Review of The Mill and the Cross (2011) by Michael L — 28 Apr 2013

A very impressive movie indeed! This movie tells the story of the making of "The Procession to Calvary" by Pieter Bruguel and the story inside the painting, by that I mean the events before the moment depicted in the painting and those after it.

The movie is directed almost perfectly with a slow mesmerising pace that boost the awe and the epic feeling of the whole work. The camera angles are impressive. Every single shot is well thought and the blocking of the actors is simply unbelievable.

Also the movie is filled with great special effects that make the painting look like reality and the reality look like a painting. The story touches many themes like the common man of the age, war, oppression and religion, all through the everlasting kaleidoscope of art.

The cast is well chosen with Charlotte Rampling standing out as Mary the mother of Jesus (who would have thought!) and with Rutger Hauer applying the fundamental rule of acting: find it, express it, suppress it.

You 'll really forget he was ever the hobo with the shotgun! All in all this is a masterpiece for the ages, comperable only to the original painting, that delivers like a documentary only much better.