A Clockwork July

 I must begin with two apologies, this update is late and the sync dates don't appear on the last entry for July. Don't know what happened, I did them, maybe they weren't saved properly. I wish I had a staff I could blame it on, maybe I should make one up. Anyway, I'll try to do better in July which is already upon us. Part five of Julli Kearns shot-by-shot analysis which covers the events of July can be found here. She has some interesting research on Serum 114 amongst her many astute observations. 

As to what's happening, it's a grim watch. We shift from Alex's violence to state violence. There's a clear suggestion that the films Alex is being shown are not fakes. Now the misery is being inflicted by men and women in white coats in the name of science. The summary has the scene changes, the bold numbers in the script below signal the changes day by day. If you've stumbled on this by accident (traveller, you are very lost indeed), then it all relates to this.

July Summary

1st July - Ludovico exterior 

2 -7 - Ludovico project entrance lobby

8- 11 - Alex's room at the Ludovico project

12 - 20 -Cinema (includes first two Ludovico films)

21 - 23 Alex's room

24 - 25 - Nazi war film with voice-over

26 - 31 - Cinema

July day by day

INT. LUDOVICO CENTRE RECEPTION DESK – DAY

ALEX (V.O.)

1st The next morning I was taken to the

Ludovico Medical Facility, outside the

town centre, and I felt a malenky bit sad

having to say goodbye to the old Staja, as

you always will when you leave a place

you've like gotten used to.

Chief Guard briskly leads the way for Alex and escort. They move

into reception hall where the Doctor stands.

CHIEF GUARD

(shouting like an RSM)

Right. Halt the prisoner. Good morning,

sir, I'm Chief Officer Barnes. I've got

2nd 655321 on a transfer from Parkmoor to the

Ludovico Centre, sir!

DOCTOR

Good morning, we've been expecting you.

I'm Dr. Alcott.

Chief Guard checks the name from his clipboard.

CHIEF GUARD

Yes, Dr. Alcott. Are you prepared to

accept the prisoner, sir?

DOCTOR

Yes, of course.

CHIEF GUARD

Well, 3 I wonder if you'd mind signing these

transfer documents, sir.

Doctor signs.

CHIEF GUARD

Thank you, sir. There, sir... there,4  and

there, sir... and there.5 Thank you, sir.

Prison escort move forward. Halt. Excuse

me, sir. Is that the officer that is to

take charge of the prisoner, sir?

6 Doctor nods. Officer steps forward.

CHIEF GUARD

If I might offer a word of advice, Doc.

You'll have to watch this one. A right

brutal bastard he has been, and will be

again. In spite all his sucking up to the

prison Chaplain and reading the Bible.

DOCTOR

Oh, I think we can manage things. Charlie,

7 will you show the young man to his room

now.

CHARLIE

Right, sir. Come this way, please.

Alex exits with Officer.

INT. ALEX'S ROOM – LUDOVICO CENTRE – DAY

Alex finishing breakfast tray in bed.

Room bright and cheery.

Dr. Branom, a tall woman in her fifties, enters with nurse

carrying a sterile tray.

DR. BRANOM

(very briskly)

Good morning, Alex, my name is Dr. Branom.

I'm Doctor Brodsky's assistant.

ALEX

Good Morning, Missus.8 Lovely day, isn't

it?

DR. BRANOM

Indeed it is. May I take this

She removes his tray.

DR. BRANOM

How're you feeling this morning?

ALEX

Fine... fine.

DR. BRANOM

Good. In a few minutes, you'll meeting Dr.

Brodsky and we'll begin your treatment.

You're a very lucky boy to have been

chosen.

ALEX

I realise all that, Missus, and I'm very

grateful to all concerned. 9

DR. BRANOM

We're going to friends now, sir.

ALEX

I hope so, Missus.

She inserts a needle into the medicine vial.

ALEX (CONT'D)

What's the hypo for then? Going to send me

to sleep?

DR. BRANOM

Oh no, nothing of the sort.

ALEX

Vitamins will it be then?

DR. BRANOM

Something like that. You are a little

undernourished, so after each meal were

going to give you a shot. Roll over on

your right side please, loosen your pajama

pants 10  and pull them half-way down.

He does, somewhat reluctantly. She gives him a shot in the bum.

ALEX

What exactly is the treatment here going

to be then?

DR. BRANOM

It's quite simple really. Were just going

to show you some films.

ALEX

You mean like going to the pictures?

DR. BRANOM

11 Something like that.

ALEX

Well, that's good. I like to viddy the old

films now and again.

INT. AUDIO VISUAL LUDOVICO CENTRE – DAY

Auditorium setting. Alex is bound in a examination chair in front

of a large video screen. A white-coated Technician is strapping

Alex's head to a medical device.

He then carefully attaches the eyelid locking to Alex's eyes.

ALEX (V.O.)

And viddy films I would. Where I was taken

to, brothers, was like no cine I'd been in

before. I was bound up in a straight#jacket and my guliver was strapped to a

headrest with like wires running away from

it. 12 Then they clamped like lidlocks on my

eyes so I could not shut them no matter

how hard I tried. It seemed a bit crazy to

me, but I let them get on with what they

wanted to get on with. If I was to be a

free young malchick in a fortnight's time,

I would put up with much in the meantime,

my brothers. 13

At the back of the auditorium are ten or fifteen solemn medical

Professionals in white coats watching the proceedings and

occasionally taking notes. A film begins showing on the screen.

The Technician drops eyedrops into Alex's eyes.

VIOLENCE FILM

Man being beaten by four toughs wearing white.

Punches, kicks, grunts, blood. 14

ALEX (V.O.)

So far the first film was a very good

professional piece of cine, looked like it

was done in Hollywood.

Screams, moans, kicks, punches.

ALEX (V.O.)

The sounds were real horroshow. You could

slooshy the screams and moans very

realistic and you could even get the heavy

breathing and panting of the tolchocking

malchicks at the same time. And then, what

do you know, soon our dear old friend, the

15 red, red vino on tap. The same in all

places like it's put out by the same big

firm, began to flow. It was beautiful.

It's funny how the colors of the real

world only seem really real when you viddy

them on a screen.

More kicks, punches, groans, thumps.

Girl being beaten, raped by six toughs.

Screams, music, laughing, grunts, heavy breathing.

ALEX (V.O.)

Now all the time I was watching this, I

was 16 beginning to get very aware of like

not feeling all that well, but I tried to

forget this, concentrating on the next

film, which jumped right away on a young

devotchka, who was being given the old in#out, in-out, first by one malchick, then

another, 17 then another. This seemed real,

very real, though if you thought about it

properly you couldn't imagine lewdies

actually agreeing to having all this done

to them in a film, and if these films were

made by the good, or the State, you

couldn't imagine them being allowed to

take these films, without like interfering

with what was going on.

Girl being raped.

ALEX (V.O.)

When it came to the sixth or seventh

malchick, leering and smecking and then

going into it, I began to feel really

sick. But I could not shut my glazzies and

even if I tried to move 18 my glazballs about

I still not get out of the line of fire of

this picture.

Alex squirming and retching.

Dr. Brodsky clears his throat and quietly addresses his collegues

seated in the back of the room.

DR. BRODSKY

Very soon now 19 the drug will cause the

subject to experience a death-like

paralysis together with deep feelings of

terror and helplessness. One of our

earlier test subjects described it as

being like death, a sense of stifling and

drowning, and it is during this period we

have found the subject will make his most

20 rewarding associations between his

catastrophic experience and environment

and the violence he sees.

Alex retching violently and struggling against his strait jacket.

ALEX

Let me be sick... I want to get up. Get me

something to be sick in... Stop the

film... Please stop it... I can't stand it

any more. Stop it please... please.

INT. ALEX'S ROOM – LUDOVICO – DAY

DR. BRANOM

Well, that was a very promising start. By

my calculations, you should be starting to

feel alright again. Yes? Dr. Brodsky's

pleased with you. Now tomorrow there'll be

two sessions, of course, morning and

afternoon.

ALEX

You mean, I have to viddy two sessions in

one day?

DR. BRANOM

21 I imagine you'll be feeling a little bit

limp by the end of the day. But we have to

be hard on you. You have to be cured.

ALEX

But it was horrible.

DR. BRANOM

Well, of course, it was horrible. Violence

is a very horrible thing. That's what

you're learning now. Your body is learning

it.

ALEX

I just don't understand about feeling sick

the way I did. I never used to feel sick

before. I used to feel like the very

opposite.22 I mean, doing it or watching it,

I used to feel real horrorshow. I just

don't understand why, how or what.

DR. BRANOM

You felt ill this afternoon because you're

getting better. You see, when we're

healthy we respond to the presence of the

hateful with fear and nausea. You're

becoming healthy that's all. By this time

tomorrow you'll be healthier still. 23

INT. AUDIO VISUAL LUDOVICO CENTRE – DAY

Alex retching and screaming – restrained again by a straight#jacket. 

24 (Nazi war film playing) ALEX (V.O.)

25 It was the next day, brothers, and I had

truly done my best, morning and afternoon,

to play it their way and sit like a

horrorshow co-operative malchick in the

chair of torture, while they flashed nasty

bits of ultra-violence on the screen.; 26

though not on the soundtrack, my brothers.

The only sound being music. Then I noticed

in all my pain and sickness what music it

was that like cracked and boomed. It was

Ludwig van – 9th symphony, 4th movement. 27

ALEX

Stop it... stop it, please!!! I beg of

you!!! It's a sin!!! It's a sin!!! It's a

sin, please!!!

Brodsky leans forward and turns down the sound.

DR. BRODSKY

28 What's all this about sin?

ALEX

That!... Using Ludwig van like that! He

did no harm to anyone. Beethoven just

wrote music.

DR. BRANOM

Are you referring to the background score?

ALEX

Yes!!!

DR. BRANOM

You've heard Beethoven before?

ALEX

Yes!!!

DR. BRODSKY

29 You're keen on music?

ALEX

Yes!!!

DR. BRANOM

(quietly)

What do you think about that, Dr. Brodsky?

DR. BRODSKY

(softly)

It can't be helped. Here's your punishment

element perhaps. The Governor ought to be

pleased... I'm sorry, Alex, this is for

your own good, 30 you'll have to bear with us

for a while.

ALEX

You needn't take it any further, sir.

You've proved to me 31 that all this ultra#violence and killing is wrong and terribly

wrong. I've learned my lesson, sir. I see

now what I've never seen before I'm cured,

praise Bog!

DR. BRODSKY

You're not cured yet, my boy.