One of the problems with movies made from books is the need to compress a lot of the information into a digestible time frame (usually 2 hours, 2.5 max). This is ultimately the downfall in my eyes of Atonement, based on the 2001 novel by Ian McEwan. The problem is that the themes the book was trying to get at may have been too complex for the movie to deal with at the appropriate moments in the film.
13 yo Briony Tallis (Saoirse Ronan) is an aspiring author and from an upper-middle class family. She also has a crush on their housekeeper's son, Robbie (James McAvoy), who's been dancing around Briony's older sister, Cecilia (Keira Knightley). On the day she finishes writing her first play, Briony reads a note from Robbie to Cecilia that she really shouldn't have, and their ensuing sexual union. The two combined in her fertile mind, Briony believes Robbie to be a sexual maniac. When a member of the house is raped, Briony's imagination get the better of her and a situation spirals out of control.
The first two sections of the movie dealing with the initial set-up and Robbie's experiences as a soldier in France are extremely good, but they also also corresponds to the easiest part of the book to comprehend. When the movie heads towards the more complex parts regarding how to correct for the errors of the past, the tension seems to completely drop away and it seems overall confused and then, dare I say, a bit of a cop out? Maybe because I was reading words but Briony's explanation of why and her futile attempts to make up for her guilt seemed far more sincere and made more sense in the book. On film, it seemed more hollow. Also, things like class differences that were integral to why people would listen to the jumbled testimony of a 13 yo and send someone they apparently trusted to prison is glossed over.
That's not to say the film isn't well filmed and acted. . Saoirse Ronan definitely deserved her Oscar nomination and I was impressed by how much Romola Garai as 18yo Briony gelled her performance to match Ronan's. McAvoy and Knightly are pretty good too although I'm not sure if I'm convinved of Robbie and Cecilia's love as opposed to sexual attraction, but that's probably due to the short set up alloted to them. The visuals are very impressive - we've probably all heard of the 5minute tracking shot of the beach of Dunkirk. It is impressive but you know, it didn't really play a role in developing anything in the story. The length seems more a directorial and technical conceit.
This movie attempts to be an awesome epic but while it looks the part, I believe the source story was ultimately too complex. How do you portray things like moral and personal growth on film?
It's not bad, just overrated.
6/10
4 comments:
I agree with you Cal, I liked the film in a way (read: I liked James McAvoy :D) but I lost interest a bit about half way through. I also tried reading the book but lost interest in that too and still haven't finished it - which annoys me because I hate not finishing books :(
But really good summary - you're right, I think the beach shot really was just done for the kudos rather than for the story!
I havent seen it yet, but I've seen The Dress and for that alone I think it should be worth it.
Yet to read the book but after reading your analysis - I'm kinda compelled to. I found Atonement too disturbing for my liking and the narrative seemed to be hanging in midair all the time - as if the climax CAN'T come. (If you get what I mean)
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