A Clockwork Orange Page #9

ALEX:

Hi. Hi. Hi, there my Pee and Em.

All three look up startled.

EM:

Alex.

ALEX:

(to his mother)

Hullo love, how are you?

(kisses her)

Nice to see you, Dad.

PEE:

Hullo lad. What a surprise, good to see you.

ALEX:

Keeping fit then?

PEE:

(very ill at ease)

Fine, fine.

ALEX:

Well, how are you then?

PEE:

Oh fine, fi. Keeping out of trouble, you know.

ALEX:

Well - I'm back.

PEE:

(with feigned enthusiasm)

Aye. Glad to see you back, lad.

EM:

Why didn't you let us know what was happening, son?

ALEX:

Sorry, Em, I wanted it to be like... a big surprise for you and pee.

PEE:

Well, it's a surprise all right, a bit bewildering too.

EM:

We've only just read about it in the morning papers.

PEE:

Aye. You should have let us know, lad, not that we're not very pleased

to see you again. All cured too, eh?

ALEX:

That's right, Dad they did a great job on my gulliver, I'm completely

reformed.

PEE:

Aye.

ALEX:

(looks in the kitchen)

Well, still the same old place then, eh?

PEE:

Oh, aye, aye.

ALEX:

(fake whisper)

Hey, Dad, there's a strange fella sitting on the sofa there munchy-

wunching lomticks of toast.

PEE:

Aye, that's Joe. He... ummmm, lives here now. The lodger. That's what

he is... he... he rents your room.

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. 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 c*cks his fist and starts to retch violently, almost at the same

moment Joe drops back on the couch next to Em.

EM:

Joe! Joe! 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:

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?

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.

ALEX:

What about Basil? Where's my snake?

PEE:

Oh well, he met with like an accident. 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. 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 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

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. 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.

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. 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.

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.

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

Alex walks along the Thames embankment still holding his paper parcel.

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?

Alex, without looking at him, reaches in his pocket and gives him some

money.

TRAMP:

Oh, thankyou, your honour.

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.

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.)

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:

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.

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