Wednesday, 8 May 2013

Mirror Images

On two consecutive evenings I happened to watch two films with great mirror scenes - Orson Welles' Lady From Shanghai (1948) and Nicolas Roeg's Don't Look Now (1973).
The symbolism and meaning is obviously evident, but nonetheless it makes for some fantastic imagery.

don't mess with femme fatale Rita Hayworth

Hayworth and Orson Welles (who were married during filming)
the lovely Julie Christie














Lady From Shanghai is of course not one of Welles' best, but it is good, and it is accessible. And shot after shot in this climactic fun house scene is a winner! Beautifully crafted.

Even more so beautifully crafted is Roeg's thriller Don't Look Now. The way he manipulates images is amazing; the photography and editing are so effective. It also contains one of the best love scenes I've seen on film, truly lovely.

Check out the At The Movies 'Classic' review of it.

Note to self: Don't visit Venice in winter. When in Venice, avoid at all costs walking down its claustrophobic alleys at night. Avoid people in red raincoats.

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