The Mirror (1975)
Director: Andrei Tarkovsky
Stars: Margarita Terekhova, Filipp Yankovskiy, Ignat DaniltsevRuntime: 107 minutes
Synopsis: A dying man in his forties remembers his past. His childhood, his mother, the war, personal moments, and things that tell of the recent history of all the Russian nation.
Performances: 9/10
Screenplay: ?/10
Editing: ?/10
Cinematography: 9/10
Screenplay: ?/10
Editing: ?/10
Cinematography: 9/10
Score/Soundtrack: ?/10
Verdict: "The Mirror" marks my introduction to Andrei Tarkovsky's work. The Soviet director is considered by many to be one of the best filmmakers of all time, and while I had never seen any of his movies, I had a small idea of the type in which they belong. And that is probably the reason why I postponed them for such a long time. Tarkovsky is known for his slow pacing and usage of spiritual themes to drive his films, and I had a feeling that I'd have a hard time connecting with them.
My experience watching "The Mirror" confirmed what I had feared. There's no doubt whatsoever that it's a meticulously crafted work of art filled with some of Cinema's most iconic imagery which serves as a tool to expand on complex themes such as death, the afterlife, and even Tarkovsky himself, considering that the events depicted are based on his own life. But it also felt 3 hours long despite having a runtime of only 107 minutes due to its tedious tone. I couldn't, for the life of me, connect with the story, motifs, or characters, and some of Tarkovsky's stylistic choices are probably the reason why. I couldn't get behind the recycling of actors, the narration of poems or confusing non-linear structure adopted, and never felt like they added much to the overall narrative but instead contributed to my detachment from it.
I'm sure that there are multiple essays written about this movie and that it probably necessitates much more than one viewing to fully comprehend and appreciate, but it just wasn't my cup of tea. I certainly respect it and the impact it had on so many people and filmmakers over the years, but I'd honestly be lying if I said that I loved it as much as they did. I'll probably still check out some of Tarkovsky's other projects, but I can't see myself revisiting this one in the future.
My experience watching "The Mirror" confirmed what I had feared. There's no doubt whatsoever that it's a meticulously crafted work of art filled with some of Cinema's most iconic imagery which serves as a tool to expand on complex themes such as death, the afterlife, and even Tarkovsky himself, considering that the events depicted are based on his own life. But it also felt 3 hours long despite having a runtime of only 107 minutes due to its tedious tone. I couldn't, for the life of me, connect with the story, motifs, or characters, and some of Tarkovsky's stylistic choices are probably the reason why. I couldn't get behind the recycling of actors, the narration of poems or confusing non-linear structure adopted, and never felt like they added much to the overall narrative but instead contributed to my detachment from it.
I'm sure that there are multiple essays written about this movie and that it probably necessitates much more than one viewing to fully comprehend and appreciate, but it just wasn't my cup of tea. I certainly respect it and the impact it had on so many people and filmmakers over the years, but I'd honestly be lying if I said that I loved it as much as they did. I'll probably still check out some of Tarkovsky's other projects, but I can't see myself revisiting this one in the future.
FINAL GRADE: 6/10
Comments
Post a Comment