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| distributor =
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| released = {{Start date|1975|4}} ([[Soviet Union|USSR]])
| released = {{Start date|1975|4}} ([[Soviet Union|USSR]])
| runtime = 102 min
| runtime = 106 min
| country = {{flagicon|Soviet Union}} [[Soviet Union|USSR]]
| country = {{flagicon|Soviet Union}} [[Soviet Union|USSR]]
| language = Russian
| language = Russian
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'''''The Mirror''''', also known as '''''Mirror''''' or '''''Zerkalo''''' ([[Russian language|Russian]]: Зеркало), is a [[1975 in film|1975]] [[Mosfilm]]'s movie by [[Andrei Tarkovsky]], which has spawned a [[Cult film|cult following]] among [[Soviet]] intellectuals.
'''''The Mirror''''' ({{lang-ru|Зеркало}}, ''Zerkalo'') is a [[1975 in film|1975]] [[Russian film]] directed by [[Andrei Tarkovsky]]. It is loosely autobiographical, blending childhood memories, newsreel footage and poems by his father [[Arseny Tarkovsky]]. The film features [[Margarita Terekhova]], Ignat Daniltsev, Tarkovsky's wife Larisa Tarkovskaya, [[Alla Demidova]] and [[Anatoli Solonitsyn]] and has a soundtrack by [[Eduard Artemyev]].


The movie is [[autobiography|autobiographical]], with some poems by [[Arseny Tarkovsky|Tarkovsky's father]] recited at various points in the film, and his mother's voice is heard. The film rhythmically blends contemporary scenes with scenes of childhood and [[newsreel]] footage. It has no apparent plot, and its loose flow of visually [[Dream art|oneiric "dream art"]] images was compared to the "[[Stream of consciousness writing|stream of consciousness]]" technique in literature.
''The Mirror'' has no apparent plot. Instead it rhythmically combines contemporary scenes with childhood memories and newsreel footage. At various points in the film poems by Tarkovsky's father are recited. The loose flow of visually [[Oneiric (film theory)|oneiric images]] has been compared to the [[Stream of consciousness writing|stream of consciousness]] technique in literature. Its complex yet simultaneously simple structure makes ''The Mirror'' one of Tarkovsky's most difficult films, as well as his most personal. Today ''The Mirror'' is widely regarded as a masterpiece and one of Tarkovsky's best works.<ref>{{cite web
| last = Georgaris
| first = Bill
| authorlink =
| coauthors = Vicki Platt
| title = The Top 100 Films
| work =
| publisher = They Shoot Pictures, Don't They?
| date =
| url = http://www.theyshootpictures.com/gf1000_top100films51-75.htm
| format =
| doi =
| accessdate = 2008-01-21 }}</ref>


The concept of ''The Mirror'' dates as far back as 1964. Over the years Tarkovsky wrote several screenplay variants, at time working together with Aleksandr Misharin. This script was initially not approved by the film committee of [[Goskino]], and only after several years of waiting Tarkovsky would be allowed to realize ''The Mirror''. At various times the script was known under different names, most notably ''Confession'' and ''A White, White Day''. The completed film was initially rejected by Goskino, and after some delay only given a limited release in the Soviet Union.
[[Innokenty Smoktunovsky]] provides the voice of the unseen narrator; [[Margarita Terekhova]] plays both his mother and wife; [[Alla Demidova]] appears as her friend, while [[Oleg Yankovsky]] and his 4-year-old son Philip make brief but memorable appearances as the narrator's father and son, respectively.

Tarkovsky originally intended that the film be entitled ''Confession'', a reference to a line of his father's poetry. Tarkovsky's original penned script blends three different story elements: interviews with his mother, occurrences from his upbringing, and newsreel footage. The content of the film was not well received by Soviet authorities and Tarkovsky was not given a green light to begin production.

Tarkovsky, lacking permission to begin shooting ''Mirror'', began work on ''Solaris''. He did not fight very hard for what was to become the ''Mirror'' project; however, within his diaries (published posthumously) Tarkovsky relates his desire to finish ''Solaris'' and renew his efforts on ''Mirror''. Because of Tarkovsky's increasing reputation in the international film community, Soviet officials eventually allowed the film to begin shooting. Upon completion, however, there was a good deal of controversy surrounding the film, as the very person, Filip Yermash, who allowed Tarkovsky to shoot ''Mirror'' was quoted in saying after the screening , "We have freedom of creativity in cinema, but not to this degree". Upon seeing the screening Yermash refused to allow the film to be distributed, Tarkovsky writes in his diary on August 1, 1974. At the end of Tarkovsky's aforementioned diary entry, it is important to note his eighth and final bullet point: "ask permission through Goskino to go abroad for two years to make a film there, without compromising myself ideologically". Ostensibly we can see Tarkovsky's growing need to extradite himself from the USSR where his artistic ideals would not be compromised.

Despite the reaction ''The mirror'' receives from the authorities, its complex yet simultaneously simple structure, make it one of Tarkovsky's most difficult films, as well as his most personal. This film is often considered Tarkovsky's magnum opus, indicating Tarkovsky's seeming refusal to suppress any of his own ideologies to appease official Soviet ideology.


==Plot==


==Cast==
==Cast==

Revision as of 00:27, 22 January 2008

The Mirror
File:Zerkalo.gif
RUSCICO DVD cover
Directed byAndrei Tarkovsky
Written byAleksandr Misharin
Andrei Tarkovsky
Produced byErik Waisberg
StarringMargarita Terekhova
Ignat Daniltsev
Larisa Tarkovskaya
Alla Demidova
Anatoli Solonitsyn
Tamara Ogorodnikova
Narrated byInnokenty Smoktunovsky
Arseny Tarkovsky
CinematographyGeorgi Rerberg
Edited byLyudmila Feiginova
Music byEduard Artemyev
Release date
April 1975 (1975-04) (USSR)
Running time
106 min
CountrySoviet Union USSR
LanguageRussian
BudgetRUR 622,000[1]

The Mirror (Russian: Зеркало, Zerkalo) is a 1975 Russian film directed by Andrei Tarkovsky. It is loosely autobiographical, blending childhood memories, newsreel footage and poems by his father Arseny Tarkovsky. The film features Margarita Terekhova, Ignat Daniltsev, Tarkovsky's wife Larisa Tarkovskaya, Alla Demidova and Anatoli Solonitsyn and has a soundtrack by Eduard Artemyev.

The Mirror has no apparent plot. Instead it rhythmically combines contemporary scenes with childhood memories and newsreel footage. At various points in the film poems by Tarkovsky's father are recited. The loose flow of visually oneiric images has been compared to the stream of consciousness technique in literature. Its complex yet simultaneously simple structure makes The Mirror one of Tarkovsky's most difficult films, as well as his most personal. Today The Mirror is widely regarded as a masterpiece and one of Tarkovsky's best works.[2]

The concept of The Mirror dates as far back as 1964. Over the years Tarkovsky wrote several screenplay variants, at time working together with Aleksandr Misharin. This script was initially not approved by the film committee of Goskino, and only after several years of waiting Tarkovsky would be allowed to realize The Mirror. At various times the script was known under different names, most notably Confession and A White, White Day. The completed film was initially rejected by Goskino, and after some delay only given a limited release in the Soviet Union.

Plot

Cast

Margarita Terekhova as the mother in The mirror.

Principal cast

  • Mother ..... Margarita Terekhova
  • Alyosha ..... Ignat Daniltsev
  • Nadezha (wealthy woman) ..... Larisa Tarkovskaya
  • Lisa, mother's friend at printing house ..... Alla Demidova
  • Forensic doctor & pedestrian ..... Anatoli Solonitsyn
  • Nanny, neighbour & strange woman at the tea table ..... Tamara Ogorodnikova
  • Narrator (text) ..... Innokenty Smoktunovsky
  • Narrator (poems) ..... Arseny Tarkovsky

Casting

Initially Tarkovsky considered Alla Demidova and Swedish actress Bibi Andersson for the role of the mother.[3]

Production

Writing

The concept of The Mirror dates as far back as 1964, when Tarkovsky wrote down his idea for a film about the dreams, thoughts and memories of a man, without the man appearing on screen as he would in a conventional film. The first episodes of The mirror were written while Tarkovsky was working on Andrei Rublev. These episodes were published as a short story under the title A White Day in 1970. The title was taken from a 1942 poem by his father, Arseny Tarkovsky. In 1968, after having finished Andrei Rublev, Tarkovsky went to the cinematographer's resort in Repino with the intention to write the script for The Mirror together with Aleksandr Misharin. This script was titled Confession and proposed to the film committee at Goskino. Although it contained popular themes such as an heroic mother, the war and patriotism, the proposal was turned down. The main reason was most likely the unconventional nature of the script, making it confusing and convoluted. Moreover, Tarkovsky and Misharin clearly state that they do not know what the final form of the film will be - this to be determined in the process of filming.[4]

With the script being turned down by the film committee, Tarkovsky went on to make the film Solaris. But his diary entries show that he was still eager to make the film. Finally, the script was approved by the new head of Goskino, Filipp Ermash in the summer of 1973. Tarkovsky was given a budget of 622,000 Soviet ruble and 7500 meters of Kodak film, corresponding to rougly three takes assuming a film lenght of 3000 meters.[5]

Several versions of the script for The Mirror exist, as Tarkovsky constantly rewrote parts of the script, with the latest variant of the script written in 1984 while he was in Italy. One scene that was in the script but that was removed during shooting, was an interview with his mother. Tarkovsky wanted to use a hidden camera to interview her on the pretext that it was research for the film. This tactless scene was one of the main reasons why Vadim Yusov, who was the cameraman for all of Tarkovsky's previous films refused to work with him together on The Mirror.[6] At various times, the script and the film was known under the titles Confession, Redemption, Martyrology, Why are you standing so far away?, The Raging Stream and A White, White Day (sometimes also translated as A Bright, Bright Day.). Only while filming Tarkovsky decided to finally title the film The Mirror.[7]

Filming

Filming began in September 1973 and ended in March 1974. The outdoor scenes were shot in Tutshkovo near Moscow. The indoor scenes were shoot at the Mosfilm studio.[8]

The completed film was initially rejected by Filipp Ermash, the head of Goskino in July 1974. One reason given was that the film is incomprehensible. Tarkovsky was infuriated about this rejection and even toyed with the idea of going abroad and making a film outside the Soviet Union. The Mirror was ultimately approved by Goskino without any changes in fall 1974.[9]

Distribution and responses

The Mirror never had an offical premiere and had only a limited, second category release with only 73 copies. Although it was offically announced for September 1975, it was shown as early as April 1975. Nevertheless it was well received by the audiences. Goskino did not allow The Mirror to be shown at the Cannes Film Festival. The managing director of the festival, Maurice Bessy, was symphathetic to Tarkovsky. Upon hearing that The Mirror would not be allowed to be shown in Cannes, he unsuccessfully threatened to not take any other Soviet film.[10]

Trivia

The making of The Mirror

References

  1. ^ Tarkovsky, Andrei (1991). Time Within Time: The Diaries 1970-1986. Calcutta: Seagull Books. pp. 77 (July 11, 1973). ISBN 8-17-046083-2. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ Georgaris, Bill. "The Top 100 Films". They Shoot Pictures, Don't They?. Retrieved 2008-01-21. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  3. ^ Tarkovsky, Andrei (1991). Time Within Time: The Diaries 1970-1986. Calcutta: Seagull Books. pp. 41 (August 20, 1971). ISBN 8-17-046083-2. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  4. ^ Tarkovsky, Andrei (1999). Collected Screenplays. London: Faber & Faber. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  5. ^ Tarkovsky, Andrei (1991). Time Within Time: The Diaries 1970-1986. Calcutta: Seagull Books. pp. 77 (July 11, 1973). ISBN 8-17-046083-2. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  6. ^ Tarkovsky, Andrei (1991). Time Within Time: The Diaries 1970-1986. Calcutta: Seagull Books. pp. 60-61 (September 17, 1972). ISBN 8-17-046083-2. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  7. ^ Tarkovsky, Andrei (1999). Collected Screenplays. London: Faber & Faber. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  8. ^ Tarkovsky, Andrei (1991). Time Within Time: The Diaries 1970-1986. Calcutta: Seagull Books. pp. 78, 92-93 (September 30, 1973 & March 8, 17, 1974). ISBN 8-17-046083-2. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  9. ^ Tarkovsky, Andrei (1991). Time Within Time: The Diaries 1970-1986. Calcutta: Seagull Books. pp. 96-97 (July 27, 29 & August 1, 1974). ISBN 8-17-046083-2. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  10. ^ Tarkovsky, Andrei (1991). Time Within Time: The Diaries 1970-1986. Calcutta: Seagull Books. pp. 106-109 (March 2, April 8, 11, 1975). ISBN 8-17-046083-2. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
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