Entry No. 5:

 Why Alex DeLarge Is A Perfect Character

"Antihero" is defined as "a main character in a story who may lack conventional heroic qualities and attributes, such as idealism, courage, and morality." When it comes to Stanley Kubrick's 1971 film A Clockwork Orange, Alex DeLarge (Malcolm McDowell) is certainly the main character. However, DeLarge strays away from the norms of antiheroes. 

IMG Source - https://a1cf74336522e87f135f-2f21ace9a6cf0052456644b80fa06d4f.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/images/characters/large/800/Alex-DeLarge.A-Clockwork-Orange.webp

While characters like Johnny Depp's Jack Sparrow and Ryan Reynold's Deadpool are antiheroes that lean more to the "light", he is truly the villain in the setting of futuristic Britain. Despite his acts of violence, sexual assault, and gang wars, the audience grows connected with DeLarge. Kubrick's decision to follow DeLarge in his day-to-day activities when he is not with his gang allows the viewers to grow attached to the 15-year-old (!!). McDowell's stellar performance is another reason for the success of DeLarge's fondness. No matter how heinous, the actor portrays the character with a charismatic charm. 

The audience isn't rooting for him to get away with violence, but they certainly feel as betrayed as Alex did when his gang leaves him for the cops. They can feel his pain during his "rehabilitation" as he screams, and I certainly felt equal parts happy and excited to see that he had overcome the government's attempts at rehab and returned to his violent tendencies. 

Kubrick brought Anthony Burgess' character to the big screen, but McDowell brought him to life.