An analysis of A Field in England. Support Renegade Cut Media through Patreon. / renegadecut ~-~~-~~~-~~-~ Please watch: "The Fountain - Renegade Cut" • The Fountain - Renegad... ~-~~-~~~-~~-~
This is one of those movies that remind me of a quote from Deleuze & Guattari: “There is nothing to explain, nothing to interpret; it is the pure abstract machine of the twilight state.”
Existential indeed... I adore this film, and have recommended it to others. Subsequently, when I enquire as to whether they enjoyed it, more often than not, in response, I receive a blank stare!
I think the film was more about the pursuit of esoteric knowledge and the journey of a student into a master. The field holds a treasure, most of the characters think this treasure is physical but the actual treasure is one of knowledge that comes with a high price. That price is that one must embrace both sides of his morality, good and evil. Whatever ritual they are all involved in has created a loop that keeps repeating until the "treasure" is found. The only way to see the path torwards an exit is to eat the mushrooms, allowing the characters to see the underpinning insanity of reality. At the end the main character dons the clothes of his enemy and blacks out the sun with the scrying mirror, blacking out the light and moving confidently into the shadow. The coward no longer here.
Well said, I'm with you 100%. The characters, more specifically Whitehead, endure a journey of misery and loss but ultimately reach transformation through their transcendence over said misery and loss as they realize the insignificance of material gain in light of obtaining a new understanding of reality.
I always thought the magic in the film was real, meaning it actually existed and O'Neil created another "universe" that only he can exist in- and lures Whitehead into it, causing the battle etc etc - I did not agree with the interpretation of this video
I saw this film way back then at a festival. Haven't seen anybody else talk about it and much less do a video about! Great job, makes me wanna see it again with a new persepctive
Just caught it on Hulu. Within approximately 20 seconds of watching I'd made the leap to assume it was the afterlife. The hedgerow signified transitioning from living realm to purgatory and then again, having passed through it a second time, to heaven. It was quite the trip, though - enjoyed this video.
I heard you had covered this film, very glad to see it! Coincidentally gave a presentation on it's use of the 'fairy ring' folklore earlier this week. Great stuff, my friend and I recommend your work pretty much constantly
I was under the impression that Cutler was always working for O'Neill, so I don't think the interpretation of him "not passing the test" is correct. Also, I thought Whitehead was transformed at the end into someone more authoritative, as symbolized by him putting on O'Neill's clothes, whereas at the beginning, O'Neill said he was just a tool for someone else
I interpreted Whitehead's transformation as going from apprentice to journeyman. At the beginning he is running from the battle and he refers to himself as a servant to his master but at the end, wearing O'Neill's clothes, he returns towards the battlefield with no indication that he might return to his master but instead might forge his own path - the repeated line about being his own man implies this as well.
I agree Cutler was definitely working for O'Neill the whole time. He spiked the stew with the hallucinogenic mushrooms to make the others more pliable and as soon as O'Neill appears he dresses and reports to him like an apprentice.
