“The Dark Mirror” (1946) and “Jealousy” (1945) screen on Friday, Sept. 19, 7:30 p.m. at the Billy Wilder Theater, as part of the UCLA Film and Television Archive’s 'Exile Noir' series.
In “The Dark Mirror,” a doctor is murdered and several witnesses identify Ruth Collins (Olivia de Haviland) as a prime suspect, but she has several airtight alibis. Then, the police realize that Ruth has an identical twin sister and put a psychiatrist (Lew Ayres) on the case. The doppelganger motif, so prevalent in noir and German cinema, allows director Robert Siodmak to construct a dark world of moral ambiguity, in which mirrors reflect multiple realities.
“Jealousy,” both melodrama and film noir, tells the story of a suicidal émigré writer whose lack of success makes him increasingly depressed, jealous, violent and willing to commit murder; yet it is he, not his young wife who falls victim to a murder of passion. A story of exile and loss: loss of the mother country, of success, of self-esteem, of a loved one's affections and of freedom. The film's schizophrenic atmosphere is underscored through strong diagonal compositions and typical film noir high-contrast lighting. Directed by Gustav Machatý.
Tickets are $10; purchase here. Learn more about the "Exile Noir" series here.The Billy Wilder Theater is located at the UCLA Hammer Museum, 10899 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90024.
