Alphaville, une étrange aventure de Lemmy Caution (1965)

Country of Origin: France/Italy
Year of Production: 1965
Running Times: 99m
Length: 2600 metres/8820 ft
Format: 35mm
Colour Format: black and white
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
Sound: mono

DIRECTION

Director: Jean-Luc Godard

CREW

PRODUCTION
Production Companies: Athos Films/Chaumiane/Filmstudio
Producer: André Michelin
Production Manager: Philippe Dussart (uncredited)

SCRIPT
Script: Jean-Luc Godard
Novel: La capitale de la douleur by Paul Éluard

DIRECTION
Assistant Directors: Charles L. Bitsch, Hélène Kalougine, Jean-Pierre Léaud, Jean-Paul Savignac (all uncredited)

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Raoul Coutard
Camera Operator: Georges Liron (uncredited)

EDITING AND POST-PRODUCTION
Editor: Agnès Guillemot

MUSIC
Music: Paul Misraki

SOUND
Sound: René Levert (uncredited)

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Production Designer: Pierre Guffroy

LOCATIONS
Locations: Paris, France

CAST

UNCREDITED CAST

Jean-Louis Comolli (Professor Jeckell)
Michel Delahaye (Von Braun's assistant)
Jean-André Fieschi (Professor Heckell)
Christa Lang
Jean-Pierre Léaud
László Szabó (chief engineer)
Howard Vernon (Professor Leonard Nosferatu aka Von Braun)

American private detective Lemmy Caution travels to the futuristic city of Alphaville, possibly on another planet. He crosses swords with the city's ruler, the scientist Von Braun, who has banned all forms of love and self-expression.

Brazil
Video Distributors: Mundial Filmes

France
Theatrical Distributors: Athos Films

UK
Theatrical Distributors: Academy/Connoisseur
Video Distributors: PVG

USA
Theatrical Distributors: Janus Films; Pathé Contemporary Films
Video Distributors: Sinister Cinema
Laserdisc Distributors: Criterion (CC 1426L (1995))
DVD Distributors: The Criterion Collection (ALP 030 (1998))

Argentina
Rating: 13

Brazil
Rating: 12

Chile
Rating: 14

Finland
Rating: K-12

Sweden
Rating: 15

UK
Rating: A; PG

West Germany
Rating: 16 (w)

1965
January
4: France – production begins
14: France – production ends

May
5: France – theatrical release

June
Day Unknown: West Germany – shown at the Berlin International Film Festival

July
22: West Germany – theatrical release
30: Italy - passed by the ratings board

August
7: Italy - theatrical release
20: Finland 2600 metres

October
25: USA – theatrical release

November
1: Sweden – theatrical release

1966
March
22: UK - trade show at the Academy Cinema, London

1995
December
6: USA - laserdisc release (Criterion (CC 1426L))

1998
October
21: USA - DVD release (The Criterion Collection (ALP 030))

2000
December
14: Germany – television broadcast

2001
December
20: Germany – theatrical re-release

Suddenly the word is Alphaville... and a secret agent is in a breathless race against the Masters of the Future.

Agente Lemmy Caution, missione Alphaville - Italian title
Alphaville, a Strange Adventure of Lemmy Caution
Alphaville, a Strange Case of Lemmy Caution
Alphaville, un mundo alucinante - Argentinian title
Lemmy Caution - piru mieheksi - Finnish title
Lemmy Caution gegen Alpha 60 - West German title
Lemmy contra Alphaville - Spanish title
Tarzan Vs. IBM

SEQUEL
Allemagne 90 neuf zéro (1991)

REMAKE
Megaville (1990)

EXTRACTS INCLUDED IN
Bad Influence (1990)
Tatort - Tote Taube in der Beethovenstraße (1973)

SEE ALSO
Blade Runner (1982)
Brazil (1985)
Equilibrium (2002)
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)

PERIODICALS

Cahiers du Cinéma no.168 (July 1965) p.86 (France)
article

Cahiers du Cinéma no.176 (March 1966) p.57 (France)
review

Chaplin no.157 October 1965 p.307 (Sweden)
review

Cinéaste vol.22 no.1 (April 1996) p.52 (USA)
illustrated credits, review

Cineforum no.49 (November 1965) p.755 (Italy)
review

Cinéma no.97 (June 1965) p.115 (France)
review

Cinema Nuovo vol.18 no.178 (November /December 1965) p.447 (Italy)
review

Cinématographie Française no.2114 (15 May 1965) p.18 (France)
review

Daily Cinema no.9193 (18 March 1966) p.8 (UK)
review (by M.H.)

Empire no.61 (July 1994) p.46 (UK)
illustrated review (by Steve Beard)

Film vol.20 no.8 (21 February 1965) p.17 (Poland)
note

Filmcritica no.159/160 August/September 1965 p.449 (Italy)
review

Film Daily vol.127 no.84 (29 October 1965) p.6 (USA)
review

Film-Echo/Filmwoche no.53/54 (9 July 1965) p.11 (West Germany)
review

Film Francais no.1096 (21 May 1965) p.15 (France)
review

Film Quarterly vol.20 no.1 (Autumn 1966) p.48 (USA)
review (by John Thomas)

Filmkritik no.9 (September 1965) p.507 (West Germany)
review

Halls of Horror no.30 p.12 (UK)
note

Image et Son no.233 (1969) pp.1-5 (France)
review

Jeune Cinéma no.8 (June/July 1965) p.33 (France)
review

Kinematograph Weekly no.3051 (24 March 1996) p.17 (UK)
review

The Listener vol.116 no.2988 (27 November 1986) p.32 (UK)
review

The Listener vol.122 no.3124 (27 July 1989) p.32 (UK)
review

Monthly Film Bulletin vol.22 no.388 (May 1966) p.70 (UK)
credits, synopsis, review (by T.M.)

Motion Picture Herald vol.234 no.10 (24 November 1965) p.410 (USA)
review

Radio Times vol.251 no.3288 (29 November 1986) p.30 (UK)
review

Sight and Sound vol.34 no.4 (Autumn 1965) p.162 (UK)
review

Sight and Sound vol.47 no.1 (Winter 1977 /1978) pp.46-49 (UK)
review

Sight and Sound vol.4 no.4 (April 1994) p.61 (UK)
note

Sight and Sound vol.4 no.7 (July 1994) pp.10-12 (UK)
illustrated article (It all happened in Paris by Chris Darke)

Sight and Sound vol.10 no.6 (June 2000) p.62 (UK)
illustrated video review (by Geoffrey Macnab)

Télérama no.2523 (20 May 1998) p.136 (France)
credits, review

Variety 5 May 1965 (USA)
credits, review

Video Watchdog Special Edition no.1 pp.6-7 (USA)
review

Wide Angle vol.1 no.3 (1976) pp.18-19 (USA)
review

BOOKS

Elliot's Guide to Films on Video p.20
credits, review

Hoffman's Guide to SF, Horror and Fantasy Movies 1991 – 1992 p.20
credits, review

Horror and Science Fiction Films Volume IV p.12
credits

Reference Guide to Fantastic Films p.10
credits

KEYWORDS

alternative realities, artificial intelligence, avant garde, book into film, computers, detectives, dictators, dystopias, the future, spiral staircases

Last Updated: 24 January, 2010