“The look into the mirror of the screen no longer resembles – as was still the case with balazs – the recognition of a human being through another. Rather, what takes place is an act of false recognition or mis-cognition, as if one were to recognize another as oneself, or converlsey (mis-) perceive oneself in and as another,” (Elsaesser & Hagener, 2009).
Mirrors have be used in many different ways throughout cinematic history. They’ve been used as a way for a character to look at themselves and see their true self, they’ve also been used as a way to show an alter ego of the character, but they can also be used in a magical way like a portal and a paranormal way to see spirits.
An iconic mirror movie moment that always come to mind for me is from the film Black Swan (2010), which follows a dancer as she struggles to maintain her sanity after she has received the lead role in the production “Swan Lake”.
The mirrors are a reoccurring theme throughout the film in order for the protagonist Nina, to slowly begin to see her true self, as the black swan inside her torments her for control.
As the film progressed, whilst Nina continued to look at her reflection in the mirror, it reflected the illusion of an evil persona – a.k.a the black swan. The mirror allowed Nina as well as the audience to see the other side of her, which she herself did not know was in her previously.
Mirrors can also be magical as well, as seen through Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (2001), which follows an orphaned boy as he embarks on the school of wizardry, where he learns the truth about himself and his family.
The Mirror of Erised is inscribed with the legend; “erised stra ehru oytube cafru oyt on wohs i” – “I show you not your face but your heart’s desire”. Which is why Harry sees his parents through the reflection of the mirror.
Harry is shown in the reflection between both his parents, appearing as a happy family, when in fact his parents had been murdered by Voldemort when Harry was a baby.
Mirrors can be a useful tool, and can do more than just show one’s reflection. It can be used in a variety of different ways as seen through many films over the years.
Reference:
Elsaesser, T, Hagener, M, 2009, “Cinema as Mirror and Face”, ‘Film Theory: An Introduction through the Senses’, p. 65
Screen & Sound 