10 Movie Moments Which Aren’t What They Seem
4. La Haine - Like Looking At Your Stunt Double In A Mirror
At first glance, the scene in 1995's La Haine where Vincent Cassel's Vinz impersonates Robert De Niro's Travis Bickle in a mirror seems like a pretty simply shot piece of art.
Yet, filming an actor in front of a mirror tends to cause one major problem. You're going to no doubt see the very camera which is being used to capture your performer's work in that mirror you're shooting up against.
So, the team behind Le Haine had a genius, yet elaborate solution for the mirror shooting conundrum.
They decided to plant a body double directly in front of the camera, meaning that they began the shot over his shoulder. Then, they cut a mirror shaped hole in the wall, built the 'reflected' set behind Cassel and finally placed the actor opposite his double. The pair perfectly mimicked each other's movements as the camera crept closer to Cassel, until the double could duck down and allow Vinz to address the lens as if it were his own reflection.
Who knew it was so hard to capture a dude talking to himself in a mirror on screen?