} Crítica Retrô: Espelho D'Alma (1946) / The Dark Mirror (1946)

Tradutor / Translator / Traductor / Übersetzer / Traduttore / Traducteur / 翻訳者 / переводчик

Thursday, January 29, 2015

Espelho D'Alma (1946) / The Dark Mirror (1946)

Se você gosta de um bom drama, seja em filmes, livros, novelas ou outra mídia, já deve ter encontrado pela frente o clichê da gêmea boa e da gêmea má. Essa fórmula de duas pessoas iguais fisicamente, mas com personalidades diferentes, de modo que uma delas odeia a outra, já foi usada dos mais diversos jeitos, em atrações interessantes ou como um grande atentado à inteligência humana. O truque pode ser conhecido hoje, mas era relativamente novo em 1946. Era a época de filmes noir, dos assassinatos em preto e branco, das femme fatales. Mas e quando não é uma, mas duas femme fatales, uma delas vítima e quiçá cúmplice da outra?

If you like a good melodrama, in film, books, soap operas or any other media, you might have met with the good twin / bad twin cliché. The formula of two people physically identical, but with different, clashing personalities, was already used in many ways, in interesting works of art or as a poor last resource. The trick can be well-known today, but it was relatively new in 1946. Tey were the times of film noir, black and white murders and femme fatales. But what happens when we have not one, but two femme fatales, and one of them is a victim and maybe the accomplice of the other one?


O Doutor Peralta foi encontrado morto. Esfaqueado, assassinado. Dois de seus vizinhos e a secretária apontam como assassina Teresa Collins (Olivia de Havilland), a moça que vende revistas e com quem o doutor planejava se casar. De sorriso amplo e olhos brilhantes, Teresa fica surpresa ao saber da morte do doutor. E mais: tem três álibis que a viram muito longe do local do crime naquela noite.

Doctor Peralta was found dead. He was stabbed, he was murdered. Two of his nwighbors and his secretary believe the killer is Teresa Collins (Olivia de Havilland), a magazine seller with whom the doctor wanted to get married. With a big smile and bright eyes, Teresa is shocked to learn about the doctor’s death. And more: there are three people who can prove she was very far from the place the crime happened that night.


Mas o caso é mais complicado do que parece: Teresa tem uma irmã gêmea idêntica, Ruth, e ambas se revezavam na banca de revistas, de modo que ninguém no edifício sabia que se tratavam de duas irmãs. Isso frustra o tenente Stevenson (Thomas Mitchell) e o jovem Rusty (Richard Long), que estava apaixonado pela moça. As irmãs se recusam a falar qualquer coisa, de modo que fica impossível provar qual é culpada e qual é inocente.

But the case is more complicated than it looks like: Teresa has an identical twin sister, Ruth, and both worked at the magazine shop, and nobody at the building knew there were two sisters running the shop. This frustrates Lieutenant Stevenson (Thomas Mitchell) and young Rusty (Richard Long), who was in love with the girl. The sisters refuse to say anything, and it becomes impossible to prove who is guilty and who is innocent.


Ainda há uma esperança: o doutor Scott Elliott (Lew Ayres), médico no mesmo edifício e, conveniente e coincidentemente, especialista em gêmeos. Elas aceitam participar de uma pesquisa com o doutor, e logo a situação fica óbvia demais: a gêmea má se volta contra a gêmea boa e tenta fazê-la passar por louca.

There is still hope: Doctor Scott Elliott (Lew Ayres), a physician at the same building is, conveniently, an expert in twins. The girls accept to take part in a research with the doctor, and soon the situation becomes too obvious: the bad twin turns against the good twin and tries to make people believe the good twin is crazy.


É um pouco óbvio para o espectador quem é a gêmea boa e quem é a má. Isso é o ponto frustrante do filme. Entretanto, é interessante notar como de fato a polícia estava de mãos atadas com este caso. Com a tecnologia de hoje, provavelmente seria muito mais fácil identificar a gêmea criminosa. Mas não se preocupe: apesar desta fraqueza, o filme tem bons momentos e um excelente clímax, capaz de deixar qualquer um boquiaberto e com os neurônios retorcidos.

It is a little obvious for the audience who is the the good twin and who is the bad twin. This is the most frustrating thing in the film. However, it’s interesting to see how the police was really clueless with the case. With today’s technology, it’d probably be much easier to find out who is the guilty twin. But don’t worry: disconsidering this low point, the film has good moments and an excellent climax, that lets anyone breathless and with confused neurons.


Há um pouco de didatismo no filme. A psique humana ainda era um enigma para a maioria das pessoas. O pai da psicanálise, Sigmund Freud, havia morrido fazia apenas sete anos, e o público precisava ser doutrinado. Mas não se preocupe: não é o estilo “palestra do subconsciente” que Ingrid Bergman, Gregory Peck e Alfred Hitchcock fizeram um ano antes, em “Quando Fala o Coração” (1945). A novidade psicológica do filme fica por conta do teste Rorschach, em que o paciente diz o que vê em uma folha com um borrão de tinta. Este teste, motivo de piada em diversos filmes e seriados desde então, foi considerado ineficaz por estudiosos em 1965. 

There is a little didaticism in the film. Human psique was still an enigma for most people. The father of psychoalysis, Sigmund Freud, had died seven years before, and the audience needed to be doctrinated. But don’t worry: this is not the kind of “lecture about the subconscious” that Ingrid Bergman, Gregory Peck and Alfred Hitchcock did one year before, in “Spellbound” (1945). The big psychological novelty in the film is the Rorschach test, in which the patient describes what he or she sees in a paper with a paint stain. This test, center of many jokes in movies and series since then, was considered ineffective by academics in 1965.


É curioso ver o diálogo sobre rivalidade entre irmãs ser feito justamente para Olivia de Havilland, que teve uma longa rixa com a irmã também atriz Joan Fontaine. Os detalhes dessa rivalidade que vem desde a infância não foram tornados públicos (ao menos não todos os detalhes), mas sem dúvida é impossível dizer quem estava certa ou errada na disputa De Havilland contra Fontaine.

It is curious to see the dialog about sibling rivalry being acted exactly by Olivia de Havilland, who had a long feud with her sister (and also actress) Joan Fontaine. The details of this rivalry that comes since childhood were never made public (at least not ALL details), but without a doubt it’s impossible to say who was right or wrong in the De Havilland against Fontaine case.


Para Olivia de Havilland, 1946 foi um grande ano. Ela ficou dois anos afastada do cinema enquanto lutava para se livrar do abusivo contrato de sete anos da Warner Brothers. Por ter rejeitado vários papéis ruins, Olivia foi informada de que ficaria mais seis meses exclusiva da Warner, como forma de punição. Ela foi aos tribunais e ganhou o caso, mas, graças à influência da Warner em Hollywood, nenhum estúdio lhe ofereceu trabalho entre 1944 e 1946. Lew Ayres também estava afastado do cinema, porque deixou Hollywood em 1942 para trabalhar como médico e capelão durante a guerra no Pacífico. Protagonista de “Sem Novidade no Front” (1930), Ayres era um grande pacifista e perdeu a simpatia dos colegas durante a guerra porque se opunha ao conflito.

For Olivia de Havilland, 1946 was a fantastic year. She was far from movies for two years, fighting to get rido f Warner Brothers’s abusive seven-year contract. Because she rejected several bad roles, Olivia was informed that she would be a Warner exclusive for six more months as a punishment. She went to court and won the case, but, thanks to Warner’s influence in Hollywood, no studio offered her work between 1944 and 1946. Lew Ayres was also far from the movie business, because he left Hollywood in 1942 to work as doctor and chaplain during the war in the Pacific. The lead of “All Quiet on the Western Front” (1946), Ayres was a pacifist and lost the sympathy of his movie colleagues because he was against the war. 


Este não é o melhor filme de nenhum de seus atores. Não é o melhor filme do diretor Robert Siodmak (de “Os Assassinos”, 1946) nem do produtor Nunnally Johnson (de “Um Retrato de Mulher”, 1944). Mas é um filme muito bom, como o são todos os clássicos.

This is not the best film for nwither Olivia now Lew. It is not the best film by director Robert Siodmack (who did “The Killers” also in 1946) nor by producer Nunnally Johnson (from “The Woman in the Window”, 1944). But it is a very good classic film nonetheless.

This is my contribution to the Fourth Annual Dueling Divas blogathon, hosted by Lara at Backlots.

8 comments:

Pedrita said...

ah, não vi. anotadíssimo. beijos, pedrita

Anonymous said...

Hallo fellow Dueling Diva participant!

I had never heard of this film before, and I have to say it looks like great fun. Secret evil twins and a murder investigation - it sounds like my kind of drama! I have always rather liked Olivia de Havilland, too. Thanks for the write-up :)

Silver Screenings said...

Le, here is another movie you've introduced me to. I've heard of it, but haven't had the chance to see it. It would be fascinating to see Olivia in the dual role because of the falling-out with her sister, as you've pointed out. This is a great Duelling Divas choice!

carygrantwonteatyou.com said...

I've never thought about how much her real-life sibling rivalry must have informed her in characterizing these twins. Such an interesting post.

Anonymous said...

I love how Siodomak went to great, if not very subtle, lengths to keep the audience informed about which twin is which - from monogrammed dressing gowns to initialed brooches, compact mirrors and oversize name necklaces. That kind of undermines the power of the film for me! Also, the more I watch it the more the ending confuses me - it’s impossible not to be convinced that perhaps Ruth and Terry have changed roles; that the two are so adept, and indeed used to, swapping between or playing a role that even they aren’t sure who is who anymore.

FlickChick said...

what could be more fun that 2 Olivias? Maybe if sister Joan played the other part - how delicious would that be? You're right - not the best work of all involved, but fun nonetheless.

Pedrita said...

falei de um filme clássico no meu blog. beijos, pedrita

Bonnie said...

This looks interesting. I especially want to see how they portray the inkblot test on screen. (Psychology on film fascinates me.)

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

.

https://compre.vc/v2/335dc4a0346