Broken Mirrors

1984 [DUTCH]

Drama / Thriller

Rotten Tomatoes Critics - Rotten 80%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience - Upright 80%
IMDb Rating 6.7/10 10 322 322

brothel feminism prostitution woman director

Plot summary

Diane and Dora are two prostitutes who begin to rebel against their lot in life. Meanwhile, in another part of town, a murderer is at large.

Director

Marleen Gorris Photo
Marleen Gorris

Top cast

Elsje de Wijn Photo
Elsje de Wijn as Buurvrouw Diane
Truus Dekker Photo
Truus Dekker as Buurvrouw uit raam
Johan Leysen Photo
Johan Leysen as The Boss
Gijs Scholten van Aschat Photo
Gijs Scholten van Aschat as Studenten
720p.BluRay
1 GB
1198*720
Dutch 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
24 fps
1 hr 51 min
Seeds ...

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by 8 / 10

Horrific, compelling, well done

So frightening. As a prior reviewer noted, it has a documentary feel about it. It seems so real. I saw this film at the Chicago film festival in 1984 and have never seen it played anywhere again. I would like to see it again to see if it would have the same profound effect on me as it did that first time. If you see it playing, go to see it, if you are strong of heart. Will grab you.
Reviewed by 7 / 10

Not an erotic thriller, but a story

From the plot summary, it's easy to believe that GEBROKEN SPIEGELS is just another '80s thriller that capitalizes upon voluptuous women with an allergy to every fabric known to mankind and the thrill of a faceless killer terrorizing his virginal victims. I think summarizing this film with its plot does it an extreme disservice. The film is indeed set in a brothel, and constantly shows these prostitutes at work, but I would argue that not a single scene is designed to be erotic. We never see the supposed masculine ideal of a house full of willing and scantily clad women who will take him to heaven for 200 guilders, but instead a house of hard, painful, even depressing work with its desperate workers doing what they know how to do to scrape by. This is not a film of entertainment, but of storytelling and art.I write this not having particularly enjoyed the film's story. Although not wholly depressing, it's neither happy nor exciting, and as a male viewer with no interest in brothels, there was no character to which I related. Certainly there is no male figure of any moral value - as is mentioned in the film, the good men aren't good customers. Yet somehow, the film manages to surpass the need for relatability with its gentle and grounded portrayal of strong women who can handle the hard life they have chosen. No sympathy is demanded, rather, the film allows you the freedom to feel. In this way, the film transcends the cheap erotic trash that regrettably drowns it. This is cinema.
Reviewed by 8 / 10

provocative and intriguing

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