Mirror

Starring: Margarita Terekhova, Filipp Yankovskiy, Ignat Daniltsev, Oleg Yankovskiy, Alla Demidova
Directed by: Andrei Tarkovsky
Rating: Not rated
Genre: Drama
1975

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A man shifts through his memories of his family in Russia.

Review:

Tim: I like Andrei Tarkovsky as a director. Andrei Rublev was a good film and Ivan's Childhood was incredible. I'd heard Mirror referred to as his masterpiece, so I felt quite excited to see it. After viewing the film, all I can say is "nope." The idea that this is a great movie felt laughable to me. I can see where critics would get sucked in- the artistic nature of the film, the inaccessibility of the story, the slow meandering moments- some people will always view a film like this and think it's great. Whether that's because they don't understand it, or they analyze it to death to break the code and see what the director was saying, there are different paths to loving a movie like this. I chose neither. I don't think Mirror is a great movie, I don't even think it's good.

Look, I'm all for people processing their own lives through their art. This seems like an extraordinarily self-reflective and autobiographical film for Tarkovsky. I'm glad he was working through his family and self issues. This movie certainly seems like it's him holding a mirror up to himself. I generally love very personal films, but I need some level of understanding. I shouldn't have to look up detailed explanations of what I'm seeing and even then, feeling lackluster about what was on the screen. This film likely made sense to Tarkovsky, but for everyone else, it's either an extended homework assignment or completely nonsensical. Oh sure, you pick up impressions and generally understand the aesthetic and the broad themes of what he's trying to say. But, the film isn't much fun to watch. Seeing a series of barely connected scenes floating past your eyes for 1 hour and 47 minutes doesn't translate into a great film. It's self-indulgent, unnecessarily obtuse, and so personal that it feels like Tarkovsky didn't care or consider the viewing experience of his audience. I read that the film received mixed reviews upon release and that doesn't surprise me. It's a polarizing film and for good reason- it seems good when it really isn't. Tarkovsky throws up some truly artistic imagery but the narrative is nearly nonexistent. It's an artsy film, but not an especially compelling one.

Now, I did say I like Tarkovsky and there were moments throughout this film that I loved. There were specific scenes where I forgot the broader nonsense of the film and got invested in a specific character and moment in time. He was a compelling storyteller when he tried and we get these small bursts of effectiveness. However, the film then switches gears and it feels too jarring. I give Tarkovsky credit for directing a film that feels like it captures the meandering, authentic thoughts of a human being. The problem is that most of our thoughts aren't all that interesting. In short bursts, the film works. Taken as a whole, it's an immense chore to sit through.

I did appreciate many of the stylistic choice Tarkovksy made for his most personal film. I loved the use of black and white and color. The B&W scenes would go on just long enough that I'd get used to it, so when the next scene popped up in color, it always felt like a surprise. I appreciated how that kept me on my toes. The visuals throughout the film are impressive, too. Seeing a woman floating above a bed in a 1975, lower budget Russian film is quite difficult to forget. The cinematography was impressive, and we get some nice nature shots throughout the film. The scene of the burning barn in the distance embeds itself into our memories. Tarkovsky does create beautiful imagery throughout this film, but the lack of a more cohesive narrative blunts some of its effectiveness.

The cast is good. The camera lingers longest on Margarita Terekhova, so we feel the most affinity with her. Her subtle performance was powerful and you find yourself watching for her smallest movements. The way she uses her eyes to convey emotion was incredible. Her performance is quite effective and it stays with you. Everyone else was fine. Ignat Daniltsev has some nice moments. I don't think there were a ton of standouts, but the cast as a whole works just fine.

Look, I know I'm in the minority on this one. Other people can praise Mirror as much as they want. I've seen other biographical movies that tackle the subject with less obtuseness, a tad bit more accessibility. The artistic talent of Tarkovsky is impressive, but he was prone to overindulgence. Andrei Rublev would have been a better movie with just less stuff in it. It was so overly long and crammed with ideas. Tarkovsky needed to spend a bit more time on the narrative elements here. He might have created something beautiful, but it's also dull. It's challenging to get through. My memories of this film won't be especially pleasant. It was decent, but I think a vastly overrated movie. Tarkovsky seems to have crafted this movie only for himself. He needed to consider the audience more for me to appreciate the film like he intended.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 6.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Ivan's Childhood, Andrei Rublev