We will talk about Joe Wright’s 2007 film Atonement, which we often hear about in novel adaptations and period films. The film stars James McAvoy, Keira Knightley, Saoire Ronan. Atonement; It has been deemed worthy of many awards for its music, costumes, stage designs, images and script.
Before moving on to the movie, it is impossible not to mention the director. Joe Wright, the BAFTA award-winning director of “Pride & Prejudice”, became the youngest director to have a film screened at the opening of the Venice Film Festival with this prestigious film. Wright, whom we know from book adaptations (Atonement, Anna Karenina, Pride and Prejudice) and period films, and Keira Knightley, whom we see in this film, is his leading actress. Joe Wright also achieved commercial success with this film, earning approximately $129 million on a budget of $30 million. The movie made sure to be included in the “Top 10 Movies” lists in 2007.
The story of the film, which was shot in England, spans a period of 60 years. In my opinion, we are left with 60 years divided into three parts. In the first part, Briony, who admires the “big dress” who is older than her at home, Cecilia and Robbie, who are passionately in love with each other and cannot get together, the rape story of Lola, who seems innocent to us at the beginning but will really stir things up, and The script written by Briony, which creates a plot from all these and turns everyone’s lives into a huge tragedy game.
In the second episode, our emotions, already strained by the injustice suffered by Cecilia and Robbie’s love, are further strained by the reality of the war. Illness, misery, and the impossibility that has been going on since the beginning of the film tear our souls to shreds and prepare us for the finale. And the third part, which I call the finale, is the atonement paid. Briony gives a reward to these lovers and tries to give back the true love she stole from them with her stories, but in vain… What happened is done, the dead is dead. Then, let’s move on to our article, which contains lots of spoilers, and get angry at Briony together.
Through a love story, Joe Wright has managed to tell his audience what prejudice can cause, classism, England in the 1930s, World War II, and the abstract emotions that we will be amazed by while watching. Before finishing the article, I would like to mention our film’s director of photography, Seamus McGarveye. It is impossible not to be fascinated by watching the war scene, which was shot in a single shot in the movie and corresponds to approximately six minutes.
If we look at the color scale of the film, on hot summer days in the 30s, there is a transition from fairy tale-like pastel tones to colder and sharper colors in parallel with the film. For example, while Cecilia dresses colorfully at the beginning, she appears in dull, lifeless colored clothes in the following scenes. You can also access the soundtrack of the film by typing “Atonement Soundtrack” on Spotify and see how descriptive the music even has.
“In summary… My sister and Robbie never got the time they longed to get together and deserved. And ever since then, I always thought I was blocking it. But what sense of hope or satisfaction can the reader derive from such an ending? That’s why, in the book, I wanted to give Robbie and Cecilia what was taken away from them in life. I don’t see this as weakness or taking it easy. I look at this as a final gesture. “It was their happiness that I returned to them.”
Atonement (2007)
Directed by: Joe Wright
Starring: Keira Knightley, James McAvoy, Romola Garai, Brenda Blethyn, Vanessa Redgrave, Anthony Minghella, Harriet Walter, Juno Temple, Felix von Simson, Patrick Kennedy, Peter Wight
Screenplay by: Christopher Hampton
Production Design by: Sarah Greenwood
Cinematography by: Seamus McGarvey
Film Editing by: Paul Tothill
Costume Design by: Jacqueline Durran
Music by: Dario Marianelli
MPAA Rating: R for disturbing war images, language and some sexuality.
Distributed by: Working Title Films, Focus Features
Release Date: December 7, 2007
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