Last Year at Marienbad (1961)

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?