The Other Side Of The Mirror 1973

My Jesus Franco journey continues with a highly respected but seldom seen entry in his oeuvre.

"Ultimately The Other Side of the Mirror stands out as one of Jess Franco’s more complex films with is layered subtext and lyrical imagery." - 10kbullets.com

This film is very atypical of his indulgent works in that its a moody psychological study of a sexually tormented protagonist. Franco originally followed depraved, misogynistic mad scientists and historical sadists before switching to female whores and lusting she-vamps. TOSOM is a happy medium of both perspectives, focused on the perverse relationship between a domineering father (played by "Dr. Orloff" himself Howard Vernon) and his frustrated jazz singer daughter (played by Emma Cohen).

What this film has going for it, beyond the expected visual flair that comes with Franco's direction, is a very strong script. Its structure, pacing, dialogue and themes are among the most mature that Franco ever worked with. And Franco obviously had plenty of time to prepare and work out the mechanics of how to present this story properly. There are some indulgent and frankly boring jazz scenes that detract from the film (and they may only exist in the sex-less international cut), but Franco is very respectful and focused on making this a serious drama with heavily poetic and disturbing moments.

Emma Cohen is really wonderful as the lead despite being the anti-Franco actress: she's not especially shapely, she's not exotic and she is a very capable actress. Her committed performance anchors the film and Franco obviously soaks up everything she gives the camera. For once, he is more interested in slight dramatic mannerisms over jiggling flesh and statuesque poses. I believe this story and character effected Franco deeply and her inner demons reflect his own. The themes of loss, incestuous feelings, outsiderism, romantic impotence and sexual mania are concentrated here but exist in all of Franco's personal work. Could "Mirror" be his most personal from his most productive period?

I would not rank this as Franco's best. Its not the most entertaining or interesting or even artistic. But it has impressed the arthouse audience more than his other films. It resembles a serious psychological thriller enough and its competently made in a familiar mode for the time, evoking Godard and Dennis Hopper. You can recommend this one to the people who think Franco couldn't direct or only cared about lesbians and S&M. TOSOTM is a big jewel in his crown and I bet Franco was proud of this for the rest of his life.