MovieChat Forums > L'année dernière à Marienbad (1962) Discussion > The game played by 'M'

The game played by 'M'

posted 21 years ago by corten
9 replies | jump to latest

The game played throughout the film by 'M' is a so-called 'nim' game, which is not difficult to analyze mathematically. The first player always loses because the second player (regardless of the first player's moves) can always leave a 'safe' or winning position on the table and via a series of safe positions (known to him) he can leave the last card (or match or whatever object) for the first player, who then loses.

What puzzles me is that 'M' in the second of the four games shown in the movie does not play his winning strategy. He still wins, because his opponent makes a mistake, but he could have lost. The game goes as follows:
1-3-5-7 to 0-3-5-7 to 0-2-5-7 to 0-2-5-6 to 0-2-4-6 (all correct, still winning position for 'M') to 0-2-3-6 and then 'M' plays 0-2-3-5, whereas he should have played 0-2-3-1, which is a winning position. His opponent however fails to play 0-2-3-1 and 'M' still wins.

In the third and fourth game 'M' starts (so he could be beaten by a good player), but again his opponents do not know how to beat him.

Does anyone have a clue why 'M' leaves his winning strategy in the second game? Maybe pure arrogance in the face of his incompetent fellow players?

[–] paur46 21 years ago

This is one of my favorite films. I think M was just being arrogant and confident. What if he wins? what if he loses? He knows how to win if he needs to. At the time the movie came out in 1961, I saw an article in "Time" Magazine which gave the rules of the game, which I played for many years without losing. "Corten", did you make this post in 1999, and mine is the first response? Do you love the film?

Citizen Kane 8 1/2 Last Year at Marienbad The Man Who Fell to Earth

[–] 21 years ago

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[–] paur46 21 years ago

Dear Corten,

I take it you are from Europe. I am from Pittsburgh. To me, "Last Year at Marienbad" has some of the best camera movements and editing of any film I have seen, let alone some of the best directing (see the four films below).

In The Marienbad game, if both players know how to play, whoever goes first should lose.

I saw "Eclipse" once when it first came out. I recall the much written-about ending, which excludes the main characters. I prefer "La Notte".

Nice to hear from you.
Paul Recht

Citizen Kane 8 1/2 Last Year at Marienbad The Man Who Fell to Earth

[–] 21 years ago

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[–] world2you 20 years ago

Nice to see some Resnais fans around here.

I admire and deeply respect the formal and technical aspects of "Marienbad", but it's just a cold fish.

I find "Hiroshima" to be far more sincere and engaging.

I know that Marienbad is supposed to be a cold, distant, hard to get movie, but I don't know.

Perhaps you guys can enlighten me here, as I'm only 19 and therefore dumb. :p

[–] 20 years ago

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[–] DaisyThompson 20 years ago

Obviously HIROSHIMA MON AMOUR is more accessible than MARIENBAD, and the third film in Resnais' memory/ desire trilogy, MURIEL, is more accessible than either. But give MARIENBAD a chance, it repays repeat viewing. I hated it the first time I saw it, but a few days later wanted to see it again. From that second viewing, more years ago than any of us need to know, it's been one of my favorite films, one that continues to reward repeat viewing to this day.

[–] 20 years ago

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[–] PoppyTransfusion 9 years ago

Does anyone have a clue why 'M' leaves his winning strategy in the second game? Maybe pure arrogance in the face of his incompetent fellow players?

Or perhaps M, whatever he means or represents, likes to give his competitors an opportunity to win once in a while. Perhaps he is bored always winning.

A bird sings and the mountain's silence deepens.