Repent for sin. Atonement. A woman. A man. Love. A beautiful British old country estate. A gorgeous green silk dress, a tattered shirt and overly worn pants. A little girl standing from a bedroom window, and a single lie. Filled with dramatic tension, glorious language and passionate romance comes Atonement, a tragic love story set during World War II. The film is based on the compelling novel by Ian McEwen, and directed Joe Wright at a young thirty five. Joe Wright’s lack of experience in directing feature films would perhaps hinder the greatness of the film, but this is not so
The film begins on an English estate belonging to the Tallis family. Cecelia Tallis, played by the stunning Keira Knightley (Pride and Prejudice, Pirates of the Caribbean), discovers she is in love and loved by Robbie Turner, wonderfully portrayed by Scottish-born actor, James McAvoy (Band of Brothers, The Last King of Scotland).
Robbie, despite his intelligence, is the son of a servant. Cecilia’s younger sister Briony, Saiouse Ronan, observes their blossoming relationship and through sexual naivety, cannot comprehend nor understand what both Robbie and Cecilia share. Through a twisting turn of events, Robbie finds himself in the army, traipsing across the plains of Dunkirk.
Two characters make significant use of a typewriter. The first is an aspiring playwright, the second uses the typewriter to justify their love, through letters. Cleverly, the tapping sounds of the typewriter keys are combined with the musical score composed by Dario Marinnelli. The clicking of the keys begins slowly, growing faster, turning into more complex rhythms. This effect builds dramatic tension and increases the drama of the film, driving the audience to demand for answers as to what will happen next.
The Essay on Buttons And Umeki Film Love Person
Sayonara h This film is now one of my absolute favorite old movies, right alongside with Gone with the Wind. The film's focus on the taboo's of interracial marriages, while an eye-opening subject in the 60's, the film was not shy showing the audiences that love overcomes all, and when two are in love, all things are possible. Throughout the entire film, I never once felt the romance scenes were " ...
James McAvoy is superb in the role of Robbie, a handsome young groundsman who is not afraid to get his hands dirty or polish up his shoes for a posh dinner with the Tallis’. McAvoy’s face spells the meaning of kindness, a warming smile, deep blue eyes and a shining aura, something McAvoy, through his wonderful charisma, naturally withholds. Having already done Band of Brothers, a television series set in World War II, Mcavoy has grown into a very convincing actor, quite contrasting to his nerdy, shy and much younger role in the television series. The most powerful image of McAvoy in Atonement involves his character, Robbie, finding the school girls in Dunkirk. A wide shot focuses on Robbie as his eyes look over the children, filling with tears, his face tired and pale. It seems when McAvoy cries, the audience cry, his presence moves you incredibly.
Keira Knightley is the picture of a country house beauty, her look is spot on for the role of Cecilia. Having worked with Joe Wright before in Pride and Prejudice with a very similar type of language, gives Knightly a head start for Atonement. Jane Austen’s romantic classic, Pride and Prejudice, although similar to Atonement with use of language, only allows Atonement to shine more profusely as it challenges the classic, embracing a more realistic and complex but understandable plot. If only everyone spoke in the same glorious way Knightley does, her beautiful flowing English accent is a joy to listen to, like music to the ears. Her passion for Robbie is well expressed. Both actors have a solid chemistry between one another, they make an excellent on-screen couple. Robbie’s fixation of Cecilia is understandable as, in one particular scene, Cecilia jumps into a fountain to retrieve a family treasure that Robbie has accidently knocked. She emerges in a very daring transparent dress, not leaving a lot to the imagination as they stare at each other in silence.
The Essay on The Role Of Media In Any Society
On a surface level, genre theory can be seen as a means of “the division of the world of literature into types and naming those types” (Robert Allen). These divisions in the realm of media cater for numerous factors such as audience expectation and commercial viability. Richard Jameson encapsulates the familiarity that accompanies media genre when he states that “name one of the classic bedrock ...
As Atonement reveals Robbie’s journey through Dunkirk, we are taken back in time as both McAvoy and Knightly deepen their performances. Cecilia, now a nurse caring for wounded soldiers in a British hospital, arranges a meeting with Robbie before he ships out. Their meeting begins awkwardly, the air thick with tension and heartache but knowing their soon to be parting from one another only intensifies their passion and love, the scene concluding with Cecilia boarding a bus, watching her love as he begins to run after her.
Saoirse Ronan, at 13, plays Briony and what an amazing actress she is with such breathtaking conviction in her role! Wright creates an idea of continuously focusing on her wonderful blue eyes, the colour of innocence, showing her point of view to the extent of seeing a reflection, through an extreme close-up, on the pupil of her eye. At 19, Briony is played by Romola Garai, a spitting image of Ronan, achieving the same troubled distant gaze. Vanessa Redgrave goes on to play Briony at an older age. Although the audience don’t see much of her, it doesn’t seem to matter terribly as she shines in a confronting close-up, showing off her incredibly powerful acting.
There are some dominating images in the film, including an absolutely astounding and technically brilliant five and a half minute long tracking shot. It shows thousands of Allied soldiers drink, tired, wounded and wanting to go home, crowding a bombed beach in France while awaiting the evacuation of Dunkirk in June 1940. The shot enhances to emotional impact of this historical event, overwhelming the audience, accompanied by a very moving musical instrumentation featuring a solo cello. This is an outstanding composition sending chills down the spine, pulling the heart strings and reducing you to tears.
Atonement is a clever, compassionate, moving yet dramatic film, using the ware as an anchor for a completely believable and realistic storyline. This film is a wonderful success for Wright as well as Knightley and McAvoy. It holds a complexity that doesn’t lose the attention of its audience and contains wondrous acting from a well chosen cast. Is there any sin for Atonement? The nly sin would be to miss this impressive picture.
