- Lars von Trier -
As a moviefreak you’re always waiting for that moment when you find a pearl, a masterpiece, a movie that takes your breath away and is approaching your idea of a perfect film. With this in mind I made a shortlist of potential films that might be perfect. To prevent overkill I am spreading these candidates over time and it was about time to watch Andrei Tarkovsky’s Zerkalo or The Mirror. Let me tell you that this film is amongst the few films you watch in a year that really hit you and become a personal favourite, for me at least.
So far I watched
Tarkovsky’s Stalker and Solyaris, both great films, but somehow
I never considered them brilliant like some other filmlovers do. I was aware of
the (lack of) narrative structure in Zerkalo
and read somewhere how it has similarities with Terrence Malick’s beautiful Tree of Life (which was a unique film
experience as well). After I found a good discount DVD version (as a real
Dutchman) I decided it was about time to stop postponing and watch this poetic
masterpiece.
Unlike almost every other movie I watch it is impossible to explain what is so great about this film. It is plotless, the story is about a man’s memories and fragments that are linked to him and his memories, and doesn’t create any puzzle or suspense-element what usually really draws me in a good film (perhaps the meaning of the film is a puzzle, but the director claimed otherwise at the time). This one is just (which is enough!) beautiful! Every shot is a painting and all these paintings are edited in a way that it creates a dreamlike rhythm and makes it a visual poem. The film builds around history and memories (just like Tree of Life), and for me created a nostalgic feeling that grew and grew during its length. It is a unique film (just like for instance my favourites Persona and L’année dernière a Marienbad) in the sense that there is none other like it (at least not that I am aware of, if there is, let me know!).
Unlike almost every other movie I watch it is impossible to explain what is so great about this film. It is plotless, the story is about a man’s memories and fragments that are linked to him and his memories, and doesn’t create any puzzle or suspense-element what usually really draws me in a good film (perhaps the meaning of the film is a puzzle, but the director claimed otherwise at the time). This one is just (which is enough!) beautiful! Every shot is a painting and all these paintings are edited in a way that it creates a dreamlike rhythm and makes it a visual poem. The film builds around history and memories (just like Tree of Life), and for me created a nostalgic feeling that grew and grew during its length. It is a unique film (just like for instance my favourites Persona and L’année dernière a Marienbad) in the sense that there is none other like it (at least not that I am aware of, if there is, let me know!).
Zerkalo instantly entered my list of best films ever.
It is aesthetic perfection, one of the reasons why I watch films, to be
overwhelmed and experience poetic beauty. I will not spend more words, just
watch, no, experience this perfect movie!
10/10
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