Last Year at Marienbad

I could not have picked a better film to follow the reading of DeLillo's novel. As Last Year at Marienbad is another run in with a series of events which may possibly take place at all once: the past, present, and future as a single line in time.

This French film comes out of the nouveau roman (new novel) movement. This movement is typically found in French literature during the 1950s. The purpose of this movement is to create another level to the literary experience. The storyteller, the reader, and the characters are all at play. The introduction of the reader as a central part in the movement.

In the film, we watch as two people, A and X, attempt to remember a previous affair. Or, are they trying to remember a dream? The male is certain his memory is correct, but is not quite sure of all the facts. The female has no memory of what X is revealing. By the film's end, the viewer is left to decide if everything was based on dream, seduction, or fact.

The background actors will freeze suddenly. In a dream like stance. The music is carnival-esque. The oversized hotel is a hall of mirrors where characters are sometimes viewed only as reflection. The passing dialogues are merely conversations we've already heard. Is everyone a part of the past? Is everyone a part of the dream? How do we cope with a memory that may have never existed?

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