Thursday, January 17, 2008
Mirror (1974)
Andrey Tarkovsky’s Mirror is one of the most unusual and fascinating movies I have ever seen. Everything about this movie was unique, including the cinematography, lighting, acting, editing, and the musical score. I often found myself lost in the strange images that were projected in front of me. Even though I could not understand what was going on, my interest in the movie was still at its highest level. What I liked most about this movie was the way Tarkovsky connected the old news reels (communist China, etc) with his own cinematic work. This helped give the movie a strange twist to its hidden meaning. The musical score used in Mirror was also powerful. Throughout the movie, the music seemed to harmonize with each individual image. Another unique element of this movie was the poetry segments. Throughout the movie, poetry was recited while a montage of images were being presented to the audience. The biggest question still remains: What does this all mean? Is this simply a movie without a plot or meaning? Or is it just a movie about the supernatural? Does this movie center around a young boy who was reincarnated? Or is it all just a dream? Perhaps the young man in the beginning of this movie is just trying to reconstruct his life and past. Can this movie be a reflection of his thoughts and experiences?
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2 comments:
"Can this movie be a reflection of his thoughts and experiences?"
And note how especially important your word "reflection" is in light of the film's title.
The idea of reincarnation is interesting. I don't think Tarkovsky is working with that per se--but it is very striking how Ignat seems to have a deja vu moment (the shock he feels) when he's picking up the things his mother has dropped from her purse. We see that the narrator Aleksei had helped his mother do a similar thing when he was young.
Note the same actor is playing both the narrator's mother and his wife. Likewise, the same boy is playing Ignat and the narrator Aleksei when he was a child. That was something I had *no idea* about the first time I watched it!
I also found myself amazed by how this movie was able to hold my attention. The presentation of the storyline was odd and yet the rhythm of the film kept me interested. Incidently, I was interested in the way he put in newsreels of China and Spain as well. The poetry also seemingly added quite a bit to the movie although I am not entirely sure if I understand the significance. I guess I would have to respectfully disagree with you about the music. To be honest the movie's music did not really appeal to me. The music unquestionably fit in well with the movie's format; but I would probably not be the first person in line to buy the soundtrack.
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