A Clockwork Orange (novel) After his fellow cellmates blame him for beating a troublesome cellmate to death, he is chosen to undergo an experimental behaviour modification treatment called the Ludovico Technique in exchange for having the remainder of his sentence commuted. The technique is a form of aversion therapy, in which Alex is injected with nausea-inducing drugs while watching graphically violent films, eventually conditioning him to become severely ill at the mere thought of violence. As an unintended consequence, the soundtrack to one of the films, Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, renders Alex unable to enjoy his beloved classical music as before. The effectiveness of the
Alex (A Clockwork Orange) Picture Drama, and some consider his failure to receive a Best Actor nomination at the Academy Awards a major snub. In 2008, his performance was ranked #100 on "Premiere Magazine"s "100 Greatest Performances of All Time." Vanessa Claire Smith won "LA Weekly"s Leading Female Performance award for her gender-bending performance in the stage production of "A Clockwork Orange". Alex (A Clockwork Orange) Alex is a fictional character in Anthony Burgess' novel "A Clockwork Orange" and Stanley Kubrick's film adaptation of the same name, in which he is played by Malcolm McDowell. In the film, his surname is DeLarge, a reference