Clockwork Orange
Comparative Essay
There are two great articles concerning “A Clockwork
Orange” which will be compared in the following essay. They are “Pulping A
Clockwork Orange: The Visual Adaptation of the Novel as a Violent Form of
Interpretation” and “A Clockwork Orange and Its Discontents”. Both agree in
some things and disagree in others but have a fair opinion in terms of the book
vs. the movie.
On one side “A Clockwork Orange and Its Discontents”
empathizes a lot on the effect classical music and violence has in each other. Classical music specifically Beethoven´s music
which is Alex´s passion, makes violence seem a little less intense and
terrible, but violence also makes the public relate music with bad behavior.
Besides he relates the power and free will through the book to the sex and
violence that are obviously present almost all the time. This essay also
outstands the function of music as “an extension of Alex's psychological condition”.
In other terms it shows the way that
music in the movie reflects Alex´s personality, feelings and the way he reacts
to what he is passing in each moment of the story.
On the other side “Pulping A Clockwork Orange: The
Visual Adaptation of the Novel as a Violent Form of Interpretation” focuses
more on all the violence in the novel and the way it is represented in
Kubrick’s movie. This essay reflects on the worries about effects on the young
public provoked by the detailed narration of violence. Violence is the main
topic of this essay and the worries for the reaction of the public and the
massive influence it has make the movie and the book seem not good to experience.
The essay also talks about the two versions of the book and their weaknesses
and strengths.
Both essays have very good points of view but they
concern very different aspects within the book. Both agree on the fact that the
music is essential to the movie because of the effect it has on the reaction of
the public to violence in the story. The most interesting thing about this is
that Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony makes the public empathize with Alex’s through
the book even when he is committing crimes and is a complete criminal. The way
in which the essays contrast from one another is the posture that each one of
them takes. I personally agree with both of them but only in a partial way since.
I do not consider some arguments valid.
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