478 Last Year at Marienbad
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- Joined: Tue Jun 07, 2005 10:42 pm
478 Last Year at Marienbad
Last Year at Marienbad
Not just a defining work of the French New Wave but one of the great, lasting mysteries of modern art, Alain Resnais’ epochal visual poem has been puzzling appreciative viewers for decades. A surreal fever dream, or perhaps a nightmare, Last Year at Marienbad (L’année dernière à Marienbad), written by the radical master of the New Novel, Alain Robbe-Grillet, gorgeously fuses the past with the present in telling its ambiguous tale of a man and a woman (Giorgio Albertazzi and Delphine Seyrig) who may or may not have met a year ago, perhaps at the very same cathedral-like, mirror-bedecked château they now find themselves wandering. Unforgettable in both its confounding details (gilded ceilings, diabolical parlor games, a loaded gun) and haunting scope, Resnais’ investigation into the nature of memory is disturbing, romantic, and maybe even a ghost story.
DIRECTOR-APPROVED SPECIAL EDITION:
- New, restored high-definition digital transfer, supervised and approved by director Alain Resnais (with an uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition)
- New audio interview with Resnais
- New documentary on the making of Last Year at Marienbad, featuring interviews with many of Resnais’ collaborators
- New video interview with film scholar Ginette Vincendeau on the history of the film and its many mysteries
- Two short documentaries by Resnais: Toute la mémoire du monde (1956) and Le chant du styrène (1958)
- Theatrical trailer
- Optional original, unrestored French soundtrack
- New and improved subtitle translation
- PLUS: A booklet featuring essays by critic Mark Polizzotti and film scholar François Thomas, and Alain Robbe-Grillet’s introduction to the published screenplay and comments on the film
DVD
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Not just a defining work of the French New Wave but one of the great, lasting mysteries of modern art, Alain Resnais’ epochal visual poem has been puzzling appreciative viewers for decades. A surreal fever dream, or perhaps a nightmare, Last Year at Marienbad (L’année dernière à Marienbad), written by the radical master of the New Novel, Alain Robbe-Grillet, gorgeously fuses the past with the present in telling its ambiguous tale of a man and a woman (Giorgio Albertazzi and Delphine Seyrig) who may or may not have met a year ago, perhaps at the very same cathedral-like, mirror-bedecked château they now find themselves wandering. Unforgettable in both its confounding details (gilded ceilings, diabolical parlor games, a loaded gun) and haunting scope, Resnais’ investigation into the nature of memory is disturbing, romantic, and maybe even a ghost story.
DIRECTOR-APPROVED SPECIAL EDITION:
- New, restored high-definition digital transfer, supervised and approved by director Alain Resnais (with an uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition)
- New audio interview with Resnais
- New documentary on the making of Last Year at Marienbad, featuring interviews with many of Resnais’ collaborators
- New video interview with film scholar Ginette Vincendeau on the history of the film and its many mysteries
- Two short documentaries by Resnais: Toute la mémoire du monde (1956) and Le chant du styrène (1958)
- Theatrical trailer
- Optional original, unrestored French soundtrack
- New and improved subtitle translation
- PLUS: A booklet featuring essays by critic Mark Polizzotti and film scholar François Thomas, and Alain Robbe-Grillet’s introduction to the published screenplay and comments on the film
DVD
Criterionforum.org user rating averages
Feature currently disabled
Blu-ray
Criterionforum.org user rating averages
Feature currently disabled
- brownbunny
- Joined: Thu Oct 26, 2006 12:58 am
- Location: radiator
- Contact:
i recently obtained a copy of last year at marienbad from a campus library. i viewed it almost hypnotically, in reverie, set afloat from all that was going on; the long, white and floral print corridors, stiffened and almost immobile people standing fixed, resolute and unimpassioned like statues. immediately after my viewing concluded i wanted to devour the film and obtain a copy for repeated, compulsive viewings. my balloon has since burst in the wake of a certain realization; namely, that the damned thing is nearly unobtainable for a price less than 130 dollars.
so, i'm curious as to whether or not anyone knows what kind of copyright or distribution issues have encumbered the release of this wonderful film. it seems an ideal criterion release, but i've yet to see any indication that they're intending to restore and release it, which is distressing (especially knowing that that godawful "sweetie" shall be receiving such coveted treatment soon). i'm hoping criterion rescues this film from obscurity, as they're doing with double life of veronique, or at least that some other valiant company will release even the cheapest, most dark and murky transfer imaginable. frankly at this point i'll take what i can get, ecstatically.
anyone know anything? any assistance is greatly appreciated!
so, i'm curious as to whether or not anyone knows what kind of copyright or distribution issues have encumbered the release of this wonderful film. it seems an ideal criterion release, but i've yet to see any indication that they're intending to restore and release it, which is distressing (especially knowing that that godawful "sweetie" shall be receiving such coveted treatment soon). i'm hoping criterion rescues this film from obscurity, as they're doing with double life of veronique, or at least that some other valiant company will release even the cheapest, most dark and murky transfer imaginable. frankly at this point i'll take what i can get, ecstatically.
anyone know anything? any assistance is greatly appreciated!
- domino harvey
- Dot Com Dom
- Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 2:42 pm
the little French documentary/thesis on the film on the Optimum R2 disc is really wonderful, I thought it covered a lot of ground and Criterion would probably want to make their own supplements so it's still very worth seeking out. Plus it goes on sale super cheap every once in a while on Amazon.co.uk-- pretty sure I got mine for ~£5.
- Petty Bourgeoisie
- Joined: Thu Aug 16, 2007 12:17 am
I watched the film twice before viewing the documentary and it shocked me when they covered Hitchcock's "cameo". That visual trick went completely unnoticed by my eyes. The documentary also strengthened my opinion that the film concerns the emotional repercussions of a sexual assault.domino harvey wrote:the little French documentary/thesis on the film on the Optimum R2 disc is really wonderful, I thought it covered a lot of ground
- Antoine Doinel
- Joined: Sat Mar 04, 2006 1:22 pm
- Location: Montreal, Quebec
- Contact:
‘Marienbad’ Returns, Unsettling as Ever
- HerrSchreck
- Joined: Sun Sep 04, 2005 11:46 am
Seen LYAM at NYFF this afternoon. Sitting just behinf Chris Marker & DA Pennebaker's honorary seats.
The CC is going to have quite a bit of digital cleanup, as this exhibited an uncharacteristic (for Rialto) lot of edit marks, reel blips and static at reel changes. But the gliding b&w cinematography and the sublime first 20 minutes of the film itself were glorious nontheless.
The CC is going to have quite a bit of digital cleanup, as this exhibited an uncharacteristic (for Rialto) lot of edit marks, reel blips and static at reel changes. But the gliding b&w cinematography and the sublime first 20 minutes of the film itself were glorious nontheless.
- dadaistnun
- Joined: Thu Nov 04, 2004 8:31 am
Re: Last Year at Marienbad
Lee Kline writes about working with Resnais on the transfer. I like the idea of having the two audio options.
- Jeff
- Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 9:49 pm
- Location: Denver, CO
Re: Last Year at Marienbad
Sounds like a preemptive strike against those who will squeal, "too bright!" and point out that it doesn't look like other prints or transfers they've seen. "Hey it's not our fault. Alain wanted it that way." It's a recurring theme on the blog.Lee Kline wrote:We watched the whole film together in HD, and he definitely wanted it to be brighter and less contrasty. Before he came in, I had been going in the other direction, since the print I viewed appeared to have a fair amount of contrast. But Resnais was clear that it should not be a very cold-looking film, and he liked going from dark to light very dramatically. The added contrast was only taking away from the needed warmth.
- arsonfilms
- Joined: Wed Nov 02, 2005 12:53 pm
- Location: Philadelphia, PA
- Contact:
Re: Last Year at Marienbad
It most certainly is, but I do enjoy hearing the reasons behind some of the decisions that are made, especially in cases that may otherwise prove to be controversial. Resnais' desire to keep a warmer look needs no justification, but I'm sure that complaints would surface about the DVD not matching the theatrical presentation, and then I'm sure that a few critics would point out Criterion's new policy of not boosting contrast. They have to clarify these things somehow, after all.Jeff wrote:Sounds like a preemptive strike against those who will squeal, "too bright!" and point out that it doesn't look like other prints or transfers they've seen. "Hey it's not our fault. Alain wanted it that way." It's a recurring theme on the blog.Lee Kline wrote:We watched the whole film together in HD, and he definitely wanted it to be brighter and less contrasty. Before he came in, I had been going in the other direction, since the print I viewed appeared to have a fair amount of contrast. But Resnais was clear that it should not be a very cold-looking film, and he liked going from dark to light very dramatically. The added contrast was only taking away from the needed warmth.
- Person
- Joined: Sat May 19, 2007 3:00 pm
Re: Last Year at Marienbad
Just for reference: DVD Beaver on the Fox Lorber vs. Optimum editions
The Optimum (which I possess) sometimes appears a little too dark, though the Lorber is almost bereft of contrast. I hope that the contrast on the Criterion transfer is closer to the Optimum, but with better delineation. I also hope that a Blu-Ray edition is released and that Toute la Mémoire du Monde is included on the Criterion, as it is one of my favourite documentary shorts of all time.
The Optimum (which I possess) sometimes appears a little too dark, though the Lorber is almost bereft of contrast. I hope that the contrast on the Criterion transfer is closer to the Optimum, but with better delineation. I also hope that a Blu-Ray edition is released and that Toute la Mémoire du Monde is included on the Criterion, as it is one of my favourite documentary shorts of all time.
- Antoine Doinel
- Joined: Sat Mar 04, 2006 1:22 pm
- Location: Montreal, Quebec
- Contact:
Re: Last Year at Marienbad
I like the idea and reasoning for two audio tracks, and I hope Criterion offers it.
- reaky
- Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 8:53 am
- Location: Cambridge, England
Re: Last Year at Marienbad
Is the image a bit horizontally stretched? The bloke in the fourth DVD Beaver grab looks a little squat to my eye.
- Person
- Joined: Sat May 19, 2007 3:00 pm
Re: Last Year at Marienbad
You're right! Damn, that transfer was horrific. A bad transfer for any film can never fully be excused, but for a film of the aesthetic calibre as Marienbad, you either aim for doing it 98-100% right or you don't do it at all. That's where Criterion come in. Hopefully.reaky wrote:Is the image [on the Fox Lorber] a bit horizontally stretched?
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- Joined: Mon Oct 13, 2008 11:42 pm
Re: Last Year at Marienbad
What's the difference between a restored audio track and an unrestored one ? I thought the idea behind restoring an audio track was to create a track that comes as close as possible to how the movie sounded when it was released but Resnais, in Rendezvous With Resnais, makes it sound like an unrestored audio track would fulfill this objective.I like the idea and reasoning for two audio tracks, and I hope Criterion offers it.
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- Joined: Mon Feb 09, 2009 11:17 pm
Re: Last Year at Marienbad
Hey everybody,
I'm new to the board but I figured I'd give you guys the heads up -
Tonight at the Wexner Center in Columbus, Ohio, Criterion exec. producer Kim Hindrickson confirmed, among other tidbits, that "Last Year in Marienbad" is coming in May on DVD and Blu-Ray, unless I misheard, but I'm pretty sure that was the word.
Pretty cool news.
I'm new to the board but I figured I'd give you guys the heads up -
Tonight at the Wexner Center in Columbus, Ohio, Criterion exec. producer Kim Hindrickson confirmed, among other tidbits, that "Last Year in Marienbad" is coming in May on DVD and Blu-Ray, unless I misheard, but I'm pretty sure that was the word.
Pretty cool news.
- Noiretirc
- Joined: Tue Dec 09, 2008 6:04 pm
- Location: VanIsle
- Contact:
Re: Last Year at Marienbad
Pinch me.ZLow wrote:Tonight at the Wexner Center in Columbus, Ohio, Criterion exec. producer Kim Hindrickson confirmed, among other tidbits, that "Last Year in Marienbad" is coming in May on DVD and Blu-Ray, unless I misheard, but I'm pretty sure that was the word.
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- Joined: Fri Feb 20, 2009 12:37 am
Re: Last Year at Marienbad
Loving my R2 release. Wonder what the extras on CC release will be?
-
- Joined: Tue Nov 18, 2008 10:54 am
- Location: Washington, DC
Re: Last Year at Marienbad
I saw this for the first time in 35mm last year at the AFI Silver Theatre and was very very impressed, eagerly looking forward to the bluray edition.
- kinjitsu
- Joined: Sat Feb 12, 2005 1:39 pm
- Location: Uffa!
Re: 478 Last Year at Marienbad
Announced w/specs
- domino harvey
- Dot Com Dom
- Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 2:42 pm
Re: 478 Last Year at Marienbad
Doesn't really look like much reason to upgrade for those who have the Optimum, so thank God I don't have to have something with that cover on my shelf
- HerrSchreck
- Joined: Sun Sep 04, 2005 11:46 am
Re: 478 Last Year at Marienbad
I saw this on it's last run-- I think its an interesting experiment but it runs way too long for its substance-- so I'll be happy to avoid that cover abortion on my wall unit shelf.
- Antoine Doinel
- Joined: Sat Mar 04, 2006 1:22 pm
- Location: Montreal, Quebec
- Contact:
Re: 478 Last Year at Marienbad
Glad they included both soundtracks as discussed previously in the thread. Would've been nice if they had some comment or intro regarding the decision included as well.