There are certain films that defy the narrative norm to push the boundaries of storytelling; 2001: A Space Odyssey, Mulholland Drive, and Last Year at Marienbad. Films that seem at first impenetrable become a welcome invitation to dissect and obsess over the details and framework in which they present themselves. Allan Resnais’s second film may be his greatest film or at the very least his most mysterious one.
A Man (Giorgio Albertazzi) and a Woman (Delphine Seyrig) are staying at the same baroque French villa/estate. The Man claims to have met her at the same time last year. The Woman does not know of any such meeting. Thus begins the dance that melds time, space, and story to confound, enlighten, and mystify not only the Man and Woman but all of us, wondering what happened at Marienbad the previous year. Was it a dream? Was it an illusion? Was it something supernatural? Was it beyond our comprehension?
Allan Resnais’s film is not for everyone. The way that the film constantly folds into itself with its elliptical editing is a challenging work that does not even with time and multiple viewings reward with solid answers. Last Year at Marienbad is impressive in that mere fact alone. One cannot simply “figure it out” in one or two sittings. Resnais’s film is much more astute under a critical eye than one initially would think. The use of repetition in visuals, editing, dialog, and music leads to ever-expanding concentric circles of memory and how fallible it is.
Though none of this is without an emotional through line from actors Giorgio Albertazzi and Delphine Seyrig. Similar to the modern Last Year at Marienbad-inspired film Abbas Kiarostami’s Certified Copy the way that the acting leans into the stylistic changes – aids in the film’s mysteriousness. Albertazzi and Seyrig being aligned to the shifts in Resnais’s style while keeping everything grounded is one of the many things that elevate the film beyond some sort of art school experiment.
Last Year at Marienbad in how it deals with emotional conflicts and mixes it with the otherworldly oblique storytelling elevates it to one of the greatest films ever made.
The Transfer
The all-new 4K restoration from StudioCanal is a black-and-white marvel of image quality and what is possible with 4K UHD. The widescreen image is FLAWLESS – nary a scratch or issue with the source material. Flawless in the way that the very best Black and White 4K UHD discs are. There is a clarity to the image that feels almost three-dimensional. This is an exemplary job and an example of what is possible in the 4K UHD format and the very best image quality can be produced.
The Extras
They include the following;
4K UHD (DISC 1):
Audio commentary by film historian Tim Lucas
BLU-RAY SPECIAL EXCLUSIVES (DISC 2):
Interview with filmmaker Volker Schlöndorff
Last Year at Marienbad A to Z, a visual essay by film historian James Quandt
Memories of Last Year at Marienbad
Toute la mémoire du monde (1957, short film by Alain Resnais)
Trailers
4K UHD (DISC 1):
The Audio commentary by film historian Tim Lucas opens the discussion of the title sequence and the complex nature of this title sequence and his thesis for this commentary. Some of the other details include its production schedule and locations used by this French/Italian co-production; the false indication by others that a novel by writer Alain Robbe-Grillet is the “first draft” of the film; the film’s influence on Stanley Kubrick – including visual reference from his filmography including his last film Eyes Wide Shut; a Hitchcock cameo – and possible reasons why Resnais included it, possibly being a call back to the French Novel that Vertigo is based on; the work of actors Giorgio Albertazzi and Delphine Seyrig and the various stylistic choices made by them and director Resnais and how they work within the film; the various way that Resnias uses composition and “names” and how they relate to possible political themes; the way that the film’s is both full of meaning and empty of meaning; the simple game they play during the course of the film – including a piece of ephemera for the US release; a larger discussion of the various political statements that people have discussed the film could possibly be about; a discussion of the characters “A”, “X”, and “M” and the possible relationships to each other and how that adjusts the meaning of the film; the various locations used by the production; and much more. Lucas is our guide to one of the more oblique films ever produced giving us context to the visual clues, style, acting, and all of the mystery that Resnais holds within. No definitive answers are given but context is helpful to guide yourself to your own conclusions, Lucas has provided a masterful commentary track.
BLU-RAY SPECIAL EXCLUSIVES (DISC 2):
Interview with filmmaker Volker Schlöndorff (32:51) – the director begins his interview with how he began to work with Alan Resnais – through his Continuity Person. Some of the details included that Schlöndorff had to sign up for the Communist Party Union to make the film at Resnais’s insistence; how Resnais’s crew differed from other crews – almost a cult-like group and Resnais as the figurehead; his initial thoughts upon reading the script – multiple times; some of the moments that were deleted from the film at the script stage; the perfectionism of Alan Resnais and his crew; the various tricks they employed on the production to get some of the various shots that Resnais required; the lack of storyboards and the reason why this occurred; the relationship between Resnais and actor Delphine Seyrig; the three locations they used to make the hotel location in the film; and more. Schlöndorff provides wonderful context for the production much like he did for Le Doulos and Le Bob Flambeur.
Last Year at Marienbad A to Z, a visual essay by film historian James Quandt (51:11) – the visual essay begins with what happened in NYC when the film opened. This deep dive into the mystery of Last Year at Marienbad uses the A to Z framework to discuss various topics of this film. This is an exhaustive deep dive not only into the making of the film but inside the style, thought process, and artistry of director Alan Resnais, his crew, his actors, and everyone else involved even tangentially to the making of Last Year at Marienbad.
Memories of Last Year at Marienbad (48:19) – this is the most unique of making-of featurettes. Using 8mm footage that was shot behind the scenes, adding a bit of dialog, score from the film, and interview quotes creates an amazing collage that isn’t traditional but the perfect spiritual cousin to the film. The 8mm footage is not restored but much of it is so perfectly shot and aimed towards what is happening behind the scenes this is anything but simple B-roll footage. This all around is a perfect accompaniment to the film. In German and French with English Subtitles.
Toute la mémoire du monde (21:58) – the 1957 documentary short by Alain Resnais about the Paris National Library and its efforts to catalog and preserve all of its written word. What one could think of as a sleepy affair is anything but in Resnais’s hands. Resnais’s visual flair in showcasing the amount of writing is housed within the various departments has been copied by so many but remains as fresh and witty as the time it was produced.
Rounding out the special features are trailers for Last Year at Marienbad (3:34); The Nun (1:32); La Prisonniere (4:02);
The Final Thought
Kino Lorber has given Last year at Marienbad a wonderful 4K UHD upgrade. Highest possible recommendations!!!
The haunting and oblique Last Year at Marienbad makes its 4K UHD debut with a stunning 4K restoration thanks to Kino Lorber.
The Film
There are certain films that defy the narrative norm to push the boundaries of storytelling; 2001: A Space Odyssey, Mulholland Drive, and Last Year at Marienbad. Films that seem at first impenetrable become a welcome invitation to dissect and obsess over the details and framework in which they present themselves. Allan Resnais’s second film may be his greatest film or at the very least his most mysterious one.
A Man (Giorgio Albertazzi) and a Woman (Delphine Seyrig) are staying at the same baroque French villa/estate. The Man claims to have met her at the same time last year. The Woman does not know of any such meeting. Thus begins the dance that melds time, space, and story to confound, enlighten, and mystify not only the Man and Woman but all of us, wondering what happened at Marienbad the previous year. Was it a dream? Was it an illusion? Was it something supernatural? Was it beyond our comprehension?
Allan Resnais’s film is not for everyone. The way that the film constantly folds into itself with its elliptical editing is a challenging work that does not even with time and multiple viewings reward with solid answers. Last Year at Marienbad is impressive in that mere fact alone. One cannot simply “figure it out” in one or two sittings. Resnais’s film is much more astute under a critical eye than one initially would think. The use of repetition in visuals, editing, dialog, and music leads to ever-expanding concentric circles of memory and how fallible it is.
Though none of this is without an emotional through line from actors Giorgio Albertazzi and Delphine Seyrig. Similar to the modern Last Year at Marienbad-inspired film Abbas Kiarostami’s Certified Copy the way that the acting leans into the stylistic changes – aids in the film’s mysteriousness. Albertazzi and Seyrig being aligned to the shifts in Resnais’s style while keeping everything grounded is one of the many things that elevate the film beyond some sort of art school experiment.
Last Year at Marienbad in how it deals with emotional conflicts and mixes it with the otherworldly oblique storytelling elevates it to one of the greatest films ever made.
The Transfer
The all-new 4K restoration from StudioCanal is a black-and-white marvel of image quality and what is possible with 4K UHD. The widescreen image is FLAWLESS – nary a scratch or issue with the source material. Flawless in the way that the very best Black and White 4K UHD discs are. There is a clarity to the image that feels almost three-dimensional. This is an exemplary job and an example of what is possible in the 4K UHD format and the very best image quality can be produced.
The Extras
They include the following;
4K UHD (DISC 1):
BLU-RAY SPECIAL EXCLUSIVES (DISC 2):
4K UHD (DISC 1):
The Audio commentary by film historian Tim Lucas opens the discussion of the title sequence and the complex nature of this title sequence and his thesis for this commentary. Some of the other details include its production schedule and locations used by this French/Italian co-production; the false indication by others that a novel by writer Alain Robbe-Grillet is the “first draft” of the film; the film’s influence on Stanley Kubrick – including visual reference from his filmography including his last film Eyes Wide Shut; a Hitchcock cameo – and possible reasons why Resnais included it, possibly being a call back to the French Novel that Vertigo is based on; the work of actors Giorgio Albertazzi and Delphine Seyrig and the various stylistic choices made by them and director Resnais and how they work within the film; the various way that Resnias uses composition and “names” and how they relate to possible political themes; the way that the film’s is both full of meaning and empty of meaning; the simple game they play during the course of the film – including a piece of ephemera for the US release; a larger discussion of the various political statements that people have discussed the film could possibly be about; a discussion of the characters “A”, “X”, and “M” and the possible relationships to each other and how that adjusts the meaning of the film; the various locations used by the production; and much more. Lucas is our guide to one of the more oblique films ever produced giving us context to the visual clues, style, acting, and all of the mystery that Resnais holds within. No definitive answers are given but context is helpful to guide yourself to your own conclusions, Lucas has provided a masterful commentary track.
BLU-RAY SPECIAL EXCLUSIVES (DISC 2):
Interview with filmmaker Volker Schlöndorff (32:51) – the director begins his interview with how he began to work with Alan Resnais – through his Continuity Person. Some of the details included that Schlöndorff had to sign up for the Communist Party Union to make the film at Resnais’s insistence; how Resnais’s crew differed from other crews – almost a cult-like group and Resnais as the figurehead; his initial thoughts upon reading the script – multiple times; some of the moments that were deleted from the film at the script stage; the perfectionism of Alan Resnais and his crew; the various tricks they employed on the production to get some of the various shots that Resnais required; the lack of storyboards and the reason why this occurred; the relationship between Resnais and actor Delphine Seyrig; the three locations they used to make the hotel location in the film; and more. Schlöndorff provides wonderful context for the production much like he did for Le Doulos and Le Bob Flambeur.
Last Year at Marienbad A to Z, a visual essay by film historian James Quandt (51:11) – the visual essay begins with what happened in NYC when the film opened. This deep dive into the mystery of Last Year at Marienbad uses the A to Z framework to discuss various topics of this film. This is an exhaustive deep dive not only into the making of the film but inside the style, thought process, and artistry of director Alan Resnais, his crew, his actors, and everyone else involved even tangentially to the making of Last Year at Marienbad.
Memories of Last Year at Marienbad (48:19) – this is the most unique of making-of featurettes. Using 8mm footage that was shot behind the scenes, adding a bit of dialog, score from the film, and interview quotes creates an amazing collage that isn’t traditional but the perfect spiritual cousin to the film. The 8mm footage is not restored but much of it is so perfectly shot and aimed towards what is happening behind the scenes this is anything but simple B-roll footage. This all around is a perfect accompaniment to the film. In German and French with English Subtitles.
Toute la mémoire du monde (21:58) – the 1957 documentary short by Alain Resnais about the Paris National Library and its efforts to catalog and preserve all of its written word. What one could think of as a sleepy affair is anything but in Resnais’s hands. Resnais’s visual flair in showcasing the amount of writing is housed within the various departments has been copied by so many but remains as fresh and witty as the time it was produced.
Rounding out the special features are trailers for Last Year at Marienbad (3:34); The Nun (1:32); La Prisonniere (4:02);
The Final Thought
Kino Lorber has given Last year at Marienbad a wonderful 4K UHD upgrade. Highest possible recommendations!!!
Kino Lorber’s 4K UHD Edition of Last Year at Marienbad is out now
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