Review of Alphaville (1965) by Rafael B — 13 Jul 2009

A burping computer? Really? I know I'm the rube because I didn't like a Godard film, but, whatever. It's a nice noirish looking film and I can see it helping be the forerunner of other classics of the genre, and there's seductresses and indifferent people. And he saved a bundle on special effects.

I don't see how a mad scientist/computer that rules with an iron fist can be so casual. Everyone tells Caution he must register or else, but no one really does anything about it. And how do you rough up a guy, interrogate him, say you don't trust him then let him wander around the central core of your inner sanctum taking pictures? Arrogance of power, blah, blah, blah, I know.

And it's bad enough that a computer of the future is going to sermonize about not understanding plus so we can't understand 2, but does it have to sound like it's burping its long boring speeches? No wonder everyone's that way.

I like many of Godard's movies and I get them (I got this one, too), but this isn't his finest, sorry.