After Laura, a young piano student, miraculously survives a car crash, she awakens in a nearby house in the care of a local woman. As she recovers, Laura begins to integrate herself into the lives of the woman and her estranged family. Haunted yet hopeful, Laura and her adopted family come to find a strange harmony together. However, they cannot outrun the ghosts of the past, which begin to stir.

For in-depth thoughts on Miroirs No. 3, please see my colleague Dave Giannini’s review from its original theatrical release here.

Video Quality

Miroirs No. 3 makes its Blu-Ray debut with a first-rate 1080p video presentation in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio that captures the fetching cinematography with the utmost care. The natural color palette saturates the screen with the bold colors found in the countryside locales. The flesh tones are natural with lovely detail present in close-ups. The image is free of any digital anomalies, such as compression artifacts. The purposeful production design and shots of nature provide inviting textural details. The presentation captures a welcome amount of depth in each space that is occupied. Black levels avoid nearly all instances of banding as they maintain their depth. This Blu-Ray is a welcome effort from the folks at 1-2 Special.

Audio Quality

1-2 Special gives this Blu-Ray a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track in the original German (with optional English subtitles) that confidently renders all of the nuanced sounds of the mix. Environmental sounds flow gently through the surround speakers to make the locale feel alive. When the characters are moving throughout the space, an assortment of distinct ambient details fleshes out the setting. Dialogue comes through crisp and clear without being overshadowed by any competing elements. The film has a gentle energy that allows for some nice texture to creep into the proceedings. The music is favorably balanced while maintaining the proper fidelity. The track earns top marks in bringing this material to your home.

Special Features

Interview with Director Christian Petzold: A 22-minute interview with director Christian Petzold in which he discusses his inspiration for this story, the place of music in his process, cinema as a collective act, and more.

Booklet: A multi-page booklet is provided featuring an essay by film programmer Ariel Esteban Cayer that examines the film from multiple angles.

Final Thoughts

Miroirs No. 3 is a very subtle yet immensely powerful work from the great Christian Petzold. His collaborations with Paula Beer always yield something special, and this is certainly no exception. Stories about trauma can often be morose or manipulative, but Petzold knows how to thread the needle to create a work that builds gradually until you feel like you are hit with a ton of bricks. In a career with such high highs, some may not feel that this is the pinnacle of Petzold, but this would be considered a strong outing in the career of any filmmaker. 1-2 Special has released a Blu-Ray featuring a pleasant A/V presentation and a wonderful interview. Recommended

Miroirs No. 3 is currently available to purchase on Standard Edition Blu-Ray or with a Limited Edition Slipcover exclusively through Vinegar Syndrome.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: 1-2 Special and OCN Distribution have supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.