THE MILL & THE CROSS is about the 16th century Flemish painter Pieter Bruegel the Elder and one of his more celebrated paintings THE WAY TO CALVARY. If you’re not interested in Art and especially the work of Renaissance painters, then you’ll wnat to give this movie a wide berth. If you are interested then you’ll be rewarded with one of the most stunningly beautiful films that I have ever seen.
Director Lech Majewski has created a moving tapestry that literally begins with movement within the painting itself. We then see glimpses of peasant life which was the subject of so many Bruegel paintings. The recreation of the style, the colors, and the clothing worn is remarkable. Rutger Hauer stars as Bruegel along with Michael York as his wealthy patron and Charlotte Rampling as the painter’s wife who also doubles as the Virgin Mary in the painting.
Some of the images are incredibly brutal, for the people of the Netherlands at that time were often subject to harsh reprisals while the country was under Spanish domination. These images work their way into Bruegel’s paintings along with whatever else he observed for he was the visual chronicler of his age, sort of a 16th century newsreel on canvas.
The movie is highly stylized for in addition to copying the look of the paintings, there is very little dialogue. In fact there is no dialogue at all during the first half hour. As the film and the picture continue to progress, there is more interaction between the characters. By the time the end is reached (along with the finished painting), the film seems like a documentary. If you enjoy Art and are attuned to visual stimulation then THE MILL & THE CROSS will be almost impossible to forget.
The Capsule Critic 