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.
Muriel (1963)
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Reviews Counted:9
Fresh:8
Rotten:1
Average Rating:7.7/10
Runtime: 1 hr 56 mins
Genre: Foreign Films
Synopsis: In the haunting drama "Muriel," French filmmaker Alan Resnais continues his exploration of and fascination with memory and the impact of past events on people's present lives. Helene is a lonely... In the haunting drama "Muriel," French filmmaker Alan Resnais continues his exploration of and fascination with memory and the impact of past events on people's present lives. Helene is a lonely widow who lives with her stepson, Bernard, in Boulogne. Into their lives walk Alphonse, a lover from her past, and Francoise, who he claims is his niece but is actually his mistress. While Helene and Alphonse are obsessed with their past relationship, Bernard is troubled by his memory of a girl whose brutal death he witnessed while he was fighting in the Algerian War. As in his prior films, Resnais tells the story in a dream-like, stylized fashion. [More]
Starring: Delphine Seyrig, Jean-Pierre Kerien, Nita Klein, Jean-Baptiste Thierree
Starring: Delphine Seyrig, Jean-Pierre Kerien, Nita Klein, Jean-Baptiste Thierree
Director: Alain Resnais
Director: Alain Resnais
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Release:
Mar 13, 2007
Reviews for Muriel
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.
The web of opened, ultimately unfollowed trails in 'Muriel' leads, not to the coherence of art, but to mere mirrors within mirrors.
A truly frustrating tug-of-war between conventional narrative and fragmented presentation.
An innovative, original film that is always fascinating and challenging.
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.
A subtle, precise, and wrenching film, shot largely without recourse to the stylistic flourishes that made Resnais' reputation.
What's initially off-putting is not the usual art-movie austerity but Resnais' intellectual playfulness and mystifying surrealist bent.
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