MovieChat Forums > A Field in England (2013) Discussion > The Tug Of War Sequence

The Tug Of War Sequence

posted 11 years ago by marksmethurst76
12 replies | jump to latest

Before I start I would like to say that this film burrowed its way into my head on Friday night and I can't get it out. A mystifying, unsettling puzzle of a film.

Does anyone have any thoughts on the tug of war sequence. Did I miss something ? How come they were suddenly pulling on a rope ? Was it to pull the Alchemist into this world or did it pull them into another world ?

Is this based on a historical black magic practice ?

Any thoughts or comments would be appreciated.

[–] garytw 11 years ago

This is reference to taking mushrooms. They pull they guy out when he's tripping I think.

[–] the-twist 11 years ago

It was like they pulled him out the ground, as if he were representative of the trip itself.

[–] marksmethurst76 11 years ago

Yeah but Whitehead wasn't on a trip though, right ? He never had any of the mushroom stew - so how was he part of the trip ?

[–] tinman0 11 years ago

I think you are right in your original post when you suggest that they are pulling the alchemist into this world, as it is mentioned (by Whitehead?) that he is using his dark arts to hide in the field in plain sight

[–] Xex-Arachnid 10 years ago

Or Whitehead was on his own trip through his fervent Christian belief.

[–] Kief1971 11 years ago

You're pretty much right with the idea of pulling O'Neil back into this world. The filmis set and focuses around a vast mushroom ring, or "fairy ring", which was considered by some to be a sort of portal into the "fairy world". As Ben Wheatley mentions in an interview, one of the ways it was believed to get someone out of the mushroom circle was for "four men and a rope" to pull them out. My guess is that O'Neil tied himself to one end of the rope and the other to that post, so he wouldn't be dragged in too far.

[–] Luke902 10 years ago

The way I saw it, they weren't pulling O'Neil out of whichever realm he was in, they were getting pulled into it. This theory is supported by the shot of Whitehead looking back at the pole that the other end of the rope was tied to, and it also explains why they couldn't see O'Neil in the field.

The entire film takes place in a supernatural realm.

[–] deanowest 10 years ago

My wife said O'NEILL was pulled out of the ground like a potato. He's Irish after all!

[–] PoppyTransfusion 10 years ago

Was Cutler recruited by O'Neill to find Whitehead and bring him to the field? If so then O'Neill wanted to be pulled up perhaps because it was Cutler who forced the others to pull the rope.

I can't say I understand it all but O'Neill was in hiding from Whitehead and Towers.

Movement ends, intent continues;
Intent ends, spirit continues

[–] thelastfaceyouwillsee 10 years ago

To me it seemed that they thought they were pulling O'Neill, but in fact they were being pulled through the 'gateway'(?). The rope was tied to a strangely carved post and then it was loose which I took to mean they were being pulled through. I don't know if it was a limbo world or some strange parallel dimension. Definitely a very weird and sometimes disturbing film. I loved the Civil War setting.

You never know them all.

[–] scarletminded 9 years ago

I thought he was pulled out of the fairy world…but then, why would he need a scrying mirror to hide himself?

[–] redfishsmoking 8 years ago

look up "fairy rings" or "mushroom circles". In some english folklore a ring of mushrooms is a portal to another dimension. It takes great power to free a man from one of these circles (sometimes by many men using a rope). Ben Wheatley has said the folklore of mushroom and fairy circles (as well as alchemy and practical magick) was one of the inspirations for the film.