Last Year at Marienbad (1961)

[Akijama]

Winner of the Golden Lion at the 1961 Venice Film Festival, Last Year in Marienbad (1961) is a hypnotically beautiful puzzle box of a film, and one of the most influential in history. Alan Resnais's sensuous tracking shots and Delphine Seyrig's iconic Chanel gowns have become part of the cinematic lexicon, and can now be seen in a gorgeous 4K restoration from StudioCanal. In a large international hotel in the European resort town of Marienbad, with a sumptuous but austere décor-a marble universe with gold paneling, statues, and stuff servants-the rich, anonymous, idle clientele circulates. A man (Giorgio Albertazzi) is convinced he met an enigmatic woman (Seyrig, Jeanne Dielman) the previous year at the same location, and perhaps had a flirtation. A second man (Sacha Pitoëff, Inferno), possibly the woman's lover or husband, repeatedly intimidates the first man. Their relations unfold through flashback shards that never quite fit into place, their lives a hall of mirrors that never reveal a true self.

[Kyle15]

WOW this bodes good news for other Canal titles that went OOP! Good stuff!

[themp3000]

Kino Lorber, not Criterion.

[Akijama]

Oops, sorry about that.

[SeanJoyce]

Guess it's finally time to sell my sealed Criterion Blu.

[Akijama]

Coming to DVD and Blu-ray August 20th from Kino Classics in a new 4K restoration!

Last Year at Marienbad (1961)
Directed by Alain Resnais
Screenplay by Alain Robbe-Grillet
Starring Delphine Seyrig, Giorgio Albertazzi, Sacha Pitoëff

Winner of the Golden Lion at the 1961 Venice Film Fesitval, Last Year at Marienbad (1961) is a hypnotically beautiful puzzle box of a film, and one of the most influential in history. Alain Resnais’ sensuous tracking shots and Delphine Seyrig’s iconic Chanel gowns have become part of the cinematic lexicon, and can now be seen in a gorgeous 4K restoration from StudioCanal.

Special features:
*Audio commentary by film historian Tim Lucas
*Booklet essay by Vanity Fair film critic K. Austin Collins
*Interview with filmmaker Volker Schlöndorff (Blu-ray only)
*Last Year at Marienbad A to Z, a visual essay by James Quandt (programmer for the TIFF Cinematheque)
*Memories of Last Year at Marienbad (2010), a making-of doc using Super-8 footage shot on set by François Spira
*Toute la mémoire du monde (1957), a short film by Alain Resnais
*Original cover artwork by Sam Smith

[Kyle15]

FINALLY good cover art. I mean I do like Criterion's but so many releases of this movie are just screenshots of the leads standing there.

[Gacivory]

Can’t wait! Bought the dvd on a whim and it amazed me! Will gladly pick this up, day 1!

[The Sovereign]

Looks like I’m finally going to own a copy of this!

[cakefactory]

Hmm. Maybe I should sell my Criterion one now before it rots and while I might still make some money. :P

[PowellPressburger]

a TIM LUCAS audio commentary.... I AM THERE!

I even own the recent Studio Canal UK Blu-Ray but a new commentary... they have my money.

[Matt89]

Nice. I was wondering when they were gonna announce this.

I own the recent StudioCanal blu-ray as well, and bought it recently. The 4K remaster is stunning.

I'll still pick this up and toss my SC disc, I honestly cannot stand how they split the subtitles between the bottom of the frame and the black bar beneath. And a Tim Lucas commentary? Yeah. I'm all in.

Love this movie. LOL. Almost went insane writing an essay in undergrad about this film and the duality of reality/illusion. Fun times.

~Matt

[BluProofie]

Yesss!!!

[Doctorossi]

So, by all rights, the master used for this disc should smoke the one used for the Criterion disc, yes?

[Matt89]

Originally Posted by Doctorossi

So, by all rights, the master used for this disc should smoke the one used for the Criterion disc, yes?

Yes. Although for its time, the Criterion was actually a very good scan.

~Matt

[Kyle15]

Originally Posted by Doctorossi

So, by all rights, the master used for this disc should smoke the one used for the Criterion disc, yes?

I have the new SC disc and it's marvelous. As long as Kino's is encoded nicely it will preserve the look.

[Dubstar]

Originally Posted by PowellPressburger

a TIM LUCAS audio commentary.... I AM THERE!

I even own the recent Studio Canal UK Blu-Ray but a new commentary... they have my money.

SOLD! and yes I have the SC blu edition too

[Kakihara]

It's times like these when I wonder why I bothered with a region free player...

[cheez avenger]

It's Kino, so I will wait and see. I had the CC and sold that off for bocoup bucks.

[StarDestroyer52]

Originally Posted by Kakihara

It's times like these when I wonder why I bothered with a region free player...

There's still plenty of Arrow's and Eureka's that aren't going to see US releases. Also there's still the Studiocanal British war films that are highly unlikely to see any US release. Plus there's whatever is going on with Darling.