10 Movies That Made You Sympathise With Terrible People

“What the hell is Kubrick up to here?” asks Roger Ebert is his unfavourable review of A Clockwork Orange. Ebert hated the character of Alex (Malcolm McDowell), describing him as nothing more than a “pop-art abstraction” whose main characteristic is enjoying rape, yet with whom Kubrick attempts to force us into a “grudging pal-ship”.

It’s a fair enough point. Alex is a sadistic rapist who unapologetically loves a bit of the old ultraviolence. And the film, through its use of camerawork and Alex’s narration, is constantly trying to seduce us into siding with Alex. Alex speaks to us as his “brothers” whether he is on a violent rampage or asking us for pity. Alex’s sadism catches up with him in prison when he suffers a horrific rehabilitation program, and after his release when he is beaten and tormented by the people he wronged back in his droog days. Should we sympathise with Alex or is he getting exactly what he deserves?

The fact is that the film, just as Anthony Burgess’s book, is told from Alex’s point of view and is thus deliberately manipulative. Whether we want to be or not we are Alex’s “brothers”, much to Ebert’s distaste. In A Clockwork Orange violence begets violence - it is used to rehabilitate Alex, but the violent vengeance enacted on Alex later leads to his rehab leaving him, and the film ends with violent fantasies returning to Alex much to his delight.

The film - and Alex - demands sympathy from us instead of earning it. Whether we fall for it or keep a safe distance is on the viewer.