Atonement

“The story can resume,” writes Robbie Turner, a British soldier fighting in World War II, to Cecilia Tallis, his beloved. He refers to their love story, which both the war and Cecilia’s sister, Briony, interrupt. Director Joe Wright adopts a similar philosophy by choosing Ian McEwan’s bestselling novel “Atonement” for film adaptation: The story can resume—even if the change in medium makes it lose some of its power.

The film stays close to the novel that inspired it, as in Wright’s last film adaptation, Oscar-nominated 2005 movie “Pride and Prejudice.” In “Atonement,” screenwriter Christopher Hampton works by exclusion, keeping most of the dialogue and nearly all of plot points the same. The expert casting and skilled performances, particularly by James McAvoy and Keira Knightley, accordingly channel the novel’s characters to the screen.

The story begins on the Tallis estate on a summer day in 1935. There, 13-year-old Briony Tallis (Saoirse Ronan), a fledgling writer, witnesses and misinterprets a flirtation between Cecilia (Knightley) and Robbie (McAvoy), the son of a servant. The day—and the first half of the plot—ends tragically, with a crime and a wrongful accusation that will alter the course of all their lives.

The visual composition of the estate scenes is stunning, and the spectacular cinematography remains consistenly impressive throughout the entire film. Bright, vivid shots contrast with soft lighting, reflecting the characters’ range of emotion during the first half. The editing of the film also emulates the novel’s perspectival changes as well as its frequent flashbacks. Visually, McEwan’s novel translates wonderfully to film.

The score deserves praise for its beauty and originality. During many of the film’s critical moments, the harsh sounds of a typewriter combine with the already striking instrumentation, creating a completely unique synchronization. This jarring but brilliant combination echoes the various tensions in the story—between love and war, loyalty and betrayal, and, most importantly, Briony’s writing and Cecilia and Robbie’s relationship.

The second half of the film, set four years later, alternates between war-ridden northern France and London. Robbie is now a soldier; estranged sisters Cecilia and an 18-year-old Briony (Romola Garai) are both nurses. This section features perhaps the most impressive moment in the movie: a long shot at Dunkirk that lasts almost five minutes. The camera weaves in and out of the carnage and confusion on the beach—as well as in and out of Robbie’s perspective—at the stirring moment of British retreat.

The last few minutes, however, taint what had been a poignant film adaptation up to that point. The revelatory final scene is simply a diluted version of the novel. Ironically, it is the film’s devotion to the text that causes it to miss the text’s most crucial aspect: self-reflexivity. With creative changes, Wright could have retained that medium-specific main point. Why, for instance, didn’t he envision Briony as a budding film director or screenwriter? While this change would have altered the novel’s plot, it would have faithfully realized McEwan’s greatest postmodern aim.

“Atonement” fails as a film adaptation by ignoring the text’s greater purpose and, instead, latching onto its captivating story. But it ultimately succeeds as a film. The prestigious Venice Film Festival already honored “Atonement” in August, and it will certainly be a stronger contender during the awards season than Wright’s “Pride and Prejudice” was two years ago.

—Staff Writer Giselle Barcia can be reached at gbarcia@fas.harvard.edu.