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DramaRomance

Last Year at Marienbad

- Extraordinary! Hypnotic! Beautiful! Masterful!

In a strange and isolated chateau, a man becomes acquainted with a woman and insists that they have met before.

Release Date : 1961-05-25

Language :French

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : CinerizCormoran FilmsSilver FilmsArgos FilmsCinételTerra FilmPrecitelComo FilmsLes Films Tamara

Production Country : FranceItaly

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Delphine Seyrig

Character Name : A – The Brunette Woman

Original Name : Delphine Seyrig

Gender : Female

Giorgio Albertazzi

Character Name : X – The man with the Italian Accent

Original Name : Giorgio Albertazzi

Gender : Male

Sacha Pitoëff

Character Name : M – The Other Man with the Lean Face, The Husband

Original Name : Sacha Pitoëff

Gender : Male

Françoise Bertin

Character Name : A Character from the Hotel

Original Name : Françoise Bertin

Gender : Female

Luce Garcia-Ville

Character Name : A Character from the Hotel

Original Name : Luce Garcia-Ville

Gender : Female

Héléna Kornel

Character Name : A Character from the Hotel

Original Name : Héléna Kornel

Gender : Male

Françoise Spira

Character Name : A Character from the Hotel

Original Name : Françoise Spira

Gender : Female

Karin Toche-Mittler

Character Name : A Character from the Hotel

Original Name : Karin Toche-Mittler

Gender : Male

Pierre Barbaud

Character Name : A Character from the Hotel

Original Name : Pierre Barbaud

Gender : Male

Wilhelm von Deek

Character Name : A Character from the Hotel

Original Name : Wilhelm von Deek

Gender : Male

Jean Lanier

Character Name : A Character from the Hotel

Original Name : Jean Lanier

Gender : Male

Gérard Lorin

Character Name : A Character from the Hotel

Original Name : Gérard Lorin

Gender : Male

Davide Montemurri

Character Name : A Character from the Hotel

Original Name : Davide Montemurri

Gender : Male

Gilles Quéant

Character Name : A Character from the Hotel

Original Name : Gilles Quéant

Gender : Male

Gabriel Werner

Character Name : A Character from the Hotel

Original Name : Gabriel Werner

Gender : Male

Reviews

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2024-04-15

There's something almost ethereal about this film. Set amidst the palatial splendour of a luxury hotel, a group of unnamed residents are gathered for a sophisticated weekend. There's an instant chemistry between the lady (Delphine Seyrig) and the gentleman (Dacha Pitoëff) with the latter trying to assure the former that this isn't the first time they have met. She has no recollection of any previous encounter, and so with the help of a gentle narration from Giorgio Albertazzi we watch as he attempts to convince her before their time in the château runs out. There's not a great deal of dialogue to support the story here, it is largely down to the gloriously photographed monochrome imagery as the two perform a sort of dance with each other. The tempo of that dance seems to depend on her mood more than his. At times she seems to want to be convinced, at others she seems determined to spurn him - however delicately. His frustrations, tempered with strong feelings of love, are constantly pushing him but the sterility of his environment seems to constrain him. The house itself is huge with never ending corridors lined with mirrors and statues. The grounds entirely consist of gravel as if it were a desert island surrounded by aridity. He is encouraged by the other guests to play games - with cards, or matches, but these games seem impossible for him to win - even when he does seem to grasp the simplicity of the rules. The whole place appears designed to tantalise, tease and tempt - but is anyone there ever going to get what they want? Filmed around various German grand palaces, and featuring the astonishing Spiegelsaal of mirrors, these huge great spaces make the people seem like little more than occupying, and cold, insects and I felt like one of them too as a certain empty inevitability crept into the proceedings. There's not a great deal going on, so don't expect much in the way of pace or development - it's just a thing of beauty to watch on a big screen with a potent score from Francis Seyrig to top it off. Is this all destined to happen again next year?