3. Last Year at Marienbad (1961) to Inception (2010)
Another Resnais and Nolan connection, and a very deep one at that. Nolan evidently admires Resnais work, and if not, he should. Both directors love exploring the everyday psychology one which most tend to ignore and take for granted. But both directors found these as blessings in disguise, for their talent of translating these as traumatic, complex stories onto the big screen have inspired filmmakers to do the same. Hiroshima mon Amour and Memento focus on memory and its value. Marienbad and Inception, however, additionally focuses on dreams and deciphering what is reality and what is fiction. Audiences either loved or hated Marienbad. Many found it a masterpiece, whereas others found it unintelligible gibberish. Several interpretations of the movie have been theorized and discussed. Most agree that the film encapsulates the decryption of what may or may not have happened. The film is about a nameless man who meets the nameless female protagonist in a luxurious hotel. He claims that they had an affair a year earlier at Marienbad, but the woman has no recollection of the event. Several bizarre situations occur hereafter, and the audience is fed gallons of ambiguity regarding which character to believe. In short, did last year in Marienbad really happen or is it all a figment of the protagonists imagination? The cinematography and mise-en-scene is flawless. Even directors and cinematographers nowadays view Marienbad as a film to beat in this department. The hotels architecture and Resnais shot compositions complement each other in a way that personifies the hotel is a character of its own. Every object feels like it was measured and weighed in relation to everything else in order to evoke an eerie chill that could bench-press the heaviest of eyebrows. The hallways and their furniture continue forever like a reflection in a mirrored elevator. In short, something clearly is not right. For example, there is a magnificent long shot of Frederickbads garden with several characters roaming the middle of the frame. They all have shadows; the sculptures, bushes, and hedges do not. The same is applicable to Inception, and examples are so ample that they are unnecessary to bring up. Realizing what is real or not is something else entirely; as Cobb says himself: building a dream from your memory is the easiest way to lose your grasp on what is real and what is a dream. Inception is filled with examples that convey Cobbs quote, such as his totem spinning as the fulm cuts to black. Nolans careful use of movable architecture compares to both Resnais and Nolans films: structured to the smallest of details, yet ever changing based on the characters and the audiences perception.
Which is better? Both films are like mazes for the viewer. It takes repeated viewings in order to unlock what is going on. Both films, however, are different genres. One is a psychological study that focuses more on human emotion whereas the other is an action packed heist movie. As a film student, then Last Year at Marienbad is the clear winner as it deals several issues merely trimmed through in Inception. The latter is more a popcorn movie than anything else.