When you are evaluating a film from the early days of Hollywood, it is often difficult to parse when a film is offering commentary on problems such as racism and sexism and when they are just contributing to said issue. As I watched the 1933 pre-Code mystery film The Kiss Before The Mirror, I could not shake the feeling that it was a little of each in this case. This tale of infidelity, murder and justice is one that oozes with misogynistic rhetoric, but those who are expressing these views appear to end up worse off for it. At the same time, there a female characters within this picture who a drawn with some semblance of strength and independence, but occasionally indulge in actions that make them seem overly thoughtless and lesser than. Nevertheless, you have to give credit to the film for gamely tackling such hot-button issues with no punches pulled. Director James Whale may be most remembered for horror classics such as Frankenstein or The Invisible Man, but this forgotten picture he made between those two displays his well-rounded approach to cinema.
The Kiss Before The Mirror begins with the cold-blooded murder of a woman (Gloria Stuart) by her husband (Paul Lukas). Does it matter that this woman was in the midst of cheating on her husband at the residence of her lover (Walter Pidgeon)? This is the point that his friend and lawyer Paul Held (Frank Morgan) intends to argue after he agrees to represent him at trial. The initial questioning of his friend is a key turning point in the life of our not-so-dear Paul, as the description of the victim’s behavior leading up to and into her infidelity sounds quite similar to that of his own wife, Maria (Nancy Carroll). Unfortunately for Paul, he has cause to be concerned, as Maria is indeed cheating on him with another man, which he learns after following her to their meet-up. A wounded Paul is not only bolstered to get his murderous friend off what he clearly feels is justifiable homicide, but he also intends to find the most satisfying way to make Maria pay for her betrayal.
Even with what the story does not quite get right, the overall narrative is very much supportive of the feminist agenda. The fact that these women are kept as prized objects for their husbands to admire when they are home is not overlooked. Admiration can be nice, but that is nothing when you are expected to spend the remainder of your life caged in the prison of marriage with no means of exhibiting a personality. These men give them everything they could possibly need, and they should be most grateful that they have deigned to do so. As long as their male ego is placated, all must be well in the world, right? Of course, women must also face the consequences of their actions when they do decide to find a thrill in their life – outside of their marriage – but that does not mean that should be allowed to be killed for these indiscretions. On the surface, the reality of the situation goes to show the flaws of the legal system that caters to men, but a larger issue is broached regarding the fragility of the male ego and the treatment of women.
The narrative has some bumpy spots, but a lot of them are smoothed over thanks to some really strong direction from Whale. He seemingly uses some of the skills he picked up from shooting horror films to expertly establish a sinister mood within a straightforward drama via shot composition and camera angles. Whale is saying quite a bit in this film that is just underneath the surface simply through framing techniques and other smartly directed means. Of course, he is also aided by a parade of stronger performers. While all of the previous actors mentioned turn in skilled performances, we would also be remiss if we did not heap some praise on Jean Dixon (Holiday), who plays the progressive and spirited colleague of Paul. At just a hair under 70 minutes, this film moves along at a great pace without any fat weighing down the narrative. The ending verdict in the courtroom will have you holding your breath, not because you are worried about the freedom of the murderer but for what it means for Maria’s potential mortality. While not heralded as an all-time classic, this pre-Code drama offers more than its fair share of thrills and social commentary. It is one worth seeking out if you get the chance.
Video Quality
The Kiss Before The Mirror makes its Blu-Ray debut thanks to Kino Classics with a brand new 1080p master from a 2K scan. For a film that is pushing 90 years old, this is a truly spectacular presentation. The gorgeous black-and-white photography shot by Karl Freund shines in high definition with natural grain intact. There is a pleasing amount of detail present with nice textures on the clothing and within the production design. The new transfer shows off a great amount of depth and enhanced detail within the film’s composition. Black levels are very deep with no overwhelming occurrence of black crush or compression artifacts. The contrast is well defined, and the track only experiences a minor amount of flicker and specks of damage to the print. There are also a few stray, faint vertical lines that make a quick appearance without ruining the overall aesthetic of the film. Kino Classics has done some marvelous work here.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray comes with a solid DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that serves this movie incredibly well considering its place in early sound recording. Dialogue and background noises are represented in perfect harmony with all competing elements. This track does present with a minor amount of age related wear and tear including some faint hissing and crackles that likely date back to the source elements. The music from W. Franke Harling never overpowers the dialogue or other important information. There are optional English (SDH) subtitles included for the feature film. The good folks at Kino Classics have done their best to prove the most stable track possible for this one.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Australian film historian Alexandra Heller-Nicholas gives a very informative and insightful commentary track in which she breaks down the history of the film, analyzes some of the narrative developments, highlights some subtle allusions and more. The track features some noticable stretches of silence, but when she is speaking it is something worth listening to.
- Trailers: Kino Classics has provided trailers for Supernatural, The Undying Monster, The Lodger, The Spiral Staircase and The Queen of Spades.
Final Thoughts
The Kiss Before The Mirror does not always squarely handle its gender politics like we might want from a modern perspective, but that does not take away from how searing and progressive it was for its time. James Whale may be remembered as a horror director, but this drama shows that he was a man of many talents and a distinct eye for visuals. The film delivers some very strong performances that help bring this complicated story to life. Kino Classics has rescued this film with a Blu-Ray sporting a fantastic A/V presentation and an informative commentary track. If you are a fan of Whale or pre-Code dramas in general, this one is worth your time. Recommended
The Kiss Before The Mirror is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Kino Classics has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
