Zerkalo [Mirror] (1975)
(Criterion Streaming, December 2019) At this point, I’ve seen enough of Andrei Tarkovsky’s non-Science Fiction films to be able to write the same review every time: Dour, long, dull. Great cinematography, clear mastery of the craft, fine actors, but ultimately not worth the time investment. Mirror almost perfectly fits the bill. It’s in colour, allowing Tarkovsky one more cinematic lever. It’s partially autobiographical, making it an essential part of his filmography to those interested in knowing more about his life. It’s also decidedly non-conventional, and perhaps even more so than many other of his movies: Executed like a poetic collage of images, it moves through time, characters, eras and themes to deliver something far more elegant than a straight narrative. Inward-looking and possibly hermetic to anyone but Tarkovsky, it’s made for the art-house crowd, and so I will leave the film to them.