“The
Three-Sided Mirror” is a 1927 silent film directed by Jean Epstein and is about
a young playboy and the three women who are in love with him. Told in flashback as each girl recounts her
story to another about how much they love this man and yet, how much he has
broken their hearts. He is a man who
lives in the fast lane, looking only for a good time and nothing that will tie
him down. Due to this kind of lifestyle
he has left a lot of hearts broken in his wake.
The girls whose stories we are witness to are a society girl, an artist
and an everyday girl who is rather poor, and each girl reflects an aspect of
the man’s overall personality (thus the title).
I guess at the end of the day, the film is a morality tale or perhaps
more accurately, a cautionary tale where it warns the viewer by living this
kind of lifestyle, by not slowing down to stop and actually see what is around
you and not showing any compassion for others, can only lead to a life where
you die young and alone.
I really
enjoyed this short especially for Epstein’s visual technique. There was no doubt at this stage in the
silent era that he was a master of certain techniques such as superimposition,
double exposure and intricate editing.
What impressed me the most about “The Three Sided Mirror” was Epstein’s
camera placement, as he was able to tell and express so much in so little time
just from the composition of his shots, which were all really beautiful.
Similar
to “The Beauty From Nivernais”, Epstein does let the climactic scene play out
for far too long, however once it was over I was very impressed by the way he
had laid out the groundwork for this finale so early into the film. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this short
silent film (it lasts only forty minutes) from Epstein, and I especially loved
the gorgeous and haunting final shot.
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