Inhumanity has a name: Adolf Hitler. The very words evoke such images of monstrous horror, it is impossible to believe that this was a human being. That is the reaction which The Empty Mirror sets out to change.
"Rather than view Hitler as a simple icon of evil as he so often is I think it is more useful to try to understand his complexities as a man," explains director Barry J Hershey. "A deeper understanding of who he was and how his mind operated may help us to identify analogous situations in the future…Hitler himself offers a fascinating opportunity to explore the mechanisms of how all human beings are capable of causing tremendous pain to one another."
In Hershey's feature debut, Norman Rodway (Four In The Morning, I'll Never Forget What's His Name) plays the moustachioed tyrant, cut off from his role as Führer and left to contemplate his deeds. Lonely, old and dying, he dictates his memoirs and converses with Goebbels (Joel Grey), Goering (Glenn Shadix) and Eva Braun (Camilla Soeberg). Using juxtaposed images and a non-linear narrative, Hershey plays with time and space to create what he describes as "an internal mind space".
"The film approaches Hitler using visual poetry and symbolism as a means to explore his psyche," Hershey elaborates. "The film is an imaginary rather than a historical construct, because I believe this allows us to explore Hitler's consciousness on a deeper level."
Filming almost entirely on one set, Hershey creates the feeling that Hitler is trapped in an 'inner prison'. For visual variety and complexity, Frederick Elmes (Night On Earth, Wild At Heart) was brought in as Director of Photography, combining and balancing projected images with the total mise-en-scène.
"The film is assertively ambiguous," maintains Hershey, "because there is no single right answer. Instead, I want to invite audiences to explore these issues in their own way The best way to honour those millions who fell victim to Hitler is to continue the struggle to understand."
Adam Minns
Prod Co: WW Film Co Inc.
Prod: William Dance, David D Johnson, Matthew J Roach
Dir/Scr: Barry J Hershey
Ph: Frederick Elmes ASC
Prod des: Tom Colohan Cos: Melinda Eshelman
Mus: John Frizzell
Ed: March Grossman
Cast: Norman Rodway, Joel Grey, Camilla Soeberg
Running time: 130 mins
International sales: WW Film Co Inc.
