Mirror (Tarkovsky)

This may be my mildest Tarkovsky experience so far. The exquisite imagery was there, and some philosophical rambling, but I couldn't make much more of it, and the atmosphere was milder. Solaris, Stalker, and (as I recall) Rublev have the atmospheric boon: space, supernatural, and medieval, respectively. Mirror feels surprisingly modern and down-to-earth after those three, which may hinder the mystique built by the imagery, sound, and writing. Solaris and Stalker have the consummate atmosphere of mystique. It's almost horror. It feels otherwordly, like the lunar monolith in 2001. There's a visceral terror propped equally on the atmosphere and the existential consequences of the alien. Mirror misses that sensation. The glaciation of nebulousness that is a Tarkovsky movie needs the intensity of the unknown. I first noticed the relative sobriety of Mirror watching Natalia's hyper-modern facial expressions: she could have been an American teen in the 2000s. There's nothing like that in the other movies. It sort of rips you out of the Tarkovsky dream. I think the dream was flowing well for a while... maybe my attention waned, but I really fell out of it toward the end. In any case, how could Mirror be as interesting? I don't fully understand it, and want to read about it, but isn't it essentially just an autobiography? Should I be that interested in studying Tarkovsky the man? Is it offering anything else, other than technical/visual feats and feasts? I can't say I disliked it, or found it vacuous, but I was even less sure what to grasp than in the others. As I mentioned, at least those forced singular experiences, even when one lost rational grip. Mirror preserved their tone (slow, inscrutable) but not their atmosphere.

I'll have to read about it.

Maybe this would all make more sense if I was a little more keen with visuals. My longtime passion for movies is ironic given that deficiency.

Now that I think about it, I didn't do the visuals enough justice. I actually watched the first 16 minutes in 240p, because I assumed that's all I had available... so much for the "most beautiful movie ever made." Even after I found it in 720 the screen was small and resolution not quite adequate. I'm sure that hurt more than my visual appreciation, but the general immersion too.