Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

A Reflection of Fear Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov December 13, 2021

William A. Fraker's "A Reflection of Fear" (1972) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Via Vision Entertainment. The supplemental features on the disc include exclusive new audio commentary by author and critic Lee Gambin; audio interviews with actors Sondra Locke and Gordon Devol; and vintage trailer for the film. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Everything you need to know to solve the mystery that is at the center of William A. Fraker’s thriller A Reflection of Fear before you reach its end credits is right in front of you. But you have to pay very close attention to what is being said -- and how it is said.

I was doing the former and pretty well too, but missed a few obvious clues because I did not recognize the significance of how certain exchanges would come up and end. Also, I was trying to connect different dots while these exchanges lasted, but I should have let my mind analyze what my eyes were seeing at that very moment. Admittedly, Fraker uses a few pretty good curve balls whose purpose is precisely to trick the mind so that it ignores the obvious and explores different ‘what if’ scenarios, but you can’t blame him for doing it. It is how this cinematic game has always been played.

It is immediately obvious that Marguerite (Sondra Locke) is not like other girls her age. She is a diabetic and social outcast and her one and only friend is an oversized plastic doll named Aaron. Even though the two often have disagreements that irritate her, she values their relationship, and during difficult times when her body struggles to overcome the side effects of her illness she relies heavily on his support.

One day, Marguerite is informed that she will finally meet her father, Michael (Robert Shaw), who has been living abroad for years and is getting ready to start a new chapter in his life with Anne (Sally Kellerman). Marguerite immediately begins asking her mother and grandmother (Marry Ure, Signe Hasso) to tell her more about him so that she knows how to behave in front of him, and the more excited she becomes about his visit, the more her relationship with Aaron begins to deteriorate.

Michael exceeds all of Marguerite’s expectations and while he and her mother discuss the documents that need to be signed to legally terminate their marriage, she embraces him in a way that makes Anne feel quite uncomfortable. Then, while Marguerite’s relationship with Michael blossoms beyond what Anne thinks is acceptable, an unhinged killer enters the secluded mansion.

A Reflection of Fear probably would not have been as effective as it is without the very particular ambience that flourishes in it. Indeed, this ambience is largely the reason why the obvious remains so elusive for such a long time. It has a baroque quality of the type that was common for many black-and-white Victorian thrillers, but the environment in which the killer is supposed to be identified is contemporary. As a result, the mind begins to entertain ‘what if’ scenarios that could look legit but are actually entirely misleading.

There is another very good thriller that emerged in 1972 which uses the exact same blueprint to trick the mind. It is titled What the Peeper Saw and was directed by James Kelly, who ended up working with two different cinematographers to better tune up its ambience. In A Reflection of Fear, Fraker and cinematographer Laszlo Kovacs place a much greater emphasis on the management of light and shadow, but like Kelly ultimately pull the same rabbit out of the same hat.

The entire cast is very easy to praise because everyone has to shine in some quite diverse ways. For example, for a while Shaw looks very confident and rational, but then the killings quickly reveal a different man that might have started drifting away. Locke seems to be an enigma at first, but gradually reveals everything that torments her soul. Kellerman does everything a future mature stepmother should, but then suddenly realizes that acting as an adult is a losing strategy and becomes a very different person. Mitchell Ryan’s Inspector McKenna produces all of the right questions as well.

A very fine thriller, indeed. It is unfortunate that it seems to be largely forgotten because in a way it sums up quite well just about everything that made the 1970s such a special decade for American cinema.

A Reflection of Fear Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, A Reflection of Fear arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Via Vision Entertainment.

The master that was used to source this release comes from Sony Pictures, and even though it looks a bit dated, I like it quite a lot. Obviously, if the film is fully restored it will look fresher and in some areas more vibrant, but I think that the muted colors and overall slightly soft appearance of the visuals will be retained because they are essential elements of László Kovács' cinematography. Also, plenty of the indoor footage emphasizes shadows and shadow nuances in very particular ways, so what may look like conventional crushing may actually be entirely intended (see screencapture #21). This being said, grain exposure should be healthier, plus fluidity ought to be better as well. Density levels are rather nice, but the encoding could have been better. Image stability is good. The entire master is surprisingly clean as well. All in all, I think that this release offers a fairly decent organic presentation of the film. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

A Reflection of Fear Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I was not surprised that the lossless track was so good because even older Sony masters that were prepared during the DVD era were done right. I don't know if the current master is that old, but the lossless track is excellent. Fred Myrow's creepy score sounds great and I did not detect any age-related imperfections.

A Reflection of Fear Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - a vintage trailer for A Reflection of Fear. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• Commentary - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by author and critic Lee Gambin. There are plenty of interesting observations about the film's unique ambience, its visual style, the casting choices, the art direction, and the nature of the conflicts that are at the center of the story that is told in the film. However, I have to respectfully disagree that there are any gender politics in the film, as speculated.

• Two Interviews - presented here are two audio interviews with Sondra Locke (2014) and Gordon Devol (2021), which were conducted by Lee Gambin. These are long and very interesting interviews that cover everything from the careers of the two actors to the production of A Reflection of Fear to its reception and cutting-edge themes.

A Reflection of Fear Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

It is difficult for me to identify all of the good reasons A Reflection of Fear is such an unusual film and why it actually works so well. If I did, I would probably end up spoiling it. So, I am just going to say that director William A. Fraker and cinematographer László Kovács infuse it with a pretty special ambience that ends up producing some quite effective curve balls. This release comes from Australian label Via Vision Entertainment and is sourced from an older but good organic master that was supplied by Sony Pictures. It is Region-Free. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. (If you enjoy A Reflection of Fear, also consider picking up for your library What the Peeper Saw, which was released in 1972 as well).