Alphaville: A Strange Adventure of Lemmy Caution is a quirky blend of science fiction, pulp fiction characters, and surrealist poetry, making it one of the most unconventional films ever made.
In Alphaville Godard makes another bold attempt at mixing genres, this time merging dystopian science fiction with film noir. Instead of using elaborate props or futuristic sets, the film was shot on location in Paris, with the city’s nighttime streets representing those of Alphaville and modernist glass and concrete buildings (which were novel and striking in 1965) serving as the city’s interiors.
American actor Eddie Constantine stars as a trenchcoat-wearing secret agent, Lemmy Caution. The character of Lemmy Caution was originally created by British crime novelist Peter Cheyney, and Constantine portrayed him on screen multiple times. However, in Alphaville, director Jean-Luc Godard transports Caution from his typical twentieth-century noir setting to a futuristic sci-fi dystopia – the technocratic dictatorship of Alphaville.
The film won the Golden Bear award at the 15th Berlin International Film Festival in 1965.
Also part of ‘5x Godard’:
A musical comedy with a neorealistic approach featuring French superstar actors Anna Karina and Jean-Paul Belmondo – something only Jean-Luc Godard is able to pull off.
A colorful yet poignant examination of the complexity of human relationships in an age of commercialization with Brigitte Bardot in one of her most sensual roles.
An exciting and turbulent crime drama road film with stunning cinematography work and Anna Karina and Jean-Paul Belmondo in main roles.
