Review of Alphaville (1965) by Travis H — 31 Jan 2004
This is a hard film to write about. Seeing it once and then critiquing it probably doesn't do the film enough justice. There is so much going on visually and subtley that you just can't take it in in one viewing. It's much like a Lynch picture in that respect, especially Mulholland or Lost Highway.
The story was facinating and was an obvious influence on many sci-fi films since its release. It was thought provoking and will certainly stick with me for a few days.
That being said, the film didn't age well. The action sequences are nearly laughable at times, especially Caution's fight with a man in a garage while attempting to steal his car. There are several quick cuts where the two are merely posing for the camera.
I also found the negative picture to be a distraction and completely unnecessary. And speaking of distracting, the score was obtrusive to say the least. The mysterious noir style music was loud, and cut out suddenly in many spots.
Like I said, I probably need a second viewing to assess the film more acurately, but as for now I found Godard's direction to be average, and while the story was intriguing, the execution was not.
This review of Alphaville (1965) was written by Travis H on 31 Jan 2004.
Alphaville has generally received positive reviews.
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