Mill of the Stone Women (1960)

Masterful Cinema

The movie is wildly uneven but lively and timely - in its own surreal way

I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Writer goes to visit a sculptor to write a piece about him and a carousel where he lives. the sculptor's home is called the Mill of Stone women because of all of the grotesque figures that are inside. The writer becomes acquainted with the sculptors daughter, who is sick with an incurable illness, he also becomes enmeshed in the disappearances of many local girls. Moody, eerie horror film that I've seen too many times over the years. I've ended up with I don't know how many copies of the film, and every time I do I make some effort to see it because I have it, and every time I'm surprised that its better then I remember it. Beautifully shot in a muted color scheme this is a film with a real sense of place and time, not to mention one of dread. There is something funeral-like in the way it all looks. To be certain the plot is clichéd and there is more than a good chance you'll know where its going, but it really doesn't matter since everything that makes up the film comes together to tell a good story that will keep you watching even though you know whats going to happen. One of the better Euro-horror films of the period its a film that anyone like Gothic stories should see. Forget the lurid title, and just see the film. Between 6 and 7 out of 10.

Based on a Flemish short story by Pieter Van Weigen, Mill of the Stone Women is an excellent slice of Eurocult Gothic horror. The film is along the same lines as films by Mario Bava; most notably Black Sunday and Kill Baby Kill, and just like the aforementioned masterpieces; bathes in its own atmosphere and most of the horror is drawn from that. Horror is a genre that people often mistake for not having many ideas, but films like this prove otherwise. Here, we have a story that couldn't be further away from the 'norm' in horror, and on a technical level, Mill of the Stone Women is both inventive and influential. The macabre plot follows a young journalist named Hans who travels to Holland to write an article on the mysterious sculptor, who lives in a mill, that the locals have nicknamed "The Mill of the Stone Women". While there, he meets the Professor's beautiful daughter; but she's damaged goods, as she suffers from a sinister malady that means she has to remain within the mill. Is there something yet more morbid to this intriguing set up...?The mill at the centre of the piece makes for an excellent location for this story to take place in. Old castles are a more common location for Gothic horror, so the fact that this one takes place in a mill again differentiates it from the norm, and is yet another example of the imagination behind the story. The colour scheme is largely quite drab, and to be honest, I'd have preferred either more striking colours or a black and white picture...as the in-between doesn't look good in my opinion. That's pretty much the only thing I don't like about this film in regards to the style, however. The plot moves slowly, but this means that the film has time to both build up it's plot and wallow in the atmosphere. One of the trademarks of Italian horror is a muddled plot and things that don't completely make sense; and this film adheres to that. There are several threads within the plot, and a number of them are left unexplained by the conclusion...which is a shame. Still, the final conclusion is fitting and at least it doesn't suffer from bad dubbing! Recommended.

Mill of the Stone Women is the story of a researcher named Hans who is finishing a book on the famous sculptor Professor Wahl and his carousel. The carousel features wax representations of women being tortured and killed in a variety of sadistic and inventive ways. A meeting with the Professor's beautiful, seductive daughter, Elfi, ignites conflicting passions within Hans because of his one true love Liselotte. Things are even more complicated because breaking the news to Elfi will not be easy. She suffers from a rare disease that can cause death if she becomes too upset or disturbed. In addition, Hans is convinced that Professor Wahl is up to some twisted experiments that may involve several of the local women including his Liselotte. Hans must solve the mystery of the windmill and the carousel if he is to save himself and the one woman he cares about.What Works: Atmosphere, Atmosphere, Atmosphere. If you're into atmosphere with your horror, look no further than Mill of the Stone Women. Most movies can't claim to have 1/10 of the atmosphere found here. The barren landscape, the isolated windmill, the constant overcast skies, the dark corridors with secret rooms in the windmill, the eerie music, the twisted carousel of death, and the Gothic trappings everywhere you look all add to a movie that just drips with atmosphere. The movie takes it's time and doesn't rush or try to force things. There's a real foreboding sense of unease that runs throughout the movie. There are moments when you might think the atmosphere is going to literally ooze from the screen into your living room.Scilla Gabel. Gabel is one of those women of the 60s that I don't think exist anymore. She's from that Sophia Loren - Claudia Cardinale – Daliah Lavi mold of women that were a product of that time. She may never be confused with a great actress, but she has a screen presence that's hard to beat.Prof. Gregorius Wahl. What a character! Robert Boehme does an excellent job of playing a mad, but goofy, genius. By the end of Mill of the Stone Women, though, it's easy to feel some sympathy for him as his dreams are shattered. It's an excellent piece of acting from a man whose acting credits only include this movie.Wooden Shoes. Any movie with people wearing wooden shoes has to get a bonus point from me.What Doesn't Work: Slow Going. For me, this is a plus. But I put it here to warn those who prefer a movie with a killing or explosion every five minutes.Love Story. Because Hans represents a new, exciting life, it's easy to see why Elfi might quickly fall for him. And, because Elfi is such a looker, it's easy to see why Hans might be interested in Elfi. But the fact that both are declaring their undying love for each other after one five-minute meeting stretches the imagination quite a bit.In the end, Mill of the Stone Women is one of the finest examples of a Gothic, atmospheric movie ever made. The film plays like a combination of The House of Wax meets Eyes Without a Face. It's a wonderful movie that I enjoy more each time I get the chance to watch.

Beautifully directed and photographed European horror film that owes a debt to Franju's EYES WITHOUT A FACE.An evocative, creepy score by Carlo Innocenzi helps director Giorgio Ferroni conjure a work of great atmosphere and intense drama.As in EYES and Franco's ORLOFF, the subject is a fanatic obsessed with preserving the life of a dearly departed member of his family -- in this case, his daughter Elfi, played by the achingly beautiful and sensual Scilla Gabel.The setting, a windmill outside Amsterdam, is a superb arena for the fantastic goings-on that provide frisson upon frisson of wonder and dread. The "stone women" of the title are frightening, fascinating figures of fear and are richly employed by Ferroni who demonstrates an acute talent for fantasy.The superb opening sequence establishes a mood that never falters, and the exciting finale, with the Stone Women ablaze, is pure magic.A handsomely produced gem.