Review of Alphaville (1965) by Eren Y — 06 May 2013

Set in the future, Alphaville tells the story of Lemmy Caution, a secret agent who travels to Alphaville to seek out Professor Von Braun and possibly get rid of him.

I'm not a fan of French New Wave cinema, but you cant help but see the influences this film has had on modern sci-fi. Here Godard chooses to make a science fiction film with no special effects or elaborate sets. Almost as if it is a parody of sci-fi. Instead he tells the story as a noir detective tale and shoots it in futuristic looking buildings in Paris and has lingering shots on neon and mathematical diagrams. Caution is dressed in typical noir detective garb (trench coat and hat) as he makes his way through this disturbing Dystopian society where emotion has been outlawed through punishment of death by firing squad into swimming pool.

Never really clear on whether Alphaville is a city or planet, or whether Caution's Ford Galaxy is supposed to represent a spaceship. It really is all a bit too hipster for me, though its place in the list is deserved. The influence from the story and look is wide reaching. Fahrenheit 451 and Blade Runner scream loudest, but you will find hints in other gritty sci-fi.

I was still bored to nonplussedom, but the signposted influences made this more of a comfortable ride.