Friday, March 5, 2010
Last year, last week, last....doesn't matter it happened?
This film to me was beautifully shot. It has images that are absolutely terrifying yet gorgeous. However, this film made my brain absolutely hurt at some points. After a little while I was like "what is going on" then I would feel like ok, I am getting this I understand and then once again something completely irrelevant would happen and the cycle of my confusion would start all over again. The entire thing definitely seemed dream-like, which is supported by the article "Philosophical Films: Last Year at Marienbad". I had another take on it though, I also think this film was very much like a twisted fairy tale. "A" loses her shoe, or her heel breaks and "X" comes to the rescue helping her walk and escorting her back. They live in an "alice in wonderland" type of world that they can't escape. Other reasons I compare this film to a fairy tale are, "X" thinks he's a the hero, prince charming saving "A" from "M". I also aside from that theory believe that maybe "X" is another example of a character obsessed. Maybe he's just one of those people that sees a girl that he's never met or talked to and becomes so wrapped up in her that he thinks he knows her and has been with her and loves her and that she loves him back. As creepy as this theory is, he is pretty creepy and it makes sense to me. I feel like he's so convinced that he knows "A" that he confuses her to the point of her asking herself "do I really know him, have we met before" Her and her "husbands" marriage seems to be on the rocks, with him being questionable of her and the "shooting" scene, maybe she has had affairs in the past that she has put behind her or made herself forget. The french gardens are very symbolic to the people of this film. I believe one line is something along the lines of "here the gardens are rocks, stone, cement. The people are very similar their personalities are empty and at times they don't even speak or move, they are like the very statues in the gardens that they are trapped by. A memorable quote from the film is "you're like a shadow, yet you want me to come closer" I believe "A" says this to "X". This quote pretty much sums up their relationship. He follows her like a shadow.....(stalker) and he wants her to be with him, to love him to go away with him...(hello you're freaking her out). I also think this quote summarizes the movie in a way. I feel like it kind of is saying, this world is like a shadow that won't disappear when you're watching it, yet it tries to draw the audience in deeper, this in turn personally confused me to the point of being pulled away from it a little, if that makes sense...or maybe I'm just over thinking this. Sorry if this was really confusing but I guess that sums up my feelings towards the whole thing.
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I think it is interesting how you start to think you are understanding what is going on, but then your confusion would start again.
ReplyDeleteI almost want to compare that to a dream sequence. When I have dreams, for the most part it doesn't make sense. Sometimes i will start to think i understand everything, but then my confusion will start right back up again.
The comparison to a fairy tale has its connections i would say. It definitely does not turn out like a fairy tale happy ending. If anything, it is a fairy tale gone bad where prince charming turns out to be a freak.
Way to connect this film to the other ones we have been watching! I had forgotten all about our whole like "obsessed" theme in all these movies, but now its so obvious I feel a little bad for not noticing.
ReplyDeleteTHat is a really cool quote. You can look at it so many different ways and is a very nice little poetic line that they give A.Plus, it sums up what a weird relationship or whatever they have going on very well. Nice find
I totally understand about connecting ideas of the film, only to get confuse and frustrated. All these images, conversations and jump cuts to something unexpected or unrelated will do that to you lol. Also, I like the fact that you were able to connect this film to all the other films we've watch so far, like aver6080 said. There is that theme of obsession there. Great connection on that.
ReplyDeleteYour allegory to fairytales is a really interesting concept. I didn't even realize that alot of the film could be compared to tales like "Cinderella" and "Alice in Wonderland." I think that those kid's stories are seceretly dark and we don't even realize it.
ReplyDeleteYou make a valid conclusion in making "X" seem obssessed. It would certainly make sense. If he only exists in his mind and his mind has latched onto to this idea that he had an affair with this beautiful woman then that would certainly explain the outlandish, eerie setting. Because his obssession would be what is creating the outside world and why it tortures him (and us) throughout the film.
Yeah, I wasn't conscious at all of the emerging theme of 'man obsessed by imaginary woman' in these movies when I put them together. But there you have it.
ReplyDeleteWhat I like about this post is your observation of how the movie pulls you in with its beauty and obsessive repetitions, but pushes you out and alienates you at the same time, with pretty much exactly the same technique. It's hypnotic and beautiful, but at the same time it's impossible for us to relax and get comfortable.