This is a supporting article for the work underway at The Hermetic Lessons blog.
September finds a newly released Alex finding out that his life on the outside will be very different than his old existence. We begin in the Linear North apartment where a lodger has moved into Alex's room leaving him homeless. Outside he finds those who he previously preyed upon now have the upper hand as he becomes the victim of the old ultra violence, initially ineffectually dished out by the drunkies, before his former droogs deliver a more professional beating in their new role as police officers.
Follow Julli Kearns shot-by-shot analysis of this month's action here. She has some interesting ideas about anti-christ references. Find the scene changes in the summary and track the month's ACO action via the bolded sync numbers within the screenplay excerpt below it.
September Summary
1st - 15th - Alex's apartment at 18 Linear North
16th - 25th - Riverside scene
26th - 30th - The Droog Reunion
PEE
Aye, that's Joe. He... ummmm, lives here
now. The lodger. That's what he is...
he... he rents your room.1
Alex confronts Joe.
ALEX
How do you do, Joe? Find the room
comfortable, do you? No complaints?
JOE
I've heard about you. I know what you've
done. 2 Breaking the hearts of your poor
grieving parents. So you're back? You're
back to make a life of misery for your
lovely parents, is that it? Well, over my
dead corpse you will, because you see,
they've let me be more like a son to them
than like a lodger.
Alex cocks his fist and starts to retch violently, almost at the
same moment Joe drops back on the couch next to Em.
EM
Joe! Joe! 3 Don't fight here boys!
Alex burps and retches.
JOE
Oh, please. Do put your hand over your
mouth, it's bloody revolting.
Alex violently ill.
PEE
Well, what's the matter lad, are you
feeling alright?
EM
Dad... It's the treatment.
More retching.
JOE
4 Well, it's disgusting. It puts you off
your food.
EM
Leave him be, Joe. It's the treatment.
PEE
D'you think we should do something?
EM
Would you like me to make you a nice cup
of tea, son? 5
ALEX
No thanks, Mum. It'll pass in a minute...
(after a pause)
... What have you done with all my own
personal things?
PEE
Well. That was all took away, son, by the
Police. New regulation about compensation
for the victim.6
ALEX
What about Basil? Where's my snake?
PEE
Oh well, he met with like an accident. 7 He
passed away.
Alex becomes a bit weepy.
ALEX
What's gonna happen to me then? I mean
that's my room he's in – there's no
denying that. 8 This is my home also. What
suggestions have you, my Pee and Em, to
make?
PEE
Well, all this needs thinking about, son.
I mean we can't very well just kick Joe
out... Not just 9 like that, can we? I mean
Joe is here doing a job. A contract it is,
two years. Well, we made like an
arrangement, didn't we Joe? You see, son,
Joe's paid next month's rent 10 already so,
well, whatever we do in the future, we
cant just say to Joe to get out, now can
we?
JOE
No, there's much more than that, though. I
mean I've got you two to think of. I mean
you're more like a mother and father to
me. Well, it wouldn't be fair now, would
it, for me to go off and leave you two to
the tender mercies of this young monster
who's been like no real son at all. 11 Look,
let him go off and find a room somewhere.
Let him learn the errors of his way, and
that a bad boy like he's been don't
deserve such a good mum and dad as he's
had.12
ALEX
Alright. I see how things are now. I've
suffered and I've suffered, and I've
suffered and everybody wants me to go on
suffering.
JOE
You've made others suffer. 13 It's only fair
that you should suffer proper. You know
I've been told everything you've done,
sitting here at night round the family
table, pretty shocking it was to listen
to. It made me real sick, a lot of it did.
Now look what you've gone and done to your
mother. 14
Em bursts into tears.
ALEX
So that's the way it is then, eh? That's
the way it is. Right, I'm leaving now, you
won't ever viddy me no more. I'll make my
own way. 15 Thank you very much. Let it lie
heavy on your consciences.
Alex exits.
PEE
(shouting after him)
Now don't take it like that son.
Em boohoohoos, Joe comforts her.
EXT. AMBANKMENT – DAY
16 Alex walks along the Thames embankment still holding his paper17
parcel.
18 Tramp enters. The same man beaten by Alex and his gang earlier in
the film.
TRAMP
Can you spare me some cutter, me brother?
Can you spare some cutter, me brother? 19
Alex, without looking at him, reaches in his pocket and gives him
some money.
TRAMP
Oh, thankyou, your honour.20
The Tramp takes a second look at Alex.
TRAMP
Jamey Mack! Be the hokey fly! Holy Mother
of God! All the Holy Angels and blessed
saints in Heaven preserve us.21
Alex breaks away but the Tramp toddles alongside him.
TRAMP
I never forget a face! I never forget any
face, be God!
ALEX
Leave me alone, brother. I've never seen
you before.
Tramp shouts to other Meths drinkers and Tramps.
TRAMP
This is the poisonous young swine that
near done me in. Him and his friends beat
me and kicked me and thumped me.
Alex breaks away again.
TRAMP
Stop him! Stop him!
A leg is stuck out and Alex goes down. The tramp swarm all over
him.
TRAMP
They laughed at me blood and me moans.
This murderous young pig is a prize
specimen of the cowardly brutal young. He
is in our midst and at our mercy. Give it
to him. That's it.
Old Tramps begin to beat at Alex.
ALEX (V.O.)
22 Then there was like a sea of dirty, smelly
old men trying to get at your humble
Narrator, with their feeble rookers and
horny old claws. It was Old Age having a
go at Youth and I daren't do a single
solitary thing, O my brothers, it being
better to be hit at like that, than want
to be sick and feel that horrible pain.
The Tramp crowd round Alex, shouting.
TRAMPS
Young hooligan... Vagabound... Kill him...
Villain... Toad... Bastard... Kick his
teeth in... Near killed poor old Jack, he
did.
Police move in and push off crowd.
FIRST POLICEMAN
23 Alright, stop it now.
SECOND POLICEMAN
Alright, stop it now. Alright! Come on.
Stop breaking the State peace. You naughty
boys. Alright, that's enough.
Alex looks up.
ALEX
Oh, no.
DIM
Well, well, well, 24 well, well, well, well,
if it isn't little Alex. Long time no
viddy, droog. How goes? Surprised are you?
ALEX
Impossible... I don't believe it.
GEORGIE
Evidence of the old glazzies. Nothing up
our sleeves. No magic, little Alex? A job
for two, who are now of job age. 25 The
police.
EXT. COUNTRY ROAD – DAY
Police Landrover drives up.
Alex is pulled out by Georgie and Dim and hustled up a deserted
lane.
DIM
Come on, Alex. Come for walkies.26
Hahahahaha.
ALEX
Come, come, my little droogies. I just
don't get this at all. The old days are
dead and gone. For what I did in the past
I've been punished.
DIM
Been punished, yeah?
ALEX
I've been cured. 27
DIM
Been cured, yeah, that was read out to us.
The Inspector read all that out to us. He
said it was a very good way.
ALEX
I just don't get this all. It was them
that went for me, brothers. You're not on
their side and can't be. You can't be Dim.
It was someone we fillied with back in the
old days... Trying to get his own malenky
bit of revenge after all this time. You
remember, Dim? 28
DIM
Long time, is right. I don't remember them
days too horrorshow. Don't call me Dim no
more, either. Officer, call me.
GEORGIE
Enough is remembered though, little Alex.
Dim and Georgie laugh.
29 They drag Alex to a low water through.
DIM
This is to make sure you stay cured.
Georgie hits Alex in the stomach with his blackjack. 30 Then, they
push his head under the water and methodically start to beat him
with their blackjacks.
After a full minute of this, they drag him out, halt-drowned,
DIM
(laughing)
Be viddying you some more, some time Alex.
EXT. "HOME" – NIGHT – HEAVY RAIN
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