By Our Selves

By Our Selves is a captivating 2015 film directed by leading British filmmaker and artist, Andrew Kötting, known for his idiosyncratic cinematic approach in exploring diverse human experiences and eccentricities. The film features a stellar cast, including David Aylward, Toby Jones, and the late Freddie Jones in one of his last screen appearances.

The film is a surreal and dreamlike exploration of personal discovery, weaving elements of experimental cinema and traditional narrative to create a unique viewing experience. It serves as an homage to poet John Clare's century-old journey from Epping Forest to Northborough and has a profound semantic resonance with its atmospheric imbuing of Clare's poetry, various elements of his life, and the echoes they find in the present day.

Toby Jones, renowned for his roles in films such as "The Hunger Games" and "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy," leads the film with an intimate portrayal of John Clare, embodying the spirit of the wandering poet. David Aylward, musician, and member of influential experimental music collective, The Wee Band, offers support, adding an auditory canvas to the narrative through his music. Renowned actor Freddie Jones, in a brief appearance, complements the principal cast, adding depth to this engagingly abstract narrative.

By Our Selves is not a conventional biography, nor is it a typical road trip narrative, but rather a meditation on themes of identity, perception, and longing conveyed through the profound pathos of Clare's life and works. The movie beautifully incorporates black and white footage, creating an evocatively mysterious and ethereal atmosphere. The film takes the audience on a metaphysical journey through the landscape of time and memory, the grievances of the past, and the hopefulness of the future, underlining the cyclical nature of human existence.

The journey becomes even more fantastical when the Straw Bear, an ancient folkloric figure typically seen during English rural festivals, joins them. It invades the scenes periodically as a mysterious figure, wordlessly representing a shadow of Clare's psyche and the wilderness from which his imagination sprung.

The narrative dialogues in By Our Selves are sparse and are often spoken in Clare's rich rural vernacular. Instead, the film relies more on its powerfully evocative visuals, ambient soundscapes, and Clare's verses, emphasizing the poet's robust connection with nature. It creates a contemplative atmosphere while simultaneously evoking the voice and unique poetic timbre of Clare.

Offering an array of visual surprises and allusions to Clare's works, the film pays homage to his poetic legacy while shedding light on the mental struggles that marked his life. As such, By Our Selves uniquely juxtaposes reality and fiction, sorrow and joy, past and present – all flowing organically via the director's subtly orchestrated imaginative meanderings.

Despite its often introspective tone, the film is not devoid of moments of comic relief thanks to the lively performances of its core cast, especially Toby Jones. It brings in engagingly odd, sometimes whimsically surreal scenes and interactions, inviting the audience into an intriguingly non-linearity narrative that leaves space for individual interpretations.

In essence, By Our Selves is more than just a film. It is a creative work paying tribute to the soul of one of England's outstanding nature poets. It successfully crafts a deeply engaging, ambitious, and visually stunning cinematic exploration. The movie is a multi-layered textual tapestry combining the lyrical with the mundane, the idyllic with the grim, and the factual with the mythical. It's a thought-provoking journey meticulously put together, rewarding those who appreciate cinema that is both different and challenges conventions.

As such, By Our Selves is a unique cinematic experience: a walking trip, a spiritual journey, and a deep dive into the beauty of words and the power of poetic expression. It's indeed a cinematic feast for those who appreciate artistry, poetic license, and the sublime environment of the English landscape.