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Last Year in Marienbad

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Film Description

Aka L'Année Dernière à Marienbad. Perhaps the epitome of the postwar European art film, Resnais toys with time and image in his film, conflating chronology to the point of obscurity in his meditation on the uncertainty of knowing and the vagaries of memory. From Alain Robbe-Grillet's script. 'Did we meet last year in Marienbad?'

Film Information

Director	Alain Resnais
Starring	Delphine Seyrig, Giorgio Albertazzi
Genre	World Cinema
Country	France	Language	FRENCH	Year	1961

DVD Extras

Digitally re-mastered print; Documentary 'In the Labyrinth of Marienbad'; Introduction by film critic Ginette Vincendeau; Short film by Alain Resnais: Toute La Memoire du Monde; Trailer; Mono Sound.

Technical Details

Certificate	U	Length	94 mins	Label	OPTIM
Cat No	OPTD0132	Format	DVD	Black & White
Region	2	Aspect	2.35:1 Anamorphic widescreen
Subtitles	English.

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Reviews & Articles

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Review by Howard Schumann on 2nd March 2005

For most continental Europeans Last Year In Marienbad's position as a high point in art-house cinema has never been disputed. A teasing yet profound exposition of the way in which the other-worldliness of dreams and sub-conscious thought can often reveal more truths about the state of relationships than any wide-awake rationalisation can ever achieve.

For English speaking audiences reaction to 'Last Year..' has always been a little more mixed. Whilst many subscribe to the view that Alain Renais' 1961 film is a masterwork in the canon of a great film-maker others remain unconvinced that Last Year In Marienbad is anything more than an over extended vanity exercise that ends up mired in it's own pretentiousness.

Perhaps British and American are a little more wary of being taken for a ride by intellectual charlatanism or it could be they are all too aware that European directors, even great ones, can sometimes succumb to self indulgence on, very often, monumental scales (look at virtually any Goddard movie from 1968 to the late 80s for proof of this).

Whatever the reasons, Last Year In Marienbad, probably has as many detractors as admirers this side of the Channel.
It also has the distinction of being the film made by a Nouvelle Vague director to get a mention, albeit mispronounced, in the BBC series 'Steptoe and Son'. During yet another argument about Harold's social aspirations Albert dismissively observes "You're always trying to make out how clever and sophisticated you are with the birds. I mean look at that lah-di-dah film you took that poor girl from the fish shop to see last week, that what-was-it? - Last Year In Mirienbad, gawd strewth!"

What Albert was expressing was a long held strain of British derision for intellectualised art in general and intellectualised French art in particular. And, to be fair to dear old Albert Steptoe, the film is a little over laden with cinematic conceits.

But, 40 years on, Last Year In Marienbad continues to beguile audiences with it's coolly detached geometric aesthetic and a beautifully enunciated logic (or anti-logic, if you prefer).

This is a movie that can be recommended to those who are happy to be challenged by cinema. The rewards from this film are, in my view, worth the effort.

So there you are, some will love it, others may take a wholly different view. For the naysayers, it may come as some comfort to know that Harold didn't get the girl!

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Collections & Lists

This film is part of the following Film Collections

A Beginner's Guide to Nouvelle Vague

Including: Bande à Part, Bob Le Flambeur, Breathless (Godard, 1959), Eric Rohmer: The Early Works, Hiroshima Mon Amour, Jean-Luc Godard Collection (Volume 1), Jean-Luc Godard Collection (Volume 2), Jules et Jim, Last Year in Marienbad, Masculin Feminin.

French New Wave

Including: Breathless (Godard, 1959), Cleo From 5 to 7, Jean-Luc Godard Collection (Volume 1), Jules et Jim, La Peau Douce, Last Year in Marienbad, Les Biches, The 400 Blows, Weekend.

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This film is part of the following Customer Film Lists

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For Discovery Comments.

Films for Gentlemen by Greg Robinson

MovieMail Top 100 Best-Sellers of All-Time by MovieMail

This is your list: the 100 films you've bought the most of in the 10 years of MovieMail's existence. There are some surprise entries and some glaring omissions – but it’s all true, and, frankly, you’ve got very good taste! It’s such a good list that we're going to make it a permanent fixture on our website and to celebrate the launch we’ve slashed many of the prices on these wonderful films. Enjoy!

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