Alphaville (1965)

A U.S. secret agent is sent to the distant space city of Alphaville where he must find a missing person and free the city from its tyrannical ruler.

Director:

Jean-Luc Godard

Writer:

Jean-Luc Godard

Stars:

Eddie Constantine, Anna Karina, Akim Tamiroff

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Eddie Constantine	...	Lemmy Caution
Anna Karina	...	Natacha von Braun
Akim Tamiroff	...	Henri Dickson (as Akim Tamirof)

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 | french new wave | satire | comic violence | surrealism | 

---

Taglines:

Suddenly the word is Alphaville... and a secret agent is in a breathless race against the Masters of the Future.

---

Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

---

Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

France Italy

Language:

French English

Release Date:

5 May 1965 (France)

Also Known As:

Dick Tracy on Mars

Filming Locations:

EDF building, Paris 12, Paris, France

Box Office

Budget:

$220,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$7,298, 7 February 2014, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$47,696, 31 December 2014

Company Credits

Production Co:

André Michelin Productions, Filmstudio, Chaumiane

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This film is part of the Criterion Collection, spine #25.

---

Goofs

After Lemmy has shot Professor Vonbraun, he runs down a staircase and throws open a glass door. As he does so, the reflection of the cameraman can be seen clearly in the door.

---

Quotes

Chief Engineer: Perhaps you are a spy, Mr. Johnson.
Lemmy Caution: You know I'm only a free man.
Chief Engineer: A meaningless reply.

---

Crazy Credits

Before the credits, Godard adds one letter at a time to compose the word "fin"--"i"..."in"..."fin"--as though to suggest "I, in the end."

---

Alternate Versions

In the original French version, the voice of the computer Alpha 60 sounds harsh and throaty as if produced by belching. One English-dubbed version gives the computer a more typical computer-like voice.

---

Connections

Referenced in To Each His Own Cinema (2007)

User Reviews

Disturbing reality.

Complex plot about a secret agent who arrives from the outer space outlands in the capital of a large union of nations which resides in space. The people in this capital are acting very crazy. They are token under tranquillizers the whole time and even don't know anymore what love is. The system from the state is under the spell from a large, intelligent computer, alpha 60, which cares about nearly everything. Developed from a scientist (von Braun aka Nosferatu, both are hints to germans, the first to werner von braun, the developer from the apollo moon project, the second from the first dracula movie ever, the german soundless movie: NOSFERATU 1922)he tries to install a system of pure logic and rationalism. But what about emotions? And freedom? No one cares anymore... And then the secret agent comes into town and have to fight against this system. Goddard shows nearly no special effects and has made his movie in Paris in the sixties, which is a good trick (except that it is cheap!), because it says that this system is not far away from our reality.