Last Year at Marienbad (1961)

French title: L'Année dernière à Marienbad
dir. Alain Resnais

The actual Marienbad (now called Mariánské Lázně) is located in the Czech Republic and has nothing to do with the film. To create special and temporal disorientation, the filmmakers skillfully blended two different palace complexes in and around Munich – Schloss Nymphenburg and Schloss Schleissheim. To confuse matters further, they created two statues and a fake balustrade which they then constantly moved about the gardens. Some of the interiors – including the endless hotel corridors and Delphine Seyrig's two different bedrooms – were actually studio sets. Identifying the filming locations was akin to deciphering a scrambled code.

The camera pans over the ceiling – 1st floor lobby, Schleissheim New Palace, Schloss Schleissheim, Oberschleißheim, Germany

The guests watching a play – Grand Hall, 2nd floor, Schleissheim New Palace, Schloss Schleissheim, Oberschleißheim, Germany

The staircase – 1st floor, Schleissheim New Palace, Schloss Schleissheim, Oberschleißheim, Germany

The hotel lobby – 1st floor lobby, Schleissheim New Palace, Schloss Schleissheim, Oberschleißheim, Germany

Hall of Mirrors, Amalienburg, Schloss Nymphenburg, Munich, Germany

1st floor lobby as seen from the staircase, Schleissheim New Palace, Schloss Schleissheim, Oberschleißheim, Germany

Grand Cascade, Schloss Nymphenburg, Munich, Germany

"It was in the gardens of Fredriksbad…" – a view of the Grand Parterre from the Nymphenburg Palace, Schloss Nymphenburg, Munich, Germany

Grand Parterre, Schloss Nymphenburg, Munich, Germany

"A" (Delphine Seyrig) and "X" (Giorgio Albertazzi) strolling in the gardens – Schloss Nymphenburg, Munich, Germany

"X" insists but "A" becomes elusive – Grand Hall, 2nd floor, Nymphenburg Palace, Schloss Nymphenburg, Munich, Germany.

A view of the Schleissheim New Palace from the park, Schloss Schleissheim, Oberschleißheim, Germany

"A" is waiting for "X" or is she actually waiting for "M" (Sacha Pitoeff)? – 1st floor near the staircase, Schleissheim New Palace, Schloss Schleissheim, Oberschleißheim, Germany

See also...

Belle de Jour

That Obscure Object of Desire