Alphaville

A classic, hardboiled detective-type is thrust into an unknown and mysterious world in Godard's science-fiction classic.

After arriving in the technocratic dictatorship of Alphaville, Secret Agent Lemmy Caution (Eddie Constantine) sets out on a mission to remove Professor Braun, the creator of a malevolent computer that rules the city with a strictly logical fist. Upon his arrival, he is greeted by the professor's alluring daughter Natacha (Anna Karina) who accompanies him on his quest to unravel the computer's mysteries.

Curator Notes

At first glance, Alphaville seems like an unusual entry in Jean-Luc Godard's early-career oeuvre, but all of his trademark calling cards are here. By writing in Lemmy Caution – a Mike Hammer-esque private eye character born out of pulp fiction that would define the actor's career – Godard references the hardboiled detectives of classic films noir in a much more grandiose way than he was able to in 1960's Breathless. Here he merges the darkest of Hollywood genres with science-fiction, but instead of creating spectacular, futuristic sets, the film was shot in and against modernist buildings across Paris. The film intoxicated viewers upon its release, winning the Golden Bear at the 15th Berlin International Film Festival.