Chip Kaufmann’s Pick: “The Mill & The Cross

The Mill & The Cross (2011)

WARNING: This movie from 2011 is not for everyone. It is about the 16th century Flemish painter Pieter Bruegel and one of his more celebrated paintings The Way to Calvary.If you’re not into art and especially the work of the Renaissance painters then you’ll want to give this movie a wide berth but if you are, 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 patron and Charlotte Rampling who plays the artist’s wife as well as the Virgin Mary in the painting. Seeing York at 70 and Hauer and Rampling in their mid 60s comes as something of a shock but it’s nice to see them still working.

Some of the images are incredibly brutal, for the people of the Netherlands in the 16th century faced harsh reprisals 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 the age.

The movie is highly stylized for in addition to copying the look of the paintings, there is very little dialogue. In fact not a word is said for the first 30 minutes. As the film (and the painting) progress, there is more interaction between the characters. By the time the end is reached, with the picture finished, it could be a documentary.

If you’re in the mood for something different and aren’t opposed to Art with a capital A, then you should give The Mill & The Cross a try. It is available through Netflix and from some local video outlets. Once seen it is almost impossible to put out of your mind, and is worth seeing for that reason alone.

Michelle Keenan’s Pick: “The Woman in Black

The Woman in Black (2011)

The Woman in Blackopened to good notices and modest crowds earlier this year. My co-reviewer Professor Kaufmann did a great review for it at the time, but I’m willing to wager many of you, dear readers, did not venture out to see this creepy tale.

Ironically many filmgoers who would likely enjoy The Woman in Black did not see it, thinking it was a horror movie, while horror film fans flocked to the theatre, at least initially, only to realize they weren’t watching a slasher film but a gothic ghost story, complete with period costumes and English accents. My bet is it wasn’t their cup of tea. Newly released on DVD, I’m hoping I can persuade some folks who should have seen it to see it now.

The Woman in Black, produced by Hammer Films (something our regular readers will know a bit about thanks to Professor Kaufmann’s penchant for Hammer Films – Rapid River Magazine, October 2010), stars Daniel Radcliffe as Arthur Kipps, a young lawyer struggling with work and life after the death of his wife.

He is sent to a remote village to settle the estate of an eccentric old woman. Upon his arrival he is sternly and vehemently warned to leave. The locals are hiding something, but what? The only people in town to welcome him are the Dailys (Ciarin Hinds, Janet McTeer) a wealthy couple still grieving the loss of a child almost 20 years later. Mr. Daily does not subscribe to the local superstitions and assists Kipps in his quest. As Kipps digs in to his work, he begins to unravel the mystery of the ghost of a wronged woman. The spirit exacts her vengeance on the local children.

The film is genuinely scary and packs several surprises that startle enough to quite possibly be detrimental to anyone with a heart condition. Director James Watkins creates a brilliantly atmospheric film and paces it methodically, building suspense and fear in the minds of the viewers. The cinematography is shot almost exclusively to tell the story from Kipps’ perspective which is a tremendously effective tool in telling this story. Radcliffe plays Kipps with perfect British reserve. Hinds is great addition to any cast and any movie at any time and provides a slight respite from the creep factor. McTeer is wonderful as the slightly disturbed, still grieving mother.

The ending was a surprise, but I found it satisfying and a brave choice. The Woman in Black is not the cheesy (albeit utterly enjoyable) drive-in movie fare that Hammer used to churn out. Bottom line, you won’t find a better ghost story out there. It is a suspenseful nail biter. It’s well done and well worth the view.