A Field In England

A FIELD IN ENGLAND

Director : Ben Wheatley

Year : 2013

Genre : Horror

Rating : ****1/2

Having directed such cult hits as the terrifying 'Kill List', the morbidly hilarious 'Sightseers' and the edgy 'Down Terrace', Ben Wheatley has become known as one of the most subversive and unpredictable directors working in British cinema today and he continues his line of off kilter, strange and unforgettable movies with 'A Field In England'; a bold, intelligent, terrifying period piece that combines the aesthetics of 1970's folk horror film, Jodorowski-like psychedelia and the raging madness of a Lynchean nightmare. Starring the brilliant Reece Shearsmith and the always sinister Michael Smiley, 'A Field In England' is a provocative and immensely haunting work that relies on esotericism and mystical symbolism to create a mood and an emotion, rather than relying on the traditional methods of linear narrative storytelling. Intended to be vague and deeply disturbing, 'A Field In England' has and will continue to divide audiences; but for me, it is a masterpiece of imagery, music and ideas and one that is definitely in my top 10 films of the year. Shot in beautiful black and white, 'A Field In England' hearkens back to the golden age of horror from the 1930's while also twinning it with the blood and gore of a Cronenberg exploitation film to shocking, cringe-worthy effect. The end result is a mesmerising, atmospheric and hugely affecting film that certainly has had a profound effect on me and serves as further proof that Ben Wheatley is the best director working in British cinema today.

Set in the closing years of the bloody English civil war, Reece Shearsmith plays a priest who has become separated from his army and while scanning the countryside for survivors,  he finds himself in the company of 3 war weary men. Deciding to travel together to find a hallowed alehouse, the group wanders into a giant grass field and while searching for something to eat, they come across a strange, hallucinogenic mushroom which they unwittingly consume. As the group begins to bond and we learn more about the background of each individual character, a strange figure appears (played by Michael Smiley) who dresses up as the King and proves to be a domineering force over the small band of war survivors. Telling the men that there is treasure hidden somewhere in the field by the newcomer, Shearsmith and his friends begin to dig random holes in the ground while the effects of the mysterious fungus begins to take effect. What follows is a terrifying descent into screaming madness, bizarre and creepy imagery and an intense, unforgettable nightmare the likes of which I have never seen.

Once again working with long time screenwriter and collaborator Amy Jump, Ben Wheatley has succeeded in creating a mystical Rubik's cube that manages to be absolutely terrifying without actually showing us very much; in fact I think we only see blood about 4 or 5 times during the entire duration. However, the few times where violence does unexpectedly erupt on screen, the graphic nature and the sound effects used create moments which are extremely disturbing to watch and generate instantaneous gasps of surprise. But while the gore is strong and the violence is visceral, it is the nauseating camera tricks and the brooding, apocalyptic score by Jim Williams that make 'A Field In England' such a powerful experience; an experience that pushes the boundaries of what British film normally gives us and places us a realm of terror, mind trips and the deep psychological profiling of a man wrestling with his conscience and his faith.

In some ways, 'A Field In England' is comparable to Peter Strickland's 2012 horror masterpiece 'A Berberian Sound Studio'; another film that delighted in the unexplainable and the vague. However, while that film centred itself mostly in a world of reality, 'A Field In England' certainly leans towards the Biblical and the supernatural. We are treated to beautiful shots of the sky collapsing under a giant black orb and of course the films centrepiece; a pandemonious display of mirror images, a screaming score and the craziest and most inventive uses of tableaus I have ever seen scenes which are not suitable for those with photosensitive epilepsy) . Almost experimental in it's nature, these scenes are so far, the apotheosis of the career of Ben Wheatley, a unique talent who delights in the extraordinary, the subversive and the weird. Not weird in the sense of Tim Burton-esque fantasia, but the 'I'm actually freaked out by this and I want it to stop immediately' weird.

Certain to annoy many, many people due it's slow nature and it's very open and self interpretive nature, 'A Field In England' is an experience unlike any other I can think of and one that one will haunt me for a long, long time.  It is odd, it is scary, it is funny, it is nostalgic, it is bold, everything I want in a film. Impossible to explain and almost impossible to decipher, the movie is destined to be studied in universities and film schools for years to come. There are probably a dozen theories about what the movie is actually about and I too have drawn my own conclusions; something I think the film welcomes with open arms. It is our thoughts, imaginations and psyches that either draw us or repel to the film and I think that Ben Wheatley should be immensely proud for creating such a deliberately divisive film. For too long now, the movie business has been governed by box office and revenue and it so refreshing to see a director realise his visions on screen, without thinking about either critical or financial success. Congratulations also go out to Film 4 who funded the movie, distributed it in a unprecedented simultaneous release and has allowed 'A Field In England' to get the cult success it so definitely deserves. It is one of the highlights of the decade for me so far and could even push it's way into my ten favourite films of all time in the not too distant future. Just please, don't ask me what it's about because I really do not know. In fact, I don't even think I want to know.