A Field In England — A Review

27th July, 2013: A Field In England.

I’ve said this before, and I’ll possibly say it again: genius is a hard thing to define.

Especially in a field as slippery as artistic creation: where I don’t necessarily have the critical skills skills or education to back up my view.

In the circumstances, I make the best effort I can: describing my preferences, discoveries and peeves — and the associated reasoning — as well as I can.

~≈†≈~

And it has to be said, I’ve caught a couple of damn good movies, over the course of the past few days: the 2006, Pan’s Labyrinth and 2001’s The Devil’s Backbone: both directed by Guillermo del Toro, and both fantastic films.   (Although I have to admit, I preferred The Devil’s Backbone, finding that it had an emotional resonance that worked well for me.)

But I’ve caught another film, tonight: one I rented from iTunes.

The 2013 Ben Wheatley, multi-platform release, A Field In England.

And when I say multi-platform, I mean multi-platform: including a showing — on its release date, 5th July of this year — on the UK’s Channel Four.   More on that later, I think.

~≈†≈~

Directed by Kill List mæstro,  Ben Wheatley, A Field In England is an ostensibly simple tale: of how a group of deserters — Trower, Cutler, Whitehead, Friend, Jacob and O’Neill — in a field in England*.

And coercing each other, through assorted different means, to find a treasure supposedly hidden there.

Things are understandably complicated:

• One half of the group don’t get on with the other half.
• All of them are heavily armed, in one way, shape or form.
• All of them have been eating the local wild mushrooms: which turn out to be a touch less edible than they look.

You can bet whatever amount you like, that things end up going a touch bendy. 

You’d end up winning SOMETHING … 

~≈†≈~

Now … the g word … ?

I have to admit, I’m not sure if throwing around the word genius as often as I have — certainly in this, and my last two movie posts — is necessary justified.

However … ?

I do feel that I’ve seen masterpieces from both del Toro, and Wheatley: with both The Devil’s Backbone and Kill List being downright stunning, from where I’m sitting.

A Field In England is on a par with them.   It’s a very watchable film, that explores the effect of hallucinogenic mushrooms, fasting, and a belief in magic in a way that very few other films do: or could.

I think I’m also going to add A Field In England to that list of films I believe a) deserve 4 stars and b) an evening of your time.

Which is where A Field In England also scores.

I mentioned about it being on TV at the start of the month … ?

It has had something of an … unusual … release: as it received its world premiere on DVD, on TV, at the cinema and on various Video On Demand services, on 5th July, this year.

PART of the reason I was keen to see this … ?

Was that the film interested me when I heard about it.   And, fool that I am … ?

I missed it: AND failed to record it.

Either way … ?

I’m very glad I caught up with it.

That’s a VERY well spent £3•49.

A Field In England

★★★★⁺

A Field In England on Wikipedia.

A Field In England on IMDb.

A Field In England on iTunes

A Field In England’s official site.

*        The film’s title really is quite self explanatory.   If ever there was a film you could quote as an example of doing what it says on the tin … it’s this one …