Atonement: The Sins of Childhood
You can only imagine the truth.
Walking into the press screening of director Joe Wright’s latest effort, and not having read Ian McEwan’s acclaimed novel, I had no idea what to expect. I thought the film might be something along the lines of his last movie, Pride & Prejudice (2005), which also starred Keira Knightley. As I was watching Atonement unfold, I was somewhat plagued by hunger, headache and a need to visit a bathroom, but all those worries vanished as I realized that Mr. Wright had become one of the great filmmakers of our time.
The film begins in 1935 in the English countryside. 13-year-old Briony Tallis (Saoirse Ronan), the youngest daughter in a well-to-do family has just finished her first play; that’s the first step of a future, successful career as a writer. One day she witnesses an encounter between her older sister Cecilia (Knightley) and Robbie Turner (James McAvoy), the housekeeper’s son. Briony doesn’t really know what’s going on between them, she’s too far away to hear what they’re saying, but finds the event somewhat disturbing. There is a history between Cecilia and Robbie (as well as an attraction), even though she’s done her best to avoid the issue. After the encounter, Robbie writes Cecilia a letter where he tries to explain things and apologizes. However, he accidentally grabs the wrong piece of paper, one he just wrote as a joke that says “In my dreams I kiss your cunt, your sweet wet cunt”, puts it in an envelope and sends Briony to Cecilia as a messenger. Briony reads the note, is once again shocked and hands it over to Cecilia. Robbie realizes what he’s done, is horrified and heads over to the Tallis’. There he finds Cecilia, who is actually turned on by Robbie’s letter, and the couple starts having sex in the library… only to be caught by Briony. That becomes a key part of a series of events that will land Robbie in prison, doom his relationship with Cecilia, and cause Briony to seek atonement for the rest of her life.
Mr. McEwan must have written one hell of a novel, that much is clear. Watching this movie, one can’t help but admire the way he has put everything together, how metafiction becomes a final twist where Briony is allowed some sort of redemption. I won’t reveal what goes on in the final act, other than to say that it is absolutely ingenious and heartbreaking. Of course, renowned writer Christopher Hampton has done an excellent job adapting the novel. The thing about this movie is that it is not only a straightforward filmization of a brilliant novel, but director Wright makes great use of his own medium as well. Together with composer Dario Marianelli he makes constant efforts to connect the score with events and details in the film, making the music a vivid part of the experience. And then there’s the astonishing tracking shot. Lasting for approximately five minutes, the camera moves along the Dunkirk beach during the 1940 “miracle of Dunkirk” and captures many memorable sightings; I can’t even begin to imagine the work behind creating such an ambitious shot. The actors are great, but it is in fact the filmmakers who make their performances look even better; Ms. Knightley and Mr. McAvoy are perfect as the lovers and their scene in the library is so passionate and tender that it should go down in cinema history. Briony is portrayed by three actresses at different ages and they’re all brilliant; it is up to Vanessa Redgrave to deliver that final, agonizing twist.
I left the theater with tears in my eyes. I had just seen a masterpiece and once again the winter world outside just seemed a little too gray and depressing; Atonement may be a tragedy, but it is still a ray of light.
The YouTube clip shows the trailer.
Atonement 2007-Britain-France. 130 min. Color. Produced by Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Paul Webster. Directed by Joe Wright. Screenplay: Christopher Hampton. Novel: Ian McEwan. Cinematography: Seamus McGarvey. Music: Dario Marianelli. Production Design: Sarah Greenwood. Cast: Keira Knightley (Cecilia Tallis), James McAvoy (Robbie Turner), Romola Garai (Briony Tallis, 18), Vanessa Redgrave, Saoirse Ronan, Brenda Blethyn… Anthony Minghella.
Trivia: Ms. Knightley was allegedly first considered for the part of Briony. Kristin Scott Thomas was allegedly considered for another part.
Oscar: Best Original Score. Golden Globes: Best Motion Picture (Drama), Original Score. BAFTA: Best Film, Production Design.
film movies keira knightley james mcavoy IMDb
Comments
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Joakim Hertze writes:
I watched it this past weekend (at the cinema, like you told us) — a most enjoyable movie. The sweet bitterness of it all. Pure cinematographical pornography at its best.