Kino Releasing Alphaville

[Ian Jane Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Jane]

Coming July 9th on DVD & BD!

Alphaville (1965)
-A 4K Restoration
-Audio Commentary by Film Historian Tim Lucas
-Both Original French and English Versions of the Film
-Anna Karina Interview
-Colin McCabe Introduction
-Theatrical Trailer
-Reversible BD Art

[Gary Banks Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Gary Banks]

I love this film and am hoping that it is a major upgrade from the Criterion dvd. (Can't say that sentence often).

[JoeS Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close JoeS]

In honor of the passing of Jean-Luc Godard paying a visit to.......

ALPHAVILLE (1965) Jean-Luc Godard continued to toy with the genre film here with this stunning Sci-Fi film which also evokes film noir and spy movies. Eddie Constantine plays private detective Lemmy Caution (a character he had played in prior French Noir films) who travels across space to the city of Alphaville which is ruled by an omnipotent computer, Alpha 60. Caution is out to get the machine's creation, Prof. Von Braun aka Nosferatu (Howard Vernon) and eventually comes into contact with is daughter Natacha (Anna Karina).

Godard and his brilliant cinematographer Raoul Coutard used no special effects to create the futuristic city. The mid-60s modernism positively gleams in Black & White. The science fiction aspects are certainly there and Godard makes Orwellian comparisons with the city's lack of love and emotion. Godard's alternate title was 'Tarzan Vs. IBM'. Of course, it's filtered through Godard's unique French New Wave sensibilities with his cryptic quotations, exaggerated expressions, jagged cutting and irregular rhythms.

What's amazing here, is that for all of Godard's trademark penchant for intellectualism, ALPHAVILLE could also be seen as his more romantic picture. Not just in the emotional and physical sense, but in how the Director looks at the present day world as it careens into the future. Karina's simple declarative sentence is one of the purest expressions of emotion in Godard's career. And, for Godard, it doesn't feel ironic.


In 1990, Godard and Eddie Constantine did a one hour follow-up film called GERMANY YEAR 90 NINE ZERO which had the Lemmy Caution charcter visiting post Berlin Wall Germany. It's interesting for Godard completists.

[Ian Jane Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Jane]

UHD upgrade coming from Kino, no date yet.

"2023 HDR Dolby Vision Master by StudioCanal!
Alphaville (1965) Starring Eddie Constantine, Anna Karina & Akim Tamiroff – Shot by Raoul Coutard (Jules and Jim, Z) – Music by Paul Misraki (Le Doulos) – Directed by Jean-Luc Godard (Breathless, Contempt)."

[Scott Intellectual Carrot Find all posts View Profile Close Scott]

In 1990, Godard and Eddie Constantine did a one hour follow-up film called GERMANY YEAR 90 NINE ZERO which had the Lemmy Caution charcter visiting post Berlin Wall Germany. It's interesting for Godard completists.

Damn, I gotta check that out!