The Mirror

There's no suspense. It's another one of those stories where the absolute power corrupts. Castro (or whomever) is given a chance to correct the evils of his predecessor. Of course, he betrays everyone. He has a magic mirror that shows people betraying him and he strikes out at them. It turns out that the mirror is a means to an end that was already there. He is paranoid from day one and begins to insulate himself immediately. He is harsh and a pure jerk within minutes of taking power. The sad thing is that the episode is so doggone dull that it goes nowhere and has no insights for us. One of Serling's weakest outings. Peter Falk is OK but he has nothing to work with.

I had long heard about the "Fidel Castro episode" of TWILIGHT ZONE, and finally watched it last night. Yes, it is a bit heavy-handed, but I still enjoyed it. Peter Falk was always a likable actor, and he is very effective as the maniacal dictator. The setting of the Baroque hall in which the entire episode takes place is realistic and effective, resembling the colonial architecture you often find in Latin America. You can practically feel the tropical heat, the sand and the grime. In addition, it was a pleasant surprise to see Will Kuluva (with whom I was previously familiar as "Mr. Ferguson" in the hour-long episode "The New Exhibit") as the outgoing leader of the country. Kuluva had a fine speaking voice and presence. The episode has a notable musical score - surprisingly including a harpsichord, suggestive of a crumbling Baroque façade.

Some other reviewers here feel that the appearance and accents of Clemente's henchmen reflected negative caricatures of Latinos. The actors appear to have been a mix of Italians, Greeks, Jews and one Hispanic. I found their portrayals above all to be a caricature of unkempt militant leftist types. "Latino" did not exist as a racial category in 1961; these were "Latin Americans." Audiences were not ethnically and racially hypersensitive back then, as today.

I do think Serling missed an opportunity with the priest character. Priests, in addition to moral authorities, are also agents of mercy and forgiveness. It would have been not only effective writing but obligatory pastoral practice for the priest to try to lead Clemente to repentance and confession - and explicitly to invoke God! - before he killed himself. The priest seems little more than a "preachy" plot mechanism.

On a final note, I am happy to see that Rod Serling was a liberal in the classic sense and was anti-communist, indeed anti-tyranny of any kind.

Peter Falk plays a Central American peasant revolutionary leader named Ramos Clemente, who has just overthrown a hated tyrant who abused his power, and Clemente and his associates are basking in their new power when the dictator they ousted issues them a warning that their hold on power won't last long, and that a cursed mirror will reveal all the future assassins that will threaten Clemente. This prophecy seems to be coming true, as Ramos sees his comrades plotting to kill him in the mirror, so has them killed, but are these reflections true or false? The normally excellent Falk(best known as Lt. Columbo) overacts here, and is miscast, but central point of how absolute power corrupts may unfold a bit too obviously, but episode still remains a guilty pleasure.

When the peasant Ramos Clemente (Peter Falk) leads a successful revolution in his undefined country, the former dictator General De Cruz (Will Kuluva) advises that his mirror is magic and can anticipate who will murder him. Clement becomes paranoid and kills each one of his revolutionary comrades believing that they want to murder him.

"The Mirror" is a predictable episode based on the paranoid behavior of a man unprepared to lead a nation. The despicable analogy to the charismatic leader Fidel Castro and the Cuban revolution is not a subtle, but a direct message; but the story of the corruption of the absolute power of a tyrant is reasonable. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "O Espelho" ("The Mirror")

Note: On 13 July 2023, I saw this episode again.

This is one of those episodes that you really have to think about the time in which it was shown in order to appreciate why it was relevant. The scene presented was reminiscent to its audience of more than just Cuba -- this was an era of frequent "revolutions" and military-style commanders: Castro, the Perons, Pinochet... but with a change of clothes and accents, this could become Burma or the Middle East or somewhere in Eastern Europe or Africa today, and maybe that consideration will help others appreciate this episode. The only problem I had with the story was the ending, which I didn't understand and didn't feel that it "fit" with the character. This episode is no more "preachy" than any of the Twilight Zone, and if such bothers you, it's not really a series you will ever appreciate, let alone enjoy.