beloved basil: what did the snake mean in a clockwork orange?

 In A Clockwork Orange (1971), Alex has a pet. A big red tail boa constrictor, to be exact, by the loving name of Basil. Basil was added in by Kubrick as a way of making Alex seem more dangerous by owning a big snake. Though partially added as a cruel joke to play on Malcolm McDowell, (it's been stated that he had a fear of reptiles, though he himself dismissed the idea), Basil holds a lot of significance for Alex's character in the film.

 Kubrick changed a lot of the book's portrayal of Alex to make him more palatable (if you can call it that) for the general audience. In the book, Alex has no pets nor ever states a desire to keep one. Though Basil may have been added to make Alex seem more tough to the viewer, there's a lot more to it than a snake in the bedroom drawer. There's an untold story there, a memory of him stealing some big boa from a pet shop and claiming he "bought" it to put his parents at ease. He doesn't have a proper tank for the creature but instead keeps it under his bed until he wants to take it out to crawl around and cuddle to sleep. At least the poor thing gets a perch and a heat lamp. In a way, Basil serves as one of the only "friends" that Alex has. Boa constrictors are usually sweet and docile; Basil is a living creature that won't turn on Alex as long as he doesn't pose as a threat. To him, it's just another thing to possess.

    Nearing the end of the movie, we learn that the beloved Basil is dead. Alex asks, after he's lost everything else in his life, "What about my snake?" to which his father replies that it was some "accident" that made poor Basil pass away. Alex tears up at that, seemingly expressing sadness that he'd never once (and never does) express again in the movie. Basil serves as the one living thing Alex cared for, whether it be for his own musings or something genuine. Most of us has had a pet that died and can relate to Alex on some level, especially considering how low he is in life already. This revelation could've also been one of the reasons that eventually pushed him to consider suicide (if you believe he wasn't falsifying his condition the whole time).

basil's setup, right next to his bed

    Snakes in general hold a lot of symbolism to them, but you don't need me to tell you that. You can do a quick google search to see what I mean: they could mean anything and everything. But in the case of Alex and Basil, I see a transformation. A rebirth. The dead snake could represent the venom slowly leaving Alex; he's not dangerous anymore, not by the end of the movie. He was first reported as a vicious "cat lady killer", but after his conditioning, he's no longer seen as something to be feared. If anything, he's something to be treaded upon. When we learn that Basil is dead, a part of Alex dies with it: the violent part.

    Of course, there's also a very obvious sexual aspect to it all, shown best in this scene (the height of this snake's acting career). Basil being let out of the drawer only to be placed near the Makkink painting of the lady, slithering slowly up toward her core, is an innuendo I don't really need to explain in depth. What I do see is two beings - as in physical things in the universe - of the inhumane (not human but closely resembling): one depicting human in the most intimate form and the other a cold-blooded beast. One is experiencing a euphoric rapture (and being literally "held" up by the Christ Unlimited statue) and the other seems to seek the same. Think of that what you will.

    Basil, in the movie, serves as a sort of symbol for Alex's psyche. When the boa thrives, Alex thrives. He attacks people who he thinks is a threat to him or are beneath him on the food chain. He doesn't live a proper life, being kept contained in a metaphorical "box" much alike Basil, but he makes do by enjoying the things he loves. When his basic instincts and joys are taken away from him, he too feels like an animal ripped from its habitat.

rip cuddle buddy