Directed by Terence Young 
Written by Rudolph Carier and Edana Romney
Starring Eric Portman, Edana Romney, and Barbara Mullen
Available on Blu-ray by Kino Lorber October 19

by Miguel Alejandro Marquez, Staff Writer

Corridor of Mirrors is a 1948 British drama film that follows the life of a wealthy artist (Eric Portman) fixated on a young woman (Edana Romney). The young aristocrat believes that the young woman is his lover from the past. He has the delusion that she is able to recreate the experiences that they had in their “past lives”, and carve out a new fate for the both of them. 

But this isn’t a love story, nor a drama, but a horror film dressed as both. The wealthy, psychopathic aristocrat becomes enamored with the supernatural until it becomes an obsession that threatens both himself and the beautiful muse.

The film is Terence Young’s freshman film effort. Young is known for his films Dr. No, From Russia with Love, and the Audrey Hepburn thriller Wait Until Dark. The film is also the first film appearance of Christopher Lee, of Lord of the Rings and Hammer Horror fame. This is, in this critic’s humble opinion, is one of Young’s strongest work.

Corridor of Mirrors is an overlooked film that filled with both intrigue and dread. The film is littered with beautiful shots that should have made it a staple of the era. Long takes, through the corridor of mirrors itself is reminiscent of Dadaist imagery, of that of European cinema. The unorthodox POV’s of characters, and the movements through dream-space, makes it less commercial drama, and more of a horror built around surrealist filmmaking, rather than through melodrama. 

This film isn’t faultless. The beginning portion of the movie is egregiously slow, but the film builds into being a powerhouse that shows the artistic merit that Terence Young was known for. The film’s beginning could have been restructure, re-edited, or retooled, but that is just wish fulfillment. We can’t go back in time. Terence Young intended the structure to be like this, even though it made this critic may disagree with his direction. The film is still a powerhouse of cinematic intrigue, and not entirely tainted by the dialogue heavy, exposition-driven narrative.

There were so many moments that stood out, like the moment in which a revelation shakes up the world of the characters. A rocking chair is used to show the disassociation between the main character and her reality. A POV of a person in the chair, rocking back and forth, has a hypnotic effect. The effect is very experimental, and something I wouldn’t come to expect from a film from that era. Towards the middle of the film, the real plot of the film is spun. It creates a special moment. It’s a moment that us, the audience realizes that things aren’t what they seem. This is where we see the internal horrors of the antagonist, and horrors stored away in the corridor of mirrors. All the protagonist can do is laugh manically, as the multiple mirrors reflect her horrific face. Both scenes are beautiful, yet haunting moments for a “drama”.

The film’s twists and turns, the jumps forward and backwards through time, serve as an interesting way in telling a story that is typical. The film’s story, the tale of love that leads to ruin, isn’t a new concept. Obsession, love, and the tragedy caused by both, has been around since the beginning of time. This film and its production, gives this type of story a whole new look.  The film’s production design, especially its costuming, props, and sets, makes it a mature film that takes its subject matter seriously. It is better than the B-movie, low cost, easy to manufacture shlock, that ran rampant through this era. It is an overlooked gem that needs more appreciation. 

Kino Lorber’s release of Corridor of Mirrors is quite average compared to its past releases, having gone  through the same process of giving the film a proper restoration and having it be Blu-ray quality. This release wasn’t given anything important to note, not for this critic to talk about. This critic has reviewed Kino Lorber releases in the past, and this flick has the same level of quality that the other releases had.

Pick up Corridor of Mirrors if you’re interested in a film that is cinematically engaging, as well as expertly crafted.