Black & White; Standard Screen; Soundtrack French; English Subtitles
With 1965's ALPHAVILLE--part sci-fi action film, part noir thriller--the acclaimed French New Wave director Jean-Luc Godard achieves a stunningly clinical futurism using absolutely no special visual effects. The result is a moving, original film that, with its abstract, political, and intellectual themes, essentially redefines the apocalyptic science fiction genre. ALPHAVILLE, clearly the product of one of cinema's greatest contributors, is nothing less than a bona fide cult classic.
A bizarre space-chase across a glass and metal landscape of futuristic Paris--here called Alphaville--is the movie's premise. Creating a dystopian "tomorrow" characterized by alienation and cold corporate comforts, Godard slyly suggests that the future is now. Secret agent man Lemmy Caution (Eddie Constantine) travels across the expanses of intergalactic space and time to uncover the fate of his missing predecessor. Working under the alias of Ivan Johnson, Caution is accompanied in his quest by the lovely Natasha Vonbraun (Anna Karina), the daughter of a supposedly missing professor. Caution later discovers that the elder Vonbraun is the mastermind behind Alpha 60--the rigid, masterful computer that governs Alphaville. Alpha's job is to crush individuality, eradicating any human being who does not conform. Ultimately, Lemmy is left with no other choice but to destroy the calculating chip-and-wire monolith, with the only weapons he has left: his heart and soul.
Released theatrically (in France): May 5, 1965.
U.S. theatrical release date: October 25, 1965.
Shot on location in Paris, France.
Winner of Best Film at the Berlin Film Festival.
Every scene was shot in one take in natural darkness; thus, many shots had to be destroyed because it was too dark for the film to record the image properly.
Script girl Suzanne Schiffman later served as a writer and assistant director on a number of Francois Truffaut films.
Alphaville Quotes/Excerpts:
"All things weird are normal in this whore of cities."--Lemmy Caution (Eddie Constantine)
Customer Alphaville Reviews Customer Alphaville DVD Reviews
Average Rating: (4 out of 5 stars)
Alphaville--for completists only Jean-Luc Godard's "Alphaville" is on the Criterion collection, which means that it costs at least ten dollars more than the average DVD. Usually with Criterion, you get lots of extras--sometimes, it seems, almost too many extras. With this DVD, however, you pay the price, and get no extras at all.
As for the movie itself, it's a private eye caper set in the future, with the usual Godardian jumpy editing. At least the patron saint of chain-smoking, Anna Karina, is beautiful as always.
Get "Contempt" or "Band of Outsiders" or "Weekend" first. Submitted by twi-zon (Springfield, MO) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
Just imagination Godard at his best. No necessary a lot of FX to make a good fiction film. It´s just imagination!!! Submitted by pedrogz2 (Segovia, Spain) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
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Alphaville DVD
Alphaville DVD Features
Region 1 Keep Case Full Frame - 1.33 Audio: Dolby Digital Mono - French Subtitles - English - Optional Chapters:
1. Logos 2. Opening Credits 3. Agent from the Outlands 4. Seductress, Third Class 5. Natasha 6. Stupid Questions 7. Can't Hear the Music 8. Dying Words 9. The Teachings of Alpha 60 10. Deadly Bathing Beauties 11. The Love of Money and Women 12. Professors Eckle and Jeckel 13. A Guarantee to Electrify 14. The Meaning of Conscience 15. Remembering Broadway 16. Natasha Defines Love 17. A Man and a Cup of Coffee 18. Reporter and Revenger 19. Escape 20. Rescuing the Princess 21. Color Bars
Alphaville--for completists only
Just imagination
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