Year: 1961
Director: Alain Resnais
Country: France
Language: French
Upon its release Alain Resnais' Last Year At Marienbad was awarded the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival, while later being nominated for an Oscar. It received a tremendous amount of praise, but also was equally hated; famed critic Pauline Kael claimed it was an "aimless disaster". Incredibly polarizing, audiences are divided over whether this is a bonifide masterpiece or too artsy farsty for its own good.
In a strange and isolated chateau, a man (Giorgio Albertazzi) becomes acquainted with a woman (Delphine Seyrig) and insists that they have met before.
Last Year at Marienbad is quite a cerebral experience; a masterclass of tone and mood that pushes boundaries and redifines what a "film" can be. It's an elegant puzzle with no clear solution. The mystery keeps us engaged long after the run-time has ended & has us asking "what did I just watch?" Understandably, this can be frustrating for many as one can feel like they wasted their time. I'd like to think I saw a profound film, but its hard to convince myself.
Visually, the picture is splendid. The cinematography is brilliant. Dark, then white, giving a blinking effect at times; and constantly switching between different locations. The score is haunting; a church organ adds to our overall uncertainty of the situation. The pace is quite deliberate, which may put off many, but for me it was essential in getting me transfixed into this, at the very least, bold film. Few films dare to abandon story-telling tradition quite like Last Year at Marienbad does.
Despite writing this review, I'm still uncertain in regards to if I actually enjoyed Last Year at Marienbad, It was a surreal eerie experience that doesn't come across that often in cinema, but I'm not quite confident I can comprehend everything I just watched. Did they meet a year ago? Does it matter? I'm intrigued and would love to revisit it in the future.
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