Review of Alphaville (1965) by Phil B — 06 Apr 2010
"I had only spent one night in Alphaville but it felt like centuries had past," says Lemmy Caution, thirty minutes into the film and in my mind I replied "The feeling is mutual." Our film opens with a punch but falls into monotony. The dramatic yet irritatingly repetitive soundtrack soon feels like a routine chore to listen to, the lifeless characters and the colorless, mundane visuals of a city completely overrun by technology leaves us trapped together with our main character. We are left not amused yet neither is Lemmy, we are thrown into his shoes because he is all that remains human to us.
Through Alphaville we learn there is more to life than simply just being alive and as Caution attempts to acquaint Natasha to the idea of love we feel oxygen being breathed into Alphaville's lungs.
Ultimately, Godard's message is the tiresome yet potent: love conquers all but there's so much more to this film than an overused ideology. It's not his message but the complexly beautiful presentation of his message that makes Alphaville a winner. Godard dares and succeeds in his didactic 1965 picture.
This review of Alphaville (1965) was written by Phil B on 06 Apr 2010.
Alphaville has generally received positive reviews.
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