BY ROBERT MAKIN
The 17th century was a time of immense transformation, both progressive and regressive, as social and scientific revolutions ran parallel with religious fervour, dark superstitions and the plague. Using the English Civil War as its setting Ben Wheatley’s latest film is an impressionistic and warped reflection of this transitory period of contradictory weirdness.
Channelling films such as Calloden (1964), Winstanley (1976) and Blood On Satan’s Claw (1971) for their stark visuals and unsettling atmosphere, Wheatley’s demented period drama feels as it has been weaved from the fabric of British cinema’s darkest corners and then marinated in the most pungent and potent real ale. The kind of stuff that feels like it’s almost flammable and been stirred with twigs.
Confusing, cryptic, and deeply allegorical, it’s also incredibly engrossing and entertaining, as disturbing scenes of nightmarish ambiguity are occasionally punctuated by surreal humour, saving it from completely disappearing up its own rump parliament. The film’s excellent sound design and score also add to Wheatley’s bold and distinctive vision as he attempts to replicate the mood and feel of a certain kind of cult midnight movie. It’s on this level that A Field In England really succeeds as characters vomit rune stones, continuously return from the dead and eventually lose all hold on social order and their own sanity.
For me contemporary British cinema usually falls into two distinct categories; absolutely awful and almost bearable, and mostly seems to involve either lots of people shouting at each other or people who would like to shout at each other but can’t bring themselves to do it. So far this year is of no exception considering a spectrum of releases that goes from White Collar Hooligan 2: England Away to Summer In February, which pretty much proves my point.
So it’s no surprise that a fevered, hallucinatory film by an established director featuring English Civil War deserters and battling alchemists looking for treasure whilst on mushrooms is going to gain some press, and rightly so. It is a challenging piece of work and not to everyone’s taste, but that’s not to say it doesn’t have any mainstream appeal. Personally for me the most enjoyable aspect of Wheatley’s film is watching a newly released movie that isn’t sign posted and obvious, and is at least trying to do something different.
Whether A Field In England succeeds at the box office or not it’s already staked its place in film history due to its multi-platform release on every single format known to mankind, drawing the line at betamax and laser disc. But as we all know, and in reflecting what I perceive to be one of the film’s many themes, sometimes the easiest and most convenient choice isn’t always the best one. So I urge you to see this film on the big screen for a full on and completely absorbing experience.
Robert saw A Field in England at the Ritzy Cinema, Brixton. Click here for times and booking info.
Robert Makin writes about movies, books, music and more at internationalreview.co.uk. You can follow him on Twitter at @intreview.
