Terence Young is best remembered as the director of three early James Bond movies, but his work outside that franchise is more uneven. He worked best with thrillers and adventure yarns, turning out competent but un-flashy work. By the 1970s, he unfortunately devolved into hackdom and Eurotrash, but there are gems to be found in his 50s and 60s filmography.
CORRIDOR OF MIRRORS is his debut directorial feature and ironically, the least characteristic film he ever made. Young shunned baroque filmmaking styles, which makes the Cocteau-esque visuals here all the more shocking, so much so that I have to wonder just how much of a hand Young had in the process (I've heard the producers of the film were more of the "auteurs" in this case and I'm tempted to believe that). The production is dizzying, noirish and mystical in its presentation of fatally attracted lovers who become obsessed with images of themselves as 15th century lovers reincarnated in 1930s Britain.
The acting has been criticized by other reviewers here, but I didn't mind any of it. I will admit there's a certain coldness to the characters that prevents me from fully connecting to this VERTIGO-esque tale, but I don't know if that's on the actors or the writers. Still, it's a unique movie, one that has haunted me days after seeing it for the first time. I'm glad it's been given a decent home release.
CORRIDOR OF MIRRORS is his debut directorial feature and ironically, the least characteristic film he ever made. Young shunned baroque filmmaking styles, which makes the Cocteau-esque visuals here all the more shocking, so much so that I have to wonder just how much of a hand Young had in the process (I've heard the producers of the film were more of the "auteurs" in this case and I'm tempted to believe that). The production is dizzying, noirish and mystical in its presentation of fatally attracted lovers who become obsessed with images of themselves as 15th century lovers reincarnated in 1930s Britain.
The acting has been criticized by other reviewers here, but I didn't mind any of it. I will admit there's a certain coldness to the characters that prevents me from fully connecting to this VERTIGO-esque tale, but I don't know if that's on the actors or the writers. Still, it's a unique movie, one that has haunted me days after seeing it for the first time. I'm glad it's been given a decent home release.