The Mill and the Cross

9/10/2022

The Mill and the Cross is one of the best biopics about a painter — or, for that matter, any artist — because it concerns itself less with the painter and more with his work; that is, it knows that the 'what' and 'how' matter more than the 'who.' That’s not to say that the creator doesn’t count for anything; what I mean is that the every artist’s autobiography is recorded in their work (and that’s is why, as I always say, we can learn more about Elton John or Freddie Mercury by listening to Rocketman and Bohemian Rhapsody than by watching Rocketman and Bohemian Rhapsody). This film co-written and directed by Lech Majewski is admirably faithful to the aesthetics of Pieter Brueghel the Elder, but it does not co-opt the artist's vision to put forth a crackpot, 'secret history' plot tha