20 Movie Scenes That Are Totally Flawless

Andrei Tarkovsky remains one of the cinema's most influential directors, a man whose films constantly challenged him to analyse the deepest meanings behind human spirituality and the hazards of memory.

His most defining characteristic as a filmmaker was his frequent incorporation of long takes into scenes of particular dreamlike power or narrative importance, and one of his very best long-shots can be found in his most autobiographical film, The Mirror.

Early in the movie, the young protagonist Alexei (Fillip Yankovsky) stands with his mother and siblings as the family barn burns down. But before Tarkovsky gives away the big reveal, he lingers throughout the house, watching the family move toward the wreckage, listening to their brief conversations, and forcing his audience to wonder what exactly is going on.

Restrained and subtly hypnotic, the barn scene is Tarkovsky at the height of his powers, making a scene of vital importance and stark simplicity feel remarkably intense and mysterious.