Alain Resnais's third feature film, like his earlier Hiroshima Mon Amour and Last Year at Marienbad, is devoted to the vagaries of memory. The title character is seen only in the 8-millimeter films run over and over again by Bernard (Jean-Baptiste Thierée). A veteran of the French/Algerian war, Bernard was obliged to participate in the torture murder of Muriel, an Algerian girl accused of sabotage. He is no more successful at recapturing or altering his past than is his stepmother Helene
(Delphine Seyrig), who attempts to rekindle a romance with Alphonse (Jean-Pierre Kerien). Practically everyone else in the cast follows the lead of the leads by dwelling on Things Past to the detriment of the Present. Resnais' scriptwriter on Muriel ou le Temps d'un Retou was Jean Cayrol, whose earlier collaboration with the director yielded the celebrated short subject Night and Fog. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Set in a town marked by extensive postwar reconstruction and in an apartment filled with restored antiques, Resnais' film traces the continuum between past and present, and the persistence of history in a world of change.
Alain Resnais deals with the impact of the war in Algeria on a French veteran. Although the surrealist touches seem dated, the issues of war and torture are not--especially in light of the current war in Iraq.
Resnais' true filmmaking style had finally begun to emerge, employing characters who are real people (not named after cities or designated by letters) with memories that cut deeply into their personalities and relationships.
Oh God how I HATE HATE HATED this film in college. One of the most miserable film viewing experiences of my life. I suppose I should revisit it.
April 10, 2008
Steve K
Super Reviewer
In "Muriel," Helene(Delphine Seyrig) lives in Boulogne with her grown son Bernard(Jean-Baptiste Thierree) where she sells antique furniture out of her apartment. An old flame, Alphonse(Jean-Pierre Kerien), has come to visit, along with his niece Francoise(Nita Klein). Sensing things are about to become crowded, Bernard
decides to sleep in his studio.After the first night, "Muriel" jumps from scene to scene with abandon(the opening scene has an example of what is to come), barely giving the characters a chance to catch their breath as they are hurtled into the future.(This is about the only time when I have seen jump cutting used wisely. Figures it would be Alain Resnais to get it right.) But that does not mean they are not obsessed with the past which not only consumes Helene and Alphonse but also Bernard who is haunted by his actions in Algeria as a soldier where Alphonse also lived for the past fifteen years. In the end, both World War II and Algeria blur together in one remembrance of horror.
May 3, 2010
Walter M.
Super Reviewer
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