Alphaville (1965)

Release date: 1965-05-05
Country: France|Italy
Language: French|English
Director: Jean-Luc Godard
Production Co: André Michelin Productions, Filmstudio, Chaumiane
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller, Science Fiction
Rating: 7.2/10
Length: 1h 39min

Storyline

Lemmy Caution, an American private-eye, arrives in Alphaville, a futuristic city on another planet. His very American character is at odds with the city's ruler, an evil scientist named Von Braun, who has outlawed love and self-expression.

Plot Keywords

dystopia, neo noir, avant garde, nouvelle vague, surrealism, comic violence, satire, french new wave, galaxy, gun violence, mind control, neon, riddle, science runs amok, sexism, public execution, totalitarianism, character name in title, based on novel, spiral staircase

Short Review

It's so archly intellectual that you fear it might splinter if you poke it in the ribs. It's also endlessly playful in its worship of American movie tropes, and deeply resourceful.