Portals and thoughts about Mirror (1975)

While deciding what to watch I was torn between House (1977) and Mirror (1975). Clearly, I chose Mirror, mainly because I have seen House before. However, I was a little nervous going into the movie, I read a few reviews from people calling it boring, confusing, pointless etc. Overall, I saw more positive reviews than negative but still I was skeptical if I would like it. After the first scene my skepticism evaporated completely much like the condensation from someone breathing on a table. I will say that I understand this one is probably not for everyone; if you like a clear plot that is wrapped up neatly in an hour and a half to two hours you will not get that from Mirror. I was reminded of Ingmar Bergman’s Persona throughout so much of the movie in such a beautiful way. I read an interview from Bergman about Persona where he said something like he wanted to make a visual poem. Mirror is one of the most poetic movies I have ever seen visually along with several written poems read aloud. I don’t know much about Tarkovsky yet, but after Mirror I am very intrigued and keen to learn more about him. I feel as though I have a sense of who he is already just from seeing this film, in a much different sense than I might get from reading articles, interviews, or even an autobiography. This movie is extremely intimate and the kind of art that I believe shows true vulnerability. Vulnerability which many people, not just artists, struggle to achieve throughout their whole lives.

Another aspect of this film that made it unique is spiritual. There are so many unexplained scenes and effects that are extremely powerful and striking. One scene in particular that really stood out was a scene in which a woman is washing her hair. She has her head upside down in a basin of water which causes her hair to spread out in a way that I thought looked like roots or vines from a tree. As she has her hair in the water, we slowly see the ceiling collapse in such a manner that I couldn’t help but be mesmerized. The movie is full of moments like this that are dreamlike, and I found extremely spiritual. I am always fascinated by the use of fire in movies. I think of movies like Days of Heaven, Badlands, McCabe and Mrs. Miller, for example. I will now add Mirror to the list because there is a scene in which we see a barn on fire, and it is shot like how a memory feels.

I personally loved every minute of the movie and believe that it was one of the most impressive films I have ever seen. I think some people may view this movie as pretentious or overly experimental. I couldn’t disagree more; I don’t think you have to have studied film or be a film critic to enjoy Mirror. What I personally got from Mirror was the notion of what a person’s soul and consciousness is.