MovieChat Forums > Zerkalo (1975) Discussion > My latest experience with 'Zerkalo'

My latest experience with 'Zerkalo'

posted 17 years ago by DrMulholland
2 replies | jump to latest

I had an oral Danish-exam today and I decided to watch Zerkalo (my time was at 1pm, so I wasn't in such a hurry). I had seen it a couple of times before (and it's my favourite Tarkovsky-film), so it was a well-planned choice to get me down to earth, make me relax and you know...

I can only say it served this purpose completely and not only was I peaceful after the watching and I also got 13 (equals the A+ in America) from the test, so that was a nice experience. Tarkovsky and Mozart are two people I can highly recommend, if you're nervous about something.

Anyway, the reason why I choose Zerkalo is because I recently had a dream where my garden was on fire - just like the fire in the film - mixed with the shot from the film where the ceiling is falling down. The source to this dream was in fact pretty clear, so I took it as a sign to watch the film :-)

But the most incredible part of this, I have saved for the last. While watching my cat had caught a bird which he brought into the house. The bird was still alive, it was almost screaming and I locked the cat away and saved the bird which was luckily just slightly damaged. I was a bit frustrated by this episode and start watching the film again.

And just as I start paying attention to the film again, there's this shot where the boy is watching the city and a bird enters the screen and sits upon his head. It was such a moving and meaningful experience to me. It was like my bird had entered the film to thank me.

It's a strange experience, I know, and arguably just a coincidence - but it really meant a lot to me

[–] thao 17 years ago

I know many who use Tarkovsky films like a prayer or a poem to relax and the films usually have a significant place in their life.

Why is The Mirror your Favorite Tarkovsky film?

Thank you for sheering this with us. It would be interesting to hear similar stories from other people.

- This comment is most likely authentic and fairly close to what I intended to say -

[–] DrMulholland 17 years ago

Why is The Mirror your Favorite Tarkovsky film?

Well.......

First of all it's a unusual film because it is a poem - just like the opening in Bergmans Persona - rather than a story. And this lack of narrative opens an opportunity not just to make own interpretations but also to focus entirely on the film instead of the story. My weakness when watching film is actually that I sometimes have trouble concentrating on the story (it's hard for me to write plot/review for films - also because it's hard to rationalize my appreciation enough). The reason for this, I think, has something to do with my childhood where I watched American films having no idea what was said, yet extremely fascinated by the media itself. So watching Zerkalo is just like being a child again. You can just relax because there's enough to enjoy in this film. Every single picture is beautifully shot in a poetic way. The small scenes are really moving. The sound is really magic whether it's Bach, rain, wind or even silence. In fact it's perfect in every single way. You can watch it again and again, find new things and have a different experience every time. If I should find one film to prove film as an art-form it should be The Mirror.

--- Kasper, www.deeFilmRoll.com/ ---

P.S.: I might as well ask you why Stalker (my personal #2) is your favourite?