ALPHAVILLE - DVD review

For the second year in a row, The Criterion Collection and the Sundance Channel are partnering to present a selection of cinematic works from around the world in the "The Sundance Channel Presents Classic World Cinema from The Criterion Collection" program. These films will air on the Sundance Channel Saturday and Sunday nights at 9:00 P.M. ET/PT during July and August 2002, offering viewers something "different" for their summer viewing pleasure. "Branded to Kill", directed by Seijun Suzuki, airs on Saturday, July 13th, and "Alphaville", directed by Jean-Luc Godard, airs on Sunday, July 14th. (For more information, visit http://www.sundancechannel.com/feature/?sContent=July2002.)

Perhaps you've heard of a little something called the French New Wave (La nouvelle vague)? During the 1960s, French cinema enjoyed a resurgence courtesy of a new generation of filmmakers who had been film critics before making films themselves. Writing for "Les Cahiers du Cinéma", these critics trumpeted the greatness of Alfred Hitchcock, American film noir/gangster flicks, and Orson Welles. When they directed their own movies, the New Wavers filled their works with "American cool".

Chief among the New Wavers was Jean-Luc Godard. His "Breathless" ("A bout de soufflé") is regarded as a seminal work, quite possibly the inaugurator of the French New Wave. Godard pioneered techniques such as random oddly-angled camera shots, jump cuts, editing that disregarded traditional filmmaking concepts such as the 180-degree perspective plane, and disjointed narratives. In fact, Godard and Co. caused much uproar in their day. Believe it or not, the general public once cared about how a movie was made, not just box office results.

"Breathless" deconstructed the gangster genre, and "Alphaville" did the same for science-fiction. In "Alphaville", Lemmy Caution (Eddie Constantine) arrives in Alphaville disguised as a journalist from the Outlands. He pretends to be covering a festival, but he's really on a mission to kill the inventor of Alpha 60, a fascist computer that controls life in Alphaville. Not only does Alpha 60 force its citizens to think "logically" (i.e. as little as possible), it also wants to wage nuclear war on other galaxies.

"Alphaville" references many dystopic influences, including George Orwell's "1984" and Aldous Huxley's "Brave New World". For example, there's a "Bible" in every hotel room, but the book is a constantly updated dictionary, not a religious text. Each new edition of the dictionary contains fewer and fewer words, for more and more linguistic expressions are being outlawed. Also, the characters constantly ingest pills in order to suppress their free will and emotions. (Not surprisingly, the leftist [if not Communist, at least Socialist] Godard delights in sharing others' view that rightist utopias never work. Yet, Godard seems to forget that the political left has created its share of utopic visions, not the least of which was Communism itself.) Obviously, the city of Alphaville is meant as a metaphor for a "state of mind" or a "state of being".

Godard did not really use any special visual effects. In fact, the characters inhabit a world that looks little different from France in 1965 (the year of the film's release). The technology, the clothes, the sets, the vehicles--everything looks rather ordinary for a science-fiction parable. Godard's approach to a futurist vision creates a sense of alienation in the viewer. Yes, the world of "Alphaville" looks like ours, but it's not our world. Throw in a little cognitive and physical dissonance (a nod means no, a shake of the head means yes, the term "galaxies" apparently refers to locations reachable by car, everyone says "I'm very well, thank you" before a question is asked), and you've got a picture that uncomfortably skews perceptions of our own reality.

Despite a brisk running time (99 minutes), "Alphaville" felt very draggy to me. During the first 45 minutes, Lemmy Caution meets a variety of characters for ill-explained reasons. Aside from a few photographs that Lemmy studies, the film hardly provides any background information concerning Lemmy's mission. Godard's script also says little about his fictional universe, adding to the alienation felt by the viewer (probably intentional). I appreciate movies that make my mind work in order to draw conclusions. However, "Alphaville" seems intent on preventing people from knowing what's happening in the story. In fact, when Lemmy declares his love for Natasha Vonbraun (Anna Karina), it will come as a shock to viewers since nothing in the movie preceding that moment has indicated that a romance would develop between the two. It's not an anti-narrative film, but "Alphaville" certainly tries hard to be one.

Ultimately, "Alphaville" works better as a collection of political and philosophical ideas rather than as a "movie" movie. If you watch the film with little knowledge about the 1960s or pre-1960s cinema, then your enjoyment of the film will be severely hampered. Still, even if you're familiar with the movie's place in history, you might be hard-pressed to like it. I admire "Alphaville" for its ideas, for its ability to turn reality on its head, and for its sly visuals, but it's far from my favorite when it comes to this type of movie. Steven Spielberg's "A.I." and "Minority Report" are better bets, not just because they're more contemporary works but because they are much more accessible and involving than "Alphaville".

Video:
The video transfer is a mixed bag. Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.33:1 (full-frame on 4:3 monitors), the film print looks stable, smooth, and relatively well-preserved. Film grain has been kept under control. However, some portions of the film look slightly faded, and there are numerous scratches, hairs, and other instances of physical damage to the print that mar the overall look of the transfer.

Audio:
The Dolby Digital 1.0 mono French audio track shows its age with its slight hissing. There's a subtle layer of hiss that is almost always present, making the viewer rather aware of the era's limited technology. Also, as usual with older mono tracks, the audio sounds thin, a quality that renders lower frequencies a bit harsh on the ears. Still, the dialogue sounds clear, and that is the most important thing in this dialogue-driven film.

English subtitles support the audio.

Extras:
An early effort from Criterion, the "Alphaville" DVD offers nothing more than color bars (to help viewers calibrate monitors to proper viewing levels) in terms of extras.

A booklet provides a mini-essay about the film, film credits, DVD credits, and chapter listings.

Entertainment Value:
I'm not a fan of Jean-Luc Godard, and I was not impressed with "Alphaville". The problem with filmmakers who are as leftist as Godard was is that everything on the other end of the political spectrum is presented in a highly-caricaturized fashion. (Of course, the same goes for right-leaning films, too.) However, Godard and "Alphaville" are highly-regarded in many circles, so maybe the movie will be your cup of tea.