--- title: "Last Year at Marienbad: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/last-year-at-marienbad/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/last-year-at-marienbad" critics_score: 78 critics_reviews: 14 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Last Year at Marienbad (1961): what the critics said Critics' score 78 from 14 reviews: 11 positive, 3 mixed, 0 negative. ## Little White Lies — Anton Bitel Rating 5/5/5. 8 June 2011. Bitel finds the film an elegant, chillingly constructed enigma that remains perplexing and elusive. He praises Sacha Vierny’s fluid cinematography and the screenplay’s dizzying, maze-like construction. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/last-year-at-marienbad-1961) ## Radio Times — David Parkinson Rating 5/5. Parkinson calls the film a triumph and a complex cinematic riddle. He praises its camera movement, symbolic décor, abstract structure and stylised performances. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-59vxrc/last-year-at-marienbad/) ## Los Angeles Times — Kevin Thomas Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 1 February 2008. The critic finds the film beautiful, compelling, and ultimately life-affirming. He singles out its dreamlike atmosphere and exploration of memory and romantic longing. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2008-feb-01-et-lastyear1-story.html) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 7 July 2011. Bradshaw calls the film a profoundly mysterious, disturbing masterpiece that looks more brilliant with age. He praises its eerie atmosphere and enduring capacity to generate competing interpretations. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2011/jul/07/last-year-in-marienbad-review) ## Empire — David Parkinson Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. Parkinson finds the film compelling and baffling, ultimately judging it a uniquely beautiful and mesmerising artwork. He praises its stylised imagery and non-linear form for making viewers active participants in interpreting it. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/last-year-marienbad-review/) ## Slant Magazine — Budd Wilkins Rating 4/5. 19 August 2024. Wilkins praises the film as a gorgeous, haunting study of memory, persuasion, and obsession. He singles out its sumptuous monochromatic cinematography and baroque production design. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/last-year-at-marienbad-4k-uhd-blu-ray-review-alain-resnais/) ## Time Out — David Jenkins Rating 4/5. 5 July 2011. The 4/5 rating indicates a positive verdict. The available description singles out the brainteasing conceit of playing a game one knows one will lose. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/last-year-at-marienbad-1) ## The AV Club — Noel Murray Rating B. 24 June 2009. Murray finds the film divisive: its formalist approach can be stunning for viewers attuned to it, but empty and exhausting for others. He singles out Resnais’s elegant camera moves and inventive editing for praise. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/last-year-at-marienbad-1798206436) ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert Fi1m's normalised score 71/100 (inferred from the text). The URL identifies this as a Great Movies review, but the page content is inaccessible. The critic’s verdict and specific praise or criticism cannot be verified. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-last-year-at-marienbad-1961) ## Evening Standard Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 10 April 2012. The critic finds the film remarkable, though its dreamlike ambiguity may mesmerise some viewers and bore others. They praise Sacha Vierny’s eloquent camerawork through the château and gardens. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/last-year-in-marienbad-review-7425715.html) ## The New Yorker — Brendan Gill Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 10 March 1962. The page identifies this as Brendan Gill’s review of the film, but does not reveal his verdict. The review’s specific praise or criticism is unavailable in the subscriber-only text. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1962/03/10) ## The New York Times — Bosley Crowther Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 8 March 1962. The page's text is unavailable, so the critic's verdict cannot be established. No praise or complaint can be verified from the accessible material. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1962/03/08/archives/the-screen-last-year-at-marienbadcarnegie-hall-cinema-shows-resnais.html) ## Variety — Variety Staff Fi1m's normalised score 55/100 (inferred from the text). 31 December 1960. The review describes the film as daring but demanding considerable patience. It praises the fluid editing and exemplary cinematography. [Read the review](https://variety.com/1960/film/reviews/l-annee-derniere-a-marienbad-1200419949/) ## Eye for Film — Chris Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 13 August 2007. The review finds the film an enduring, mesmerizing puzzle, though its form may feel stilted or pretentious. It praises the elegant visual compositions and tracking shots, which make the setting feel like a precisely working machine. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/last-year-in-marienbad-film-review-by-chris) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/last-year-at-marienbad.md