Alphaville

This is a film by Jean-Luc Goddard. It came out in 1965. This film is a story by Lemmy Caution. It is a story about a computer (not HAL!) the genres this film is based on are film noir and science fiction. Basically the computers job is to eliminate anything feminine. It also could deal with the possible elimination of humanity. The idea of the computer is to end all illogical behavior (or feminine behavior depending on how you view women!) This film was shot and edited in one month. The voice of the computer was played by a man who had a laryinectomy.

There are two very disturbing scenes in this film. The first is the execution scene, 50 men to every 1 woman are shot off a diving board into a pool. A group of synchronized swimmers jump in and gather the floating dead bodies. What a fun job that would be. One man was executed because he cried when his wife died. The second disturbing scene is when the computer has gone bad, and Lemmy is trying to get the girl out of the building and you see all these people being drawn to the wall, wailing and swaying as though they have lost their minds.

This film again plays with sound. You could really hear the lighter opening and closing but when he is in his car cocking the gun you could not hear that. This film was almost oppressive. The fight scenes were absurd. When Caution is getting beat up in the elevator, we see him jump back and forth in the wall/men, when the fight scene takes place in the hotel, the girl sits naked in the tub, totally unaware of the huge fight taking place all around her. When he is stealing the car, we see him fight the guy trying to stop him. He grabs the guys head and closes the window on it, slow action fighting ensues, he ends up getting the guy to lay down and he runs over his head.

The film definitely mean to be funny. It pokes fun at the film noir and sci-fi genres. They are dealing with inter-galactic travel and yet drinking down a freeway/highway. the mise en scene was supposed to be advanced, the computer runs everything. Form follows function.

Again we see Goddard has an issue with a sexist attitude. All the women in the film are basically sex robots. Anna, his wife is again in this film, yet portrayed very differently than she used to be. Perhaps they had hit a rough patch in their marriage and he was less infatuated with her.

While not may favorite film it was still enjoyable. It definitely followed the form of french new wave with the constant camera movement.

the shadow patterns are very evident when Caution is questioning the man in the hall and we see the single light bulb swaying casting shadows on the wall.