Ludovico Treatment & Punishment

A Clockwork Orange 

As a result of our alignment with Alex, we are involved in the brutal violence and murder as we experience it through his point of view. Laura Mulvey taught us that we are subjected to view women as an object of sexual desire and are objectified which is relevant within our film and that us as the spectator get to enjoy it. However, E. Ann Kaplan author of 'Is the Gaze Male?' has noted that although the spectator is allowed to gaze, the spectator is also punished. She has stated that "The most impressive aspect of the film (A Clockwork Orange) is the way in which it reverses the gaze back on the spectator, and punishes the male spectator for his voyeurism. As we are 'caught' when Alex is caught, and 'punished' along with Alex, for the deeds committed under our watch... The spectator has been partaking in Alex's domination of the female." The Ludovico sequences are the perfect example of the punishment the spectator and Alex receives.

The sequence is essentially split in to three parts: the pleasure, the punishment and finally the test. Within part one the spectator is enabled to enjoy the experience and view violence and the naked woman on screen, as previously shown. The close ups of Alex grinning connote that he takes pleasure in the violence, we already have the experience of this due to Kubrick cleverly use close ups and wide shots when fighting in order for us to align with Alex. 

However, in part two the spectator is no longer given the opportunity to view violence and nudity as we no longer have many point of view shots. We are forced to look at Alec's pain as he tells the doctors, in this case us the spectator, that he feels ill and the use of clos ups to his face and eyes, which are held open by metal, are massive on screen. The spectators are compelled to watch hate filled and very negative imagery which takes form in Nazis which we class as the worst of humanity. The extreme close up of Alex's eye in combination with his screaming confirms that as Alex is punished as are we. 

Finally part four is the Ludovico Test in which Alex is tested to see if the treatment had worked which meant it is a test for us, the spectator, too. Alex and the spectator 'gaze' at the woman in a point of view shot and instantly Alex is punished for it by feeling sick. A change from the normal, this time Alex is objectified, he is seen as passive, this actually increases our empathy and therefore our allegiance with him