Capsules: The Mill and the Cross & The Way
October 15, 2011 by Danny Baldwin
This week at the local art-house, you have a choice between two pictures with Christian undertones. One is something that you’ve never seen before, and the other is quite familiar. Ironically, the latter is the more accomplished effort. Here are capsule reviews…
The Mill and the Cross / |
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An example of the sophisticated visual style of the otherwise mediocre The Mill and the Cross.
Now here’s an inventive concept: a film adapted from a painting, or, perhaps more accurately, set inside a painting. The painting is Pieter Bruegel’s 1564 The Way to Cavalry, in which the artist changed the setting of the Crucifixion to Spain-occupied Flanders as a form of social commentary. What I mean by ‘set inside’ the painting is that we see the people and events that Bruegel depicts come to life — usually as if imagined by Bruegel, as part of his creative process. And thanks to expertly implemented CGI, each scene actually looks as if it fits with the visual appearance of the original work.
The problem: outside of the sheer visual beauty and conceptual originality of The Mill and the Cross, there is nothing to it. The film’s premise implies that it will give the original piece of work new meaning–or, at the very least, provide an original interpretation of it–but co-writer/director Lech Majewski does no such thing. As a literal enactment of the painting, the movie is boring, coming across as more existential than spiritual as it moves with the speed of molasses. As a more abstract expression of Bruegel’s creative process, it’s a failure — the scenes ‘within’ the painting are just as one-dimensional as the way in which Bruegel (Rutger Hauer) obtusely explains his intent to his patron in interludes. It’s impossible to resist the convenient cheap-shot: watching The Mill and the Cross is like watching paint dry.
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The Mill and the Cross (2011; Sweden, Poland). Produced by George Lekovic, Lech Majewski, Feddy Olsson, and Dorota Rsozkowska. Directed by Lech Majewski. Written for the screen by Michael Francis Gibson and Lech Majewski. Starring Rutger Hauer, Michael York, Charlotte Rampling, Oskar Huliczka, and Joanna Litwin. Distributed by Kino Lorber. Not rated, with a running time of 92 minutes.
The Way / |
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Martin Sheen walks the Camino de Santiago in The Way.
There’s a fine line between ‘old-fashioned’ and cliché, and Emilio Estevez’ The Way–a traditional road movie, only set on foot–ends up on the right side of the fence. It stars Emilio’s dad, Martin Sheen, as your average near-retirement American, who ends up walking the Camino de Santiago, a Christian pilgrimage in Spain, in honor of his dead son (Estevez). Along the way, there are a lot of quiet close-ups intended to be revelatory and some longer shots to help the viewer take in the scenery. But the tone is not exactly contemplative, either — typical hijinks with fellow travelers Joost (Yorick van Wageningen), a golly Dutchman who walks to lose weight; Sarah (Deborah Kara Unger), a mysterious Canadian smoker; and Jack (James Nesbit), an aimless Irish writer, ensue. What separates The Way from your average old folks matinee are the strong performances — Sheen is earnest and believable in the lead, and the supporters don’t overplay their quirks to become ornate caricatures. Estevez’ somewhat pedestrian approach behind the camera–less sophisticated than that of his cross-cutting Bobby–works well, because the unobtrusiveness helps us focus on what we care about: the people. The movie can be a bit boring at times, but that’s almost refreshing in light of so many recent releases that constantly try to bombard us with sensory stimulation as if we forgot to take our Adderall. Rounded out with grainy cinematography that recalls the renegade road pictures of the ‘70s, The Way may not move you to book a trip to the Camino de Santiago, but it’s a nice two hours spent in the company of engaging performances.
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The Way (2011; USA, Spain). Produced by David Alexanian, Johannes Brinkmann, Emilio Estevez, Ramon Gerard Estevez, Julio Fernández, Alberto Marini, Lisa Niedenthal, Toni Novella, Janet Sheen, and John Sloss. Directed and written for the screen by Emilio Estevez. Starring Martin Sheen, Emilio Estevez, Yorick van Wageningen, Deborah Kara Unger, and James Nesbitt. Distributed by Arc Entertainment. Rated PG-13, with a running time of 121 minutes.