close up of Alex’s eye in combination with him screaming. We get a sense of Alex’s pain, and the spectator is forced to view and experience this pain. When he begins to beg we take an A-central response, and finally pledge our allegiance to Alex. When Alex is “cured,” they put on a show, and objectify Alex. A man come out and begins to assault Alex and Alex narrates the experience, which makes the spectator empathise with him more; after this the spectator take Alex’s “gaze,” as the spectator and Alex watch a naked woman in P.O.V. The entire experience is shot at low angle, giving the woman dominance over the situation, and as Alex begins o wretch this is reinforced. Alex is objectified, he is passive, and the spectator is not used to this. This increases our empathy for him and therefore our allegiance.

If the spectator is aligned with Alex, even during his violence and punishment, we must share his feelings when he is cured. At the end of the film, we see Alex return to his natural state, and he begins to crack jokes once more. The uplifting music in the background of the scene and the depiction of violence as enjoyable returns to both Alex and the spectator, once more we share Alex’s point of view, women are erotic objects once again, and the spectator is happy.