10 Best Performances In Stanley Kubrick's Films

A Clockwork Orange makes the case that every human being, no matter how despicable, deserves free will. For Kubrick to get this point across, he needed a protagonist that you equally hated and enjoyed watching. Malcolm McDowell was more than up for the challenge, bringing Alex DeLarge to life with devilish glee.

Thanks to McDowell's wit and charisma, you can't keep your eyes off Alex even when he's committing horrific acts of violence. His joy at the mere thought of causing chaos is infectious, and many of the film’s most iconic features, such as Alex’s trademark outfit and the infamous “Singin’ in the Rain” sequence, were McDowell’s ideas. But the true testament to McDowell's skill is how he makes you pity Alex when subjected to a conversion therapy treatment that strips him of his violent impulses.

McDowell embodies the drastic changes Alex undergoes in the film, unrestrained and confident when enjoying “a bit of the old ultra-violence" and closed off and meek when he loses his free will. In his post-treatment state, Alex is such a pathetic far cry from the exuberant young man he used to be that you almost forget how awful he truly was. Riding that fine line between repulsion and attraction is a trial by fire, and McDowell's extraordinary talents make A Clockwork Orange as relevant as it was back in the 70s.