Atonement

Ian McEwan’s bestselling novel ATONEMENT was a work so completely absorbed in language and writing that a successful cinematic adaptation seemed unlikely. Yet in the hands of director Joe Wright (of 2005’s delightful PRIDE AND PREJUDICE) and Oscar-winning screenwriter Christopher Hampton, the film arrives with its messages largely in tact, if slightly less subtle than before. Still, the film is quite an achievement; sumptuously and carefully designed and admirably performed by its actors.

The decade-spanning story begins on a hot 1935 summer day in the middle of the English countryside. Young Briony Tallis (Saoirse Ronan) is a would-be writer who’s just completed a play to celebrate the return of her older brother. As she tries to wrangle her younger cousins into rehearsals, she spots her sister Cecilia (Keira Knightley) apparently arguing with the housekeeper’s son Robbie (James McAvoy). Later, Robbie asks Briony to deliver a graphic confession to Cecilia. Matters only get worse when Briony spots the two making love in the library. When Briony spots her cousin being assaulted by a man, she tells police Robbie is the culprit, and he is taken away. Four years later, the world is embroiled in World War II and Robbie is drafted into service. As he wanders aimlessly through hundreds of deserted troops trying to fulfill his promise to return to Cecilia, 18-year-old Briony (Romola Garai) is now a nurse and just beginning to realize the effect she’s had. Did she actually see what she said she saw, or did her childish mind misunderstand how her words would affect the son of a servant?

Thanks to Wright’s careful direction, part of ATONEMENT’s fascination is the intricate design. This is most apparent in Dario Marianelli’s luscious score that bridges the gap between diegetic and non-diegetic sound in a way never seen before; the music perfectly layers in the sounds of a typewriter, soldiers singing and playing harmonicas. A great deal of the film’s effectiveness comes from the wrenching music. The cinematography is equally impressive; the sun-drenched images of the beginning create a mood of intense heat without losing beauty. Wright favors long, often stunning tracking shots, culminating in a nearly six minute long take surveying the horror and tragedy of retreat. It is one of the most stunning films of the year aesthetically.

The entire film relies on what Briony saw; more and more of what really happened is revealed as the character ages. It culminates in a devastating revelation from Briony in her later years, where she is portrayed by Vanessa Redgrave in a mesmerizing performance that is sadly not much more than a glorified cameo. The finale of the film will determine how the viewer sees the entire product; not just the final scene, but all that came before it as well. It is a risky choice, but Wright and Hampton made the best decision in keeping it exactly as it is. They must have known the revelation would lose viewers, but that increases the film’s effectiveness. The characterization of Briony is the film’s other key to success, and maybe the most fascinating aspect of it. Each actress carries the character through in an astonishing level of connection; Ronan’s Briony lays the foundation, Garai’s Briony builds on that and finally Redgrave’s Briony brings it all to a tragic close. Everything, from hairstyle to dress to facial imperfections to vocal inflection is impressively identical. Though all three actresses are uniformly excellent, it is Garai who stands out the most. Portraying the Briony that comes of emotional age, both to her past and to the violence around her, Garai is endlessly fascinating. Hers is a quiet, subtle portrayal; one that stays with the viewer long after the film is over.

Unfortunately, the characters other than Briony do not make much of an impact. Most disappointing are Robbie and Cecilia, the doomed lovers highlighted in the film’s marketing. This is no fault of the actors; both McAvoy and Knightley give solid performances, and in McAvoy’s case, often compelling. Yet they are not the main characters of the story, and when the film focuses solely on Robbie for an extended amount, the pace begins to drag. And unlike her triumphant performance in PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, Knightley is not given much to do besides look beautiful and silently brooding (and smoking). Robbie and Cecilia make an adequately tragic couple, but their circumstances are less than compelling when Briony is nowhere to be found.

Wright and company have done more than an adequate job in adapting a tricky work onto the screen. Those unfamiliar with the work (and even some who are familiar with it) will either be blown away or left in the cold. ATONEMENT is a compelling study in what makes truth and what makes honesty. And as the film makes very clear, the two terms are not necessarily one in the same.

***1/2/****