Red, the color of heat, anger, blood, floods the screen for the first thirty-two seconds of the film. Time enough for the viewer to really contemplate the effect of the color red. Suddenly, the screen switches to blue, but it doesn't last nearly as long, maybe a fourth of the time. It is a tease of serenity, comfort, peace of mind. Then back to red, the moment of relaxation and security is gone.
             The opening credits (described in the first paragraph) are a condensed version of the main character's, Alexander DeLarge, mental status throughout the movie. He spends the first part of the film being himself, a sadistic character who's entire life is based around sex, violence, and music (mostly Ludwig Van Beethoven) Then he is put through harsh treatment and supposedly cured to conform to society in his thoughts and actions. He feels extreme pain as a result of the things that once gave him extreme pleasure. Another tease, the facade of a calm, sane, normal person. But in the end, he returns to his old ways, his true self eventually prevails.
             The first scene of Clockwork Orange opens with a extreme close up of Alex's face, his head slightly tilted downward and his eyes looking directly into the camera. The viewer is confronted with a long, silent eye contact that becomes awkward quickly. The director successfully makes the audience uncomfortable before the first minute of the film is complete, almost as a forewarning of what's to come.
             A dolly shot pulls away from Alex while he introduces himself and his "droogs" through the role of narrator. He and his group are into ultraviolence, an extreme violence involving beating, robbing, and raping random people for their own pleasure, and each night they construct an itinerary and go out to pursue their goal for the evening. One night, after a small dispute within the group over leadership and decision making, the three droogs set up Alex to be ...