The Mirror

Monday, May 13, 2013

Post-film discussion with Bill T. Jones! 35mm print

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 WW II. 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 “mirror”-ed, 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 by Tarkovsky’s masterful manipulation of film stocks and recorded sound. The Mirror becomes a stream-of-consciousness, nostalgic visions of childhood mixed with slow-motion dream sequences and stark WW II newsreels. – Kino Lorber

• Country Soviet Union
• Language In Russian and Spanish with English subtitles
• Rating NR
• Running Time 108 minutes
• Director Andrei Tarkovsky

IFC Center does not generally provide advisories about subject matter or potentially triggering content in films, as sensitivities vary from person to person. In addition to the synopses, trailers and other links on our website, further information about content and age-appropriateness for specific films can be found on Common Sense Media, IMDb and DoesTheDogDie.com as well as through general internet searches.