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Directed by: Jean-Luc Godard Starring: Eddie Constantine, Anna Karina A science fiction film without special effects would be a hard sell today, but at the same time, it’s difficult to imagine Jean-Luc Godard making something like I, Robot or even The Terminator. Alphaville isn’t really a sci-fi film though, or at least not just a sci-fi film. There are elements of film-noir, spy thriller and ever surrealist romance to be found, and the tone of the film varies as much as the genre; ranging from serious social commentary to campy genre parody and lyrical poetry. The unevenness of the film will make it difficult to follow for those uninitiated in the world of Godard, but it’s a treat for know their way around his universe. Lemmy Caution (Eddie Constantine) is a secret agent from the outlands who travels to the futuristic city of Alphaville to find the scientist Dr. Von Braun, and either bring him back on his return voyage, or liquidate him if he refuses to cooperate. However, once he arrives in Alphaville, he becomes lost in its maze of dehumanization, surrounded by soulless automatons under the command of the robot-mind Alpha 60. He meets up with Dr. Von Braun’s daughter, Natasha (Anna Karina), who he tries to rescue from Alphaville’s brainwashing process. Alphaville is sort of a low budget, art-house version of Blade Runner or the Matrix. A lot of the cyberpunk conventions seen in contemporary films originated here, and it was the first film to blend science fiction with film-noir. It was actually shot on location in 1960’s Paris, but the ultra-modern art style of the time manages to help perpetuate the futuristic setting of the story. In addition to the on-location filming, the cinematography is very minimalist (black and white, using mostly natural lighting, hand-held camera), adding to the not-quite-right look of the film. Despite some of the anachronisms in the presentation of the film, this is really one of the most intelligently made movies I’ve seen. It’s pretty hard to imagine a movie that mixes up so many different styles and genres, but Alphaville pull it off excellently. There are lots of great references to other films (and pop culture in general) as well, especially Nosferatu. Negative footage is inserted into the movie, similar to the scene in Murau’s film when the black carriage rides through the forest of ashen trees. There are many allusions to vampirism throughout the film, though not in the sense of Dracula, but as sort of unliving humans: not dead, but not quite conscious either. Like many other sci-fi films, Alphaville is pretty techno-phobic, casting a super-computer as a sort of a Big Brother kind of villain. Technology begins to replace social interaction and computer calculations substitute for the human thought, leading to a world where humanity is reduced to a pawn-like existence serving under their computer master. The original title of the movie was actually Tarzan vs. IBM, which would have been great, especially given how Kubrick referenced IBM a few years later in 2001. Constantine is perfect for the part of Lemmy Caution (which he played in many other films, including a semi-sequel to Alphaville). Think James Bond played by Charles Bronson and you start to get the picture. He has the kind of craggy face you normally expect from a spaghetti western villain, and though he was sort of old to be playing the secret agent role, he does it well, as sort of a gruff, “been there, seen it all” kind of guy. He has the same kind of ultra-quick wit as James Bond, but he’s much more cynical and dark. The overdramatic music of the film suits his character well, thundering like a corny spy movie. Karina gives one of her most memorable dramatic performances, as the “jeune sphinx” Natasha Von Braun. Her big, soulful eyes, angular hair style and girlish wardrobe give her character a sense of sinister menace and alluring mystery. Caution quickly falls under her spell, and she finds herself drawn to him as well, stalking him like a wraith in one of the films more surreal moments. One sequence finds Godard professing his love for Karina, his wife at the time, through the film, characters and Paul Eluard’s poetry, which while beautifully filmed, comes across rather strange. As much as I love this movie, it’s hard to give it an unhesitant recommendation, because a lot of the people I know who have seen it absolutely hated it. The esoteric sensibilities and dark, cryptic humor can easily be mistaken for pretentiousness, which on top of the often confusing style of the film can make it really difficult for some to enjoy. Check it out after seeing one or two of Godard’s other films and hopefully it will play well. RATING: 4.5 PROS: brilliantly directed, great performances, interesting blend of genres and styles CONS: very weird ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058898/
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Aug 1, 2004 02:52
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| # ? Apr 23, 2024 23:07 |
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this movie is *fantastic* While it may be a futuristic spy film, the film's primary concern is the power of love in an impossible situation. This is definately one of my favorite films of all time. 5.5 I did not view any of the weirdness in a bad way, as nothing was incomprehensible or ridiculous. I want to change my name to Lemmy Caution 
Riban fucked around with this message at 22:44 on Aug 1, 2004 |
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Aug 1, 2004 22:42
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I did not like this film. Slow moving and preachy, yet confusing.
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Aug 2, 2004 21:01
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Creepy. CREEPY. CREEPY
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Aug 4, 2004 21:34
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I should preface this by saying I don't like Godard very much. Too much pseudo-philosophical nonsense. A lot of flim-flam babble. The parts that were supposed to be funny elicited little more than a smile, but the parts that were supposed to be deep and serious were loving hilarious. I can appreciate how unique and challenging it is, but I didn't enjoy it much, and I sure wouldn't bother with it again. Rating: 2.5
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Jan 19, 2005 22:53
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