"The Dark Mirror" is an excellent psychological thriller about murder, jealousy, suspects who are identical twins and a psychologist who helps the police to identify a murderer. The atmosphere of the piece is, at times, rather unsettling and intense but it's also intriguing and extremely enjoyable to watch.
The 1940s was a period when there was a great deal of public awareness of psychoanalysis and Freudian psychology and so the methods used to identify the evil twin in this story would certainly have held a lot of interest and fascination for audiences at that time.
An investigation into the murder of a well known doctor seems to start off well for police Lieutenant Stevenson (Thomas Mitchell) as he quickly has witnesses at his disposal who can positively identify the young woman who was seen coming out of the victim's apartment on the night of the murder. The woman in question works on a magazine stand in the medical building where the late doctor worked but Stevenson encounters a problem when she is able to provide compelling evidence that she was actually four miles away from the murder scene at the critical time.
Later, Stevenson discovers that the suspect is one of a pair of identical twins but then he confronts another problem as the two sisters are unwilling to cooperate and he is unable to make any further progress without any evidence to prove which one is the culprit. It's at this point that he calls in the assistance of Dr Scott Elliott (Lew Ayres), a psychologist whose speciality is research into the characteristics of identical twins.
Dr Elliott carries out a number of tests involving "inkblots", "word association" and polygraphs from which he identifies which sister is capable of committing murder and he then works with Lieutenant Stevenson on a scheme to trap the evil twin into exposing her own guilt.
Robert Siodmak's style of direction is impressive and very effective in building up the suspense. There are some passages where the mood becomes quite sinister and the masterful use of light and shadow enhances this atmosphere enormously. Examples of this are the opening sequence during which the camera surveys the contents of a dark room before discovering the murder victim and a scene involving the twins in which one sister is almost entirely engulfed in shadow.
The techniques used to show both twins on screen simultaneously are totally convincing and Olivia De Havilland's performance in her dual role displays great subtlety and intelligence. The way she conveys the sisters' many similarities whilst also portraying their differences in an understated manner is very accomplished and best appreciated on repeat viewings. Thomas Mitchell is also entertaining as the competent, unassuming and good humoured detective who is often bewildered by what he discovers.
Fans of "Final Analysis" will notice some similarities with this movie; however, in a typical neo-noir subversion of expectations, in the 1992 film, both identity swapping sisters are actually evil.
"The Dark Mirror" is a stylish movie and the generally swift and natural manner in which the action unfolds contributes greatly to its overall appeal.
The 1940s was a period when there was a great deal of public awareness of psychoanalysis and Freudian psychology and so the methods used to identify the evil twin in this story would certainly have held a lot of interest and fascination for audiences at that time.
An investigation into the murder of a well known doctor seems to start off well for police Lieutenant Stevenson (Thomas Mitchell) as he quickly has witnesses at his disposal who can positively identify the young woman who was seen coming out of the victim's apartment on the night of the murder. The woman in question works on a magazine stand in the medical building where the late doctor worked but Stevenson encounters a problem when she is able to provide compelling evidence that she was actually four miles away from the murder scene at the critical time.
Later, Stevenson discovers that the suspect is one of a pair of identical twins but then he confronts another problem as the two sisters are unwilling to cooperate and he is unable to make any further progress without any evidence to prove which one is the culprit. It's at this point that he calls in the assistance of Dr Scott Elliott (Lew Ayres), a psychologist whose speciality is research into the characteristics of identical twins.
Dr Elliott carries out a number of tests involving "inkblots", "word association" and polygraphs from which he identifies which sister is capable of committing murder and he then works with Lieutenant Stevenson on a scheme to trap the evil twin into exposing her own guilt.
Robert Siodmak's style of direction is impressive and very effective in building up the suspense. There are some passages where the mood becomes quite sinister and the masterful use of light and shadow enhances this atmosphere enormously. Examples of this are the opening sequence during which the camera surveys the contents of a dark room before discovering the murder victim and a scene involving the twins in which one sister is almost entirely engulfed in shadow.
The techniques used to show both twins on screen simultaneously are totally convincing and Olivia De Havilland's performance in her dual role displays great subtlety and intelligence. The way she conveys the sisters' many similarities whilst also portraying their differences in an understated manner is very accomplished and best appreciated on repeat viewings. Thomas Mitchell is also entertaining as the competent, unassuming and good humoured detective who is often bewildered by what he discovers.
Fans of "Final Analysis" will notice some similarities with this movie; however, in a typical neo-noir subversion of expectations, in the 1992 film, both identity swapping sisters are actually evil.
"The Dark Mirror" is a stylish movie and the generally swift and natural manner in which the action unfolds contributes greatly to its overall appeal.