Miroirs No 3 Review: Christian Petzold's Elegantly Unnerving Mystery
German director Christian Petzold, often hailed as the Chabrol of modern European cinema, presents Miroirs No 3, an elegantly disquieting psychological mystery that delves into themes of grief and family dysfunction. This film, starring Paula Beer, carries a hint of PD James or Ruth Rendell in its cuckoo-in-the-nest narrative, alongside echoes of Joseph Losey's Accident. It stands apart from contemporary British film-making by focusing on the aftermath of sudden violent trauma, layering the proceedings with a dreamlike, unreal atmosphere characteristic of Petzold's work.
A Story of Trauma and Redemption
What makes Miroirs No 3 particularly intriguing is its departure from macabre twists or chilling denouements. Instead, it heads towards something positive and redemptive, exploring the psychological depths of its characters. Petzold's longtime female lead, Paula Beer, plays Laura, a brilliant but depressed pianist studying in Berlin. The film culminates with her performing the third movement of Maurice Ravel's Miroirs, titled A Boat on the Ocean, which inspires the film's name.
Laura is trapped in an unhappy relationship with Jakob, a boorish aspiring music mogul played by Philip Froissant. During a tense afternoon drive in the Brandenburg countryside, Jakob loses control of his sports car, resulting in a catastrophic crash. Jakob suffers severely, but Laura miraculously survives with minimal injuries after being thrown from the passenger seat.
An Enigmatic Encounter
Just before the accident, Laura locks eyes with a hypnotically intense woman standing by the roadside, portrayed by Barbara Auer, who also starred in Petzold's earlier film Transit. This woman, Betty, seems to predict or will the disaster, staring with a grieving intensity. After the crash, Betty offers Laura shelter in her pleasant yet run-down home, where they set up residence without interference from authorities regarding any inquest.
Betty lives alone but curiously possesses clothes in Laura's size, such as young person's jeans and T-shirts, and encourages Laura to play the piano she owns but does not use. Betty is semi-estranged from her husband Richard, played by Matthias Brandt, and grown-up son Max, portrayed by Enno Trebs, who run a dubious car-repair workshop and show no interest in music. In a moment of unsubtlety, Betty accidentally calls Laura "Yelena" before correcting herself, adding to the film's mysterious undertones.
A Study of Complicity and Family Dynamics
Throughout the film, Petzold repeatedly shows Betty, Richard, and Max attempting to conceal things from Laura or whispering secrets, but Laura consistently catches them out. This raises questions about her awareness and potential silent complicity in the unfolding events. Both Betty and Laura could be seen as emotionally damaged parasites or predators, creating a highly diverting and elegantly contrived study of an unhappy family group and the cuckoo in its nest.
Miroirs No 3 is set to be released in UK cinemas from 17 April, offering audiences a thought-provoking exploration of psychological mystery and human resilience.
