02.02.08
Review: “Atonement”
The sprawling epic, the melodrama, the monotonous direction and beautiful cinematography are all things that come to mind when I think of the “costume drama” genre. Most of them tell similar stories, sound the same, look the same and I always think: seen one, seen them all. Director Joe Wright has managed to change the way I see these films twice now. First in 2005 with the surprisingly special “Pride and Prejudice” and now with last year’s much buzzed, yet deservedly so, “Atonement.
There is something very daring and different about this project that I cannot put it into the genre I know it belongs, the historical, romantic costume drama. It has so much more to it and it is one of the better literary adaptations of last year, with Ian McEwan’s best selling novel adapted quite magnificently by Christopher Hampton. He shows great respect for the novel, and the structural changes he made to it while writing screenplay were meticulous.
The story is set in 1935, four years before the outbreak of World War Two, in England, and revolves around a young girl’s naiveté and the consequences that follow what seems at the time like just another story to spin. The story is told in a non-linear manner, such as when certain scenes are shown several times from different perspectives, and has four parts to it, just like in the book.
Upper-class Cecilia Tallis (Keira Knightley) is the older sister of Briony Tallis (Saoirse Ronan – age thirteen, Romola Garai – age eighteen and finally Vanessa Redgrave – aged seventy seven), and is in love with her gardener’s son, Robbie Turner (James McAvoy). Briony too is in love with Robbie, but it more of a pubescent crush. Briony is an imaginative little girl with a flair for writing stories and plays, because then she has all the control at her fingertips. Briony witnesses something girls her age should not and makes an extremely false accusation, setting off an explosive set of events that tear the lives and love of Cecilia and Robbie apart. The outbreak of the War further destroys what ever hope of reconnection the two lovers had, when Robbie is recruited into the army.
A much older Briony achieves atonement at age seventy-seven but only after the consequences of her actions have wreaked as much havoc imaginable, one has to wonder if it was all worth it in the end. She felt that she was in control, just as she was when writing her stories as a child, and never could have imagined the aftermath of it. The guilt suffered by the eighteen-year-old Briony is immense and heartbreaking, even though at the time when she made her accusation you feel nothing but anger for her. Wright hauntingly ties her journey through her dealing with her actions together without ever letting it go over the top and it is this character in particular that makes the film so great.
One has to wonder why Briony lied in the first place. Was it because she was trying to maintain her vision of the world as entertaining fiction or was it because she was fuelled with anger and confusion to the point where she told a lie to harm Robbie and Cecilia deliberately? Do I believe she felt remorse for her actions, or was her final revelation just another lie? Do I accept it as truth? Did she really atone for her sin? Watching the film with these questions in the back of my mind made for a far different and more rewarding viewing experience than when I first saw the film.
Artistically the film is astounding as well. Seamus McGarvey’s cinematography is dreamlike, and although it has almost become a cliché to mention, the five minute, unbroken shot of the devastation on the beach at Dunkirk is last year’s best film scene, visually speaking. Added to the visuals is Dario Marianelli’s unique and resonant score, which pushes the boundary of what one would expect to hear in an epic. The piece of music playing over the Dunkirk scene is heartbreaking, with its funeral-appropriate strings and the soldier-filled choir singing the vocals, appropriately titled “Elegy for Dunkirk.” Marianelli also implements a typewriter into his score, which ascends as certain scenes gradually build into climax, fitting perfectly with the film, sonically and metaphorically. The artistic and technical aspects of Atonement add to what is an amazing story filled with terrific performances from the entire cast.
Atonement is not what you expect at all. It is not clichéd; it is not typical but refreshingly told and absorbingly cast onscreen. The film poses questions for which there are no easy answers. I would suggest that one should look deeper into the film, scratch below the surface and not believe too much for its face value. The story of lost hope, redemption, heartbreak in this tragic romantic-epic is what classics are made of, and you will not find a more moving study told this year of one person’s lack of judgement and how the effect lingers long after the lies and accusations have been atoned for.
Fatac Rating: ****½
Atonement. Directed by Joe Wright, written by Christopher Hampton based on Ian McEwan’s novel of the same title, score by Dario Marianelli, cinematography by Seamus McGarvey, starring Keira Knightley, James McAvoy, Saoirse Ronan, Romola Garai, Brenda Blethyn and Vanessa Redgrave, Running Time: 130 minutes. Age Restriction: 16 SLV. USA 2007. Festival of Festivals 2007. Rating out of five stars.
J.D. said,
February 2, 2008 at 8:16 pm
Great review, Nick.
God, I love this movie.
Nick Plowman said,
February 2, 2008 at 8:21 pm
Thanks JD, I love it so much as well. I couldn’t have imagined it being any better.
I get all warm and fuzzy just thinking about it!
p.s.
I will hopefully get the soundtrack up for download soon, if you are interested, check it out, but I am sure you already have your hands on it!
J.D. said,
February 2, 2008 at 8:36 pm
I really wish I did… so thanks for the heads-up ;)
Nick Plowman said,
February 2, 2008 at 8:42 pm
Its my pleasure! And yours too I guess.
Craig Kennedy said,
February 2, 2008 at 10:24 pm
Good review Nick. You make me want to see the movie all over again.
My favorite scene was with Briony comforting the wounded French soldier. For the first time I think she realized the true power of her imagination, both good and bad.
Nick Plowman said,
February 2, 2008 at 10:33 pm
Thank you Sir.
I would love to see it a third time myself, and maybe a fourth…but the DVD comes out in the UK on Monday, so maybe I’ll just order it and watch it as often as I please!
I loved that scene too, even if I was almost completely confused by it :)To tell the truth, when ever one of the three Brionys weren’t on the screen, I felt sad and empty inside (Am I too dramatic? maybe.) Redgrave, Garai and Ronan were “stupendous”.
*J.D, I uploaded 2 Atonement tracks so far, with more on the way, so enjoy!
Douglas Racso said,
February 3, 2008 at 5:05 am
i reall love this film :)
Nick Plowman said,
February 3, 2008 at 7:49 am
Me too Doug, glad you like it.
J.D. said,
February 3, 2008 at 1:49 pm
I am, thank you! :)
Nick Plowman said,
February 3, 2008 at 2:44 pm
I promise to get the rest up as soon as possible.
sarcastig said,
February 6, 2008 at 6:45 pm
Very good review, you almost make me want to love the film more… I have to admit, much as I admired it, I thought it was a somewhat cold and overly self-conscious and show-offy exercise. Then again, I keep complaining about there not being enough smart movies, so maybe I should just shut up.
I have to admit, the scene with Briony comforting the wounded soldier had me confused. Was that really happening, or all in her head? The red curtain, which is around his bed but not the others, is emphasized so much that it made it look as if it was in a dream. Or maybe it was just embellished to be more symbolic? The fact that they knew each other but didn’t, or didn’t know each other but seemed to, puzzled me.
Nick Plowman said,
February 6, 2008 at 7:41 pm
Thanks Sarcastig :) One thing I would never have you do is “shut up”; your words are too valuable.
I could not completely comprehend that scene either, one of the reasons I could not write about it in my review. I think it was real and that she was opening up to him in a way she had not done in a while, comforting him but at the same time I think there was something about him that comforted her too. It was a raw and emotion filled scene that made no sense to me, but somehow I managed to love it over many of the other scenes. Strange, no? I also wonder if the two actually knew each other and had met before. The soldier was delirious, and could have been imagining things….
It has me puzzled too, but I have asked someone to explain it to me, and then maybe I could try clear the air for the both of us!
Jed said,
February 16, 2008 at 7:54 pm
Awesome review!
I love this film. The cast is superb- especially James McAvoy and Keira Knightley. Oh, yes Saoirse Ronan is a fantastic find, I can’t wait to see her in The Lovely Bones. She’s also in the upcoming City of Ember.
I have seen this movie like 4-5 times already and everytime I discovered something new. Brenda Blethyn is perfect in her role, while it’s short, she managed to shine as Robbie’s mother.
That scene at Dunkirk is a kind of tradition for Joe Wright, having done a similar scene in Pride and Prejudice, but in this film, it is more magnificent. Certainly a film that can stand the test of time.
Nick Plowman said,
February 16, 2008 at 8:03 pm
Lovely Bones, I cannot wait, I Loved the book. With a capital L. City of Ember, sounds great now that I have scrambled around IMDB to find out about it, thanks for mentioning it!
Lucky you, I have only seen it twice, and I cannot wait for the DVD to be released, even though it is probably best seen on a big screen.
I agree – it is a classic of tomorrow, today. Clichéd, I know.
Mike M said,
March 20, 2008 at 4:46 pm
the film was absolutely fantastic, the acting was top class. the cinematography and scenery were breathtaking especially on the beach. the music tied in well with the suspense and wrongful accusation themes in the film.
*****
Nick Plowman said,
March 21, 2008 at 7:55 am
It is, I guess I agree with everything you said there.