ATONEMENT

ATONEMENT

Atonement is a movie based on the novel with the same title written by Ian McEwan and adapted by Christopher Hampton. The movie describes the life of the three main characters. Robbie Turner, Cecilia Tallis and Briony Tallis. Briony is a 13 year old girl who acusses Robbie, Cecilia’s lover, for a crime he didn’t commit. The police take Robbie and send him to war. Cecilia and Robbin don’t see themselves in a very long time. When Robbin comes back from war, it seems that he live the live he wanted with Cecilia, Briony ask them for forgiveness for incriminating Robbin. This might seem like the truth for what happen in the story, but as it goes on the real truth is revealed and the first version only stays as what Briony would like to have happened.

The movie Atonement, directed by Joe Wright, develops in a non-lineal way. I consider that the way they travel in different time and perspectives are a remarkable element in the movie.  The art, direction by Ian Bailie, Nick Gottschalk y Niall Moroney, seems to me like an extraordinary job, as well as the cinematography directed by Seamus McGarvey. All camera shots are perfectly taken and composed and they all have a very pleasing aesthetic thanks to elements like locations, apparel and interior decoration with a very elegant and classic touch of the decade of the 30s.  I consider that the story is very perfectly narrated; in fact I like very much how time is handled. I regard as incredible the scenes that involve Briony watching Cecilia and Robbie from the distance, I think it is extraordinary the way we first see the scene from Briony’s point of view and then from Ceciia’s and Robbie, but the scene starts before and this creates a bit of confusion until the accurate action of Briony is shown.

I would have liked more of this type of scenes were different points of view are demonstrated because I think they end up as very effective, although they are the same actions, they favor the development of the characters. I think that in this type of narrative there tend to be narrative gaps that in the moment they seem as that (gaps) but as the story continues, they are solved. These momentary gaps create questions and doubts, which helps to hook up the spectator and make him more involved in the movie.