Alphaville

Alphaville
**/5
by Jean-Luc Godard

To be honest, I didn't like Alphaville very much at all. I felt very mistrustful of the film: it seemed to be making fun of me.

It was constructed with all of these “genre” elements: a spy, a femme fatale, a superintelligent computer, a secret organization, etc. but separated them from any of the style or artistry that actual genre films often contain. The bare plot devices were pasted together, which I felt created quite a misrepresentation of the source material. It was as if the film was intended to expose the flaws of the films it derived itself from, and, by proximity, those who enjoy such films, which seemed like a rather immature and cynical venture.

Besides that, there were some scenes that did not really blend with the others (like the fight scene in the hotel room near the beginning), and the whole thing was devoid of any kind of dramatic tension. Events just sort of played out until the end. And by the end, you realize that this film also states that love is among those preposterous things that only happens in movies.

The stylistic decisions that were added onto this strange film were ones that I just didn't get. The two second long interludes of neon signs and things speeding by or flashing seemed to be some kind of visual metaphor, the meaning of which escaped me. The distant and sterile mood of the film coupled with incredibly long handheld takes just exhausted me. I felt cut off from the characters, but also unpleasantly trapped. If this is what was intended, I fail to see why.

It is quite possible I'm missing something here, but if I am, isn't it a problem that the point wasn't made clear?