Lemmy Caution, an American private-eye, arrives in Alphaville, a futuristic city on another planet. His very American character is at odds with the city's ruler, an evil scientist named Von Braun, who has outlawed love and self-expression.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058898/plotsummary

Impersonation in Alphaville takes the form of the disembidied voice of the omniscient computer Alpha 8 who in essence rules or runs Alphaville. The relationship between Alpha 8, the society and Professor von Braun creates the dystopic society Godard paints. This society outlaws all emotive self expression in favour of a computerised of binary existence that in its mechanical nature, is ruthlessly negligent of human life. Lemmy Caution is an outsider that comes into the scene and is able to subvert it.

Godard's situation of Alphaville in Paris of 1965 is interesting as he does not choose to alter the city in any way. Within the movie this gives the impression of a future Paris or an alternate Paris to those who are familiar with the city. To those who are not, it lend Alphaville the place a legitimacy as a real place and enforces the power of Apha 8. Within the buildings themselves, movement on the set is carefully framed, moving in and around the architectural set. This heightens the impression of the omniscient eye and disembodied voice of Alpha 8 peering into their world, simultaneously giving the sense that everyone in this world is being watched.

The rectilinear architecture in this film builds the idea of Alphaville being a society that is part of a machine, or that is essentially mechanised. The human condition is framed and contrived into an existence that lacks the spontaneity and passion that typifies Lemmy, the outsider. This dystopic world reflects its inherently inhuman axioms through architecture. The architecture therefore becomes a mask of the ruling body.

It is interesting to look at this portrayal of an alternate Parisian identity versus that presented in Renaissance. Both movies have chosen to maintain Paris as it is and to show its different stories of the society through it's mostly existent urban fabric. Renaissance takes liberties in creating a Parisian future but maintains the larger iconography of the city. However the life of the citizen, regardless of its architectural setting is what is important within the city. Similar to both is a fear of a loss of human compassion and a maniacal government.