As critics at the time said, Marienbad is the cinema of emotion where the viewer need not interpret the reasoning behind what is being shown as part of a fragmented narrative, but as an expression of feeling. It is interesting because it lends itself so well to multiple readings of the film; some say it is a man’s desperate attempt to recall a former lover, others say that it is a melodrama shown as high art, and another viewing of the film is that all the residents of the hotel are ghosts reliving their former lives in some feverish stupor. It is one of my favorites as well and I’m more interested in the extras on the CC release than the film itself because I already have a gorgeous transfer from Optimum so it will be the extras that will convince me whether to double-dip or not.
I’ve never been a big Resnais fan – of course I’ve only seen three of his films – but this left me amazed by its brilliance both technically and inventiveness. I think I will have to revisit Muriel soon in order to get a better handle of Resnais, possible Hiroshima as well.
My favorite film and unquestionably one of cinema’s peaks.
First, the visuals: the geometry, the black and white photography, the camera work, the editing, the clothes, Delphine Seyrig, Sacha Pitoëff.
Then the narration, voice-over, Proustian descriptions, dizzying time play.
The great music and its occasional disconnect with the images.
A totally self-contained and satisfying microcosm.
The senses, intellect and emotions are all totally engaged by it.
It’s a very formal yet somehow very immediate film.
Dramatic, romantic, scary, meditative, funny, beautiful, unreal yet eerily familiar. Timeless.
When’s it coming out?
When? Man, you better be right, ‘cause it’s time to replace my vhs copy. And yes, I recorded it from PBS years ago just like you did! As I remembered, they played Kurosawa’s “High and Low” the same week… I miss those days!
I’ll be waiting…
this film moved me very much when i first saw it. but not in an emotional way. in an intellectual, aesthetic way. its been years since i’ve seen it. i kinda want to dust off my own vhs copy and take a look at it again, and see what i think of it after many years of maturing.
Bob Stutsman
I was very glad to read in a recent posting on this site that Criterion seems poised to release a definitive edition of this film, approved by Resnais himself. I don’t know about others, but it is one of my all-time favourites. I just saw my own video copy (from a PBS complete version without commercial broadcast) recently. It just confirmed my enthusiasm for this film. I think it is the ultimate puzzle movie to get auteurs here talking and debating about what is going on and what it all means. For those of you that have seen it, are you just as excited about this release as I am or could you care less? What do you think of this film? I would appreciate any theories or points of view you have regarding the oblique chronology, the game they repeatedly play, the look, or anything else you care to mention. Since we have now banned the term “pretentious” from our reviewing vocabulary (see the thread “Can Objective Criticism Exist”), don’t just tell me it’s pretentious without justifying yourself, if you think this about it – as many no doubt do. Fans or critics of the film, all are welcome.