It was Gabin's second film following his return to his homeland after serving in the Free French forces after the poorly-received Martin Roumagnac (1946) alongside Marlene Dietrich.

The film marks a shift from the doomed men of the pre-war poetic realism that established Gabin as a star to the powerful figures he played from the 1950s onwards.

A prominent, respected businessman Pierre Lussac leads a double life as a top Paris-based gangster operating out of a flourishing nightclub and casino with a large number of public officials in his pocket.

Things take a turn for the worse when a southern gang based in Marseille led by Folco declares war on his own organisation.

Before his final confrontation with his enemies, Lussac meets with a former associate who had escaped from prison after serving a sentence for taking part in a raid in 1935.

[1] The assistant director for the film was Raymond Bailly, the dialogue writer was Carlo Rim, the screenwriters were Paul Ollivier and Carlo Rim, the director of photography was Roger Hubert, the sound engineers were Jean Putel and Jacques Carrère, the cinematographer was Marc Fossard, the production director was Marcel Bryau, the editor was Germaine Artus, the script supervisor was Jacqueline Loir, the production designers were Roland Berthon and Georges Wakhevitch, the composer was Maurice Yvain, the make-up artist was Boris de Fast, and the general manager was Claude Pinoteau.

"[8] In the book Paris In The Dark: Going To The Movies In The City Of Light, 1930–1950, Eric Smoodin wrote that Miroir was "among the least favored" films to play at the Gaumont-Palace theater.