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'Mirror' is the celebrated Russian director Andrei Tarkovsky's most autobiographical work in which he reflects upon his own childhood and the destiny of the Russian people. The film's many layers intertwine real life and family relationships - Tarkovsky's father, the poet Arseny Tarkovsky, reads his own poems on the soundtrack and Tarkovsky's mother appears as herself - with memories of childhood, dreams and nightmares. From the opening sequence of a boy being cured of a stammer by hypnotism, to scene in a printing works which encapsulates the Stalinist era, "Mirror" has an extraordinary resonance and repays countless viewings.
andrei tarkovsky, the acclaimed master of soviet cinema, takes a moving and personal turn with this striking meditation on life in russia during the bleak days of wwii. 'the mirror' is not just the display of a film director at the peak of his unique powers. as an homage to the innocence of childhood, it tells an enigmatic tale that is both gripping and horrifying.
tarkovsky uses his own coming-of-age experiences, himself "mirrored,"to convey the mood and action that dominated a country ravaged by war. through a fascinating two-tiered time frame, the director blends his own harsh childhood with an adult life that is troubled and broken. powerful images - a mother faced with political terror, a divorcing couple's quarrel - are underscored sound. 'the mirror' becomes a stream of consciousness: nostalgic visions of childhood mixed with slow-motion dream sequences and stark wwii newsreels.
tarkovsky's 'the mirror' is ultimately as much a window through a filmmaker's gaze as it is a reflection of his personal passions and ideals. through this essential film, viewers may find the puzzles that provide the key to director's other work, including 'the sacrifice' and 'solaris'.
