Alphaville (Jean-Luc Godard, 1965) Mindless robots are we...?

[sgimenez]

Jean-Luc Godard's “Alphaville” (1965) brings to audiences the popular theory of a dictatorship effectively running a civilization, portrayed in a mix of science fiction meets a film noir of sorts. Alphaville represents all that is dystopian in a sense where a computer dictator Alpha 60 is the driving force behind this place. However, this film sheds some light on how completely ineffective this method of total control and tyranny actually is and that Lemmy Caution/Ivan Johnson successfully destroys that machine of persistence through a poem and insightful oratory, all the while struggling to use his identity as a means of communication.

Altogether, this film argues that a mindless robotic civilization is nowhere successful as one with cultured characteristics. Lemmy's experiences from the “Outlands” makes him an outsider, being introduced to the dictionary as 'the bible', ironically noting how Alphaville makes use of its influences. Natacha Von Braun is the poor, robotic femme fatale that Lemmy/Ivan must save in order to rescue her from herself. This change is notable at the end when he pushes her to think for herself and does so in a peculiar way, citing “je vous-aime” as her first official thought for herself.

Alphaville is based on the interpretation of all life's things through a logical standpoint. We are reminded of this theory through the flashing physics equations during the film. All emotion is thrown out the window, and therefore the public must base all reason logically, sans feeling, emotion, and happiness. Professor Von Braun didn't create Alpha 60 so that people are happy, but rather to create a world where perfection results from science and reason, rather than the foundation of individual pursuit. It is for this reason all citizens of Alphaville behave like robots instead of normal human beings.

Jean-Luc Godard's “Alphaville” demonstrates that individual achievement and experience don't count sometimes when the world you live in is incapable of thinking for themselves. Lemmy makes note of this, and is in part reason why he himself cannot hold to one identity.

[whughes]

“Professor Von Braun didn't create Alpha 60 so that people are happy, but rather to create a world where perfection results from science and reason, rather than the foundation of individual pursuit.” This statement was by far the best in your prompt. It definitely summed up a good portion of the movie as well as Professor Von Braun's motives and plans. I definitely agree with you that emotion was thrown right out the window, the second this film started. Basically if a specific type of emotion is shown and it does not follow the rest of the crowd. Then you will be taken hostage and have to choose between conforming to Alpha 60’s laws or being murdered. If we were to live our lives emotion free, would it be a good thing or a bad thing? From my point of view, never having to worry for an exam or homework would make my life less overwhelming. Never feeling anger or sadness would mean less controversy. All of this would result in a stress free environment. However, never getting the chance to feel real emotions like love or happiness, well than what would we have to live for? These characters have been completely brainwashed. There is not interaction with one another, everything is just business.

No interaction with one another would result in a robotic world. If a computer is controlling our thoughts and telling us what to do then we are nothing more than a science experience. Like you said they were no longer normal human beings, they became robots. At that point they started to losing their identities. For example, Natasha Von Braun couldn’t remember who her own father was. Plus, she couldn’t even remember where she was born or grew up. So in the film once you start to lose your identity, then your beliefs, and yourself all together. You become nothing more than a robot.

[kflagg]

I’m not quite sure what you are trying to say when you wrote, “Jean-Luc Godard's “Alphaville” demonstrates that individual achievement and experience don't count sometimes when the world you live in is incapable of thinking for themselves”. What defines individual achievement or experience? By experience are you referring to how love is a foreign concept to the people of Alphaville? Earlier in your response you made the observation that the film argues “that a mindless robotic civilization is nowhere successful as one with cultured characteristics”. I don’t believe that Godard is as concerned with civilization so much as the individuals that live in society today. The choices we make in our lives are constantly affected by outside forces, especially through the media. Everyone I know, including myself, make choices that we have seen on TV and in film. I find it ironic that I take this message from this movie, but I think the film is making the argument that Alpha 60 represents the TV and movies we watch today, and how they negatively impact our individuality.

[jkatz]

The people of Alphaville certainly do not think for themselves, they are a byproduct of the machine that is Alpha 60. A few scenes in the film depict the machine malfunctioning in a way, or at least that is how I see it. For example, without even being asked, people answer the question of how they are doing, answering with “yes I’m fine sir” to Lemmy when he never posed this question to them. Also certain words are constantly repeated in some scenes of the movie, these words include: busy, free, and a beautiful sphinx. Also, the people of Alphaville only know how to ‘learn, calculate, and conclude.’