The film revolves around the character of Lemmy Caution, a private eye disguised as a journalist named Ivan Johnson from the Outlands. He pretends to cover a festival for Figaro-Pravda, the publication he feigns to be working for, but is in fact in a mission to infiltrate Alpha 60 and retrieve its Inventor, Professor Von Braun.
Lemmy Caution’s mission begins as he checks into a hotel. Here, we first encounter the monotonous yet polite speaking residents of Alphaville. Lemmy is led to his room and seduced by his hostess but he declines her offer and goes straight to business. He goes around town asking questions but the robotic residents of Alphaville doesn’t know the answers to why things are the way they are in Alphaville. All its inhabitants only know that it is their Law, or maybe what they are programmed to do, but never stops to ask why they should do so. Our investigator proceeds to collect information with his camera. His exploits reveal to us how the people are distinguished by identification numbers on their nape. We also discover how Bibles are actually dictionaries, which include only the words permitted to be used; expressive words (like love) are outlawed by the state. Furthermore, the residents of the authoritarian territory ingest pills to keep them from their feeling and having a conscience.
Lemmy meets Natacha Von Braun who serves as his guide through the city of Alphaville. She also happens to be the daughter of Professor Von Braun. Unfortunately, Lemmy falls in love with Natacha and is now being pursued by authorities. The two narrowly escape Professor Von Braun and his minions. Natacha, with a renewed conscience, is brought by Remy back with him to the Outlands. The film open ends with Lemmy only hoping that Natcha will not look back to the ambitiously utopian yet repressive city of Alphaville.
This film is based on a Orphean myth with Alphaville representing the Underworld. Lemmy plays the futuristic hero out to save his damsel, Natacha Von Braun, from the dark city. However, this film breaks away from the traditional sci-fi as it does not use elaborately designed futuristic technologies with special effects. The film actually looked less than futuristic with its Black and White finish and its visual elements looking very much like from the 60’s. The way that the filmmaker successfully made the film into a science fiction film lies heavily on the plot and context of the film. The milieu this film creates would estrange its viewer because it is definitely a world that does not exist. It is a world people could only imagine that would exist in the future, or in another alien galaxy, in mankind’s pursuit for perfection. However, a utopian world will not be as perfect as it may seem as it apparently comes at a high price. In the case of Alphaville, it was the people’s conscience and feelings. It illustrates how people would lose their entire being and identity when their free will is taken away. People become objects, machines that could only be identified through numbers and barcodes.
This film actually reminds me of the film “The Matrix” as it also tackles at one point how humans cannot exist in a perfect world. As I recall, one of the sentinels discussed how they had created a matrix for humans that was a complete Utopia. But, the matrix was rejected damaging an entire system. Like Alphaville, it’s inhabitants would eventually deny its principles and those who reject it either have two options: to die or escape its fascist grip.
The system of Alpha 60 also resonate that of the system of the Borg, from “Star Trek.” The Borg is an alien life form, part machine, part biological. The Borg has only one goal in its collective--- perfection. They achieve this by taking other life forms and their knowledge. The likeness of the two are striking, aside from its goal of perfection, both would used striking words such as assimilate, and “resistance is futile.” And like Alphaville, the Borg are incapable of having a conscience and feeling.
Personally, the film did not appeal to me very well. It was very difficult to understand for the most time of the film. I only started to comprehend most of the ideas when I started comparing its principles with that of the Borg. I would have to say that this film is highly political and philosophical and would have worked better if it were made as a propaganda film rather than a science fiction film.

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