Wednesday 2 November 2022

A Clockwork November

This one is 'fashionably late' but sends its apologies... As ever, these clockwork posts are a supporting article for Blogo's ongoing work at The Hermetics Lessons blog. 

As I'm late, I'll post the syncs below and will maybe come back to tidy things up. I don't think my legions of followers (Google Spider and Adbot) will protest overmuch. 

We start November at the Alexander residence, where Mr A has realised Alex is his former assailant. On the 13th Alex slumps after being drugged. He awakens in a room where Beethoven's ninth is played until he attempts suicide by leaping from a window at around 21st November. He awakens in hospital around the 24th where he's reunited with Pa and Em. The month ends with visit from Dr Taylor his new psychiatrist.   Julli Kearns shot by shot analysis is as brilliant as ever and adds more than I could possibly hope to cover. 


ALEX

Your wife, sir? Has she gone away?

MR. ALEXANDER

1st No. She's dead!

ALEX

I'm sorry to hear about that, sir.

His face contorted in rage.

MR. ALEXANDER

She was very badly raped, you see. We were

assaulted by a gang of vicious young

hooligans in this house, in this very room

you're sitting in now. I was left a

helpless cripple. The doctors said it was

Pneumonia, because it happened some months

later during the 'flu 2 epidemic. The

doctors told me it was Pneumonia, but I

knew what it was. A victim of the modern

age, poor, poor girl.

Suddenly his mood changes. He wheels right up to Alex.

MR. ALEXANDER

And now you, another victim of the modern

age. But you can be helped. 3 I phoned some

friends while you were having a bath.

ALEX

Phoned some friends, sir?

MR. ALEXANDER

Yes. They want to help.

ALEX

Help me, sir?

MR. ALEXANDER

Help you.

ALEX

Who are they, sir?

MR. ALEXANDER

They're very, very important people and

they're interested in you.

Bell rings. Julian rises,

MR. ALEXANDER

Julian. This will be these people now.

Alex gets up.

ALEX

Look, sir. I'm sorry to have troubled you.

I think I ought to be going, sir.

Julian bars the way.

MR. ALEXANDER

No, no my boy. No trouble at all.

Alex slowly sits.

MR. ALEXANDER

Have another glass of wine.

He pours. Alex picks up glass and takes a drink.

INT. "HOME" – NIGHT

Dolin and Rubinstein enter with Julian.

DOLIN

(genial)

Hullo, Frank.

MR. ALEXANDER

Good evening, sir.

RUBINSTEIN

Frank.

DOLIN

So this is the young man?

ALEX

How do you do, sir?

DOLIN

Hullo.

ALEX

Missus. Very pleased to meet you.

RUBINSTEIN

Hullo.

DOLIN

I hope you forgive us for coming over at

this ungodly hour, but we heard from Frank

that you were in some trouble so we came

over to see if we could be of any help.

ALEX

Very kind of you, sir. Thank you very

much.

DOLIN

I understand that you had a rather

unfortunate encounter with the Police

tonight.

ALEX

Yes, sir. I suppose you might call it

that, sir.

DOLIN

Hahaha, and how are you feeling now?

ALEX

Much better, thank you, sir.

DOLIN

Feel like talking to us. Answering a few

questions?

ALEX

Fine, sir , fine.

DOLIN

Well, as I've said, we've heard about you.

We are interested in your case. We want to

help you.

ALEX

Thank you very much, sir.

DOLIN

But first we'd like to find out a few

things about you.

ALEX

What would you like to know, sir?

DOLIN

Well, shall we get down to it?

ALEX

Yes, sir.

Rubinstein takes out a notebook.

RUBINSTEIN

The newspapers mentioned that in addition

to your being conditioned against acts of

sex and violence, you've inadvertently

been conditioned against music.

ALEX

Well, er, I think that was something that

they hadn't planned for,you see, Missus,

I'm very fond of music and always have

been, especially Beethoven, Ludwig van...

Beethoven. B... E... E...

He leans over and looks at her writing in notebook.

RUBINSTEIN

It's alright, thank you.

ALEX

And it just so happened that while they

were showing me a particularly bad film,

of like a concentration camp, the

background music was playing Beethoven.

RUBINSTEIN

So 10 now you have the same reaction to music

as you do to sex and violence?

ALEX

Oh well, it's... it's not all music you

see, Missus. It's just the 9th.

RUBINSTEIN

You mean Beethoven's 9th Symphony?

ALEX

That's right. Er... I can't listen to the

9th any more at all. When I hear the 9th,

I get like this funny feeling.

RUBINSTEIN

When you say this funny feeling, you mean

the state of mind brought on by the

treatment they gave you?

ALEX

That is correct, sir. And then all I can

think about is 11 like trying to snuff it.

RUBINSTEIN

I beg your pardon?

ALEX

Snuff it, sir... um... death, I mean,

missus... Er... I just want to die

peacefully like with no... pain.

RUBINSTEIN

Do you feel that way now?

ALEX

Um... oh no, sir, not exactly, I still

feel very miserable, 12 very much down in

spirits.

RUBINSTEIN

Do you still feel suicidal?

ALEX

Um... well, put it this way... I feel very

low in myself. I can't see much in the

future, and I feel that any second

something terrible is going to happen to 

                                                                             me. 13                                                                              

He pitches forward, face into the plate of spaghetti.

RUBINSTEIN

Well done, Frank. Julian, get the car, 14

will you please?

INT. HI-FI ROOM – DAWN

Alexander sits looking up. Rubinstein, Julian and Dolin also

listening to Beethoven played loudly on tape recorder.

INT. DOLIN'S HOUSE – PRISONER BEDROOM – DAY

The 9th Symphony booming up through the floor.

Alex slowly regains consciousness.

ALEX (V.O.)

I woke up. 15 The pain and sickness all over

me like an animal. Then I realised what it

was. The music 16 coming up from the floor

was our old friend, Ludwig van and the

dreaded 9th Symphony.

He staggers to the door. It is locked. He kicks and tugs the door.

ALEX

Open the door... 17 turn it off... turn it

off. 18 - 20

CUT TO:

THE BILLIARD ROOM BELOW

Hi-Fi gear laid out on the table. Large speakers facing upwards.

Mr. Alexander trembles and twitches. He is now completely mad. The

others merely wait, coolly.

INT. DOLIN'S HOUSE – PRISONER BEDROOM – DAY

Alex on his knees. His hands cupped over his ears, banging his

head on the floor.

Then he stops and slowly straightens up, staring at the window.

ALEX (V.O.)

Suddenly I viddied what I had to do, and

what I had wanted to do – and that was to

21 do myself in, to snuff it, to blast off

forever out of this wicked cruel world.

One moment of pain perhaps and then sleep

– forever and ever and ever.22

EXT. WINDOW – DAWC

Alex leaps out of the window.

INT. HOSPITAL WARD

Alex in bed. Camera slowly tracks along length of his body.

Everything is bandages and plaster splints, wire cages, blood

drips.

ALEX (V.O.)

I jumped, O my brothers, and I fell hard

but I did not snuff it,  23 oh no. if I had

snuffed it, I would not be here to tell

what I have told. I came back to life,

after a long, black, black gap of what

might have been a million years.24

We hear Alex moan, and then another moan. Alex and the other – a

few times.

Suddenly, some curtains which have been drawn around another bed

in the ward are parted, and a nurse hurries to Alex, hastily

buttoning up her uniform. She is trailed by a young Intern

fumbling with his trousers.

NURSE

25 Oh, he's recovered conscienceness, Doctor.

25 -26 Newspaper montage 'Alex recovered'

INT. HOSPITAL – DAY

Em and Pee sitting around the bed.

PEE

28 Hullo, lad.

EM

Hullo, son, how are you?

PEE

Are you feeling better?

ALEX

What gives, O myee P and Em, what makes

you think you are welcome?

Em sobs. Pee comforts her.

PEE

There, there mother, it's alright. He

doesn't mean it. You were in the papers

again, son. It said they had done great

wrong to you. 29 It said how the Government

drove you to try and do yourself in... and

when you think about it, son... maybe it

was our fault too in a way... your home's

your home when it's all said and done,

 30 son.

Em sobs.

INT. HOSPITAL

Psychiatrist wheels trolley to Alex's bed. He is sitting up.

ALEX

Good morning, Missus.

DR. TAYLOR

How are you feeling today?

ALEX

Fine. Fine.

DR. TAYLOR

1st December Good. I'm doctor Taylor.

ALEX

I haven't seen you before.

DR. TAYLOR

I'm your Psychiatrist.

ALEX

Psychiatrist? Huh, do I need one?

 

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