Synopsis
1348. In England a small Cumbrian village is isolated in a country hit by the Black Death. Death is looming. A young boy of nine, Griffin, has premonitions: to save the village from the plague they have to tribute to God. Griffin seems to hold the key to salvation in his dreams: they must go to the other side of the world through a well dug through the Earth and hoist before dawn a spire on the top of a cathedral tower.
Guided by Griffin? prophecies a small group of villagers then embark on a fantastic odyssey which leads them to the Antipodes - to New Zealand - and to the 20th century! These refugees from the Middle Ages finally reach the ultimate goal of their journey, the top of a cathedral. But one of them is doomed to die... (production notes)
?ar away from the traditional fairy tale, Vincent Ward? film alternates between baroque and classic styles, going from Bruegel and Bosch to highly aesthetic special effects. There is also a very elaborate use of colours and light: black and white pictures illustrate the medieval period while colours appear with the incursion of the characters into the modern world. Thanks to the mastery of the topic and the virtuosity of the production, The Navigator bubbles over with vitality.?
- Virginie Danglades -