A Field in England

A Field in England is an experimental historical thriller film from 2013, co-written and directed by Ben Wheatley. The film stars Julian Barratt, Peter Ferdinando and Richard Glover, in a surreal and ambitious tale set during the English Civil War. It's a black-and-white film that intertwines history, psychological terror, and the mystical unknown in its narrative, making it an evocative piece of cinema.

The movie begins in the midst of a frenzied and chaotic battle during the mid-17th century English Civil War. The film focuses on a quartet of deserters fleeing the insanity of battle, seeking refuge in the countryside. This ragtag group includes a mysterious alchemist, O'Neil (Michael Smiley), cryptographer Whitehead (Reece Shearsmith), the brutish Jacobean man-at-arms Cutler (Ryan Pope), and the mercurial character, Trower (Peter Ferdinando). Julian Barratt plays the role of an authoritarian commander who gets swept up in the anarchic events as they unfold.

A Field in England further defies genre classification as it swings between the realism of a historical war drama, the absurdity of dark comedy, and the visual mindbend of psychedelic horror. Throughout, there's not only the physical journey toward an alleged buried treasure but a psychological trip into fear, power, and the extremities of the human psyche. It handles ideas of freedom and servitude, self and identity, mysticism, and more in a uniquely subtle yet impactful way.

The film's charm lies in its unconventionally stylized and arresting visuals. It harks back to silent cinema, using black and white film to create a more intense, theatrical atmosphere. The desolate, eerie fields give the perfect backdrop for the unfolding action, utilizing low-key lighting to create stark contrasts and enhance the sense of suspense and lurking danger. The film also expertly uses imaginative space to toy with viewer orientation and expectations, resulting in a profoundly disorienting experience.

The stellar performances from the main quartet propel the narrative through this sensory whirlwind. Reece Shearsmith's performance as Whitehead is particularly notable, oscillating between brittle, fearful reserve and outpourings of pure, primal terror. The quick-witted banter and grim humor shared between the characters lend them an uncanny sense of humanity and realism amidst an otherworldly plot. Consequently, the duality of the film's darker undertones and lighter dialogical exchanges never feels forced or incongruous.

A Field in England is punctuated throughout with scenes of chanting, magic incantations, wild mushrooms, and strange hallucinatory episodes that add an extra dimension of the mystical and inexplicable. With the integration of intense soundscapes and image distortion techniques, the film brings together a display akin to a fully-compelling fever dream.

Ritualistic and eccentric, the film challenges the norms of filmmaking and conventional story constructs. Not everyone may resonate with its slow-burn nature, avant-garde style, and deeply symbolic narrative. But for those with a taste for the offbeat, A Field in England is a cinematic curiosity that plunges you into an ethereal, disorienting, and engrossing world from which you emerge unsettled, intrigued, and awed.

In conclusion, A Field in England is anything but conventional. It's a genre-blending, mind-bending journey that envelopes you in its alternating wave of eerie calm and chaotic flurry. Ben Wheatley has crafted an audacious, perplexing testament to the alchemical combination of historical drama, dark comedy, and psychological horror. It's an experimental piece of cinema that offers a unique viewing experience, standing out not only for its striking stylistic choices but also for its implicit commentary on power and the human condition. It represents an ambitious feat of cinema that dares to be different, pushing the boundaries and defying expectations at every turn.