Brilliant adaptation, astonishing masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (22 May 2009)

Atonement is the most recognized film to date by director Joe Wright (Pride and Prejudice). Set in Britain in the time before and during the Second World War, Atonement comes across as a story about guilt, love and chaos.
Bryone Tallis, a 13 year old girl comes to realize that she may have reached the end of her childhood. However she still lives according to her imagination. One night she sees her older sister, Cecilia and her childhood friend, Robbie, together in the library and after reading a forbidden letter, Bryone's naive mind leads her to take the wrong conclusions. When her cousin is attacked, Bryone accuses Robbie and that decision changes the family's lives forever. Robbie is forced to fight in the war, Cecilia becomes a nurse and gets away from her family and Bryone chooses to do the same over going to Cambridge and has to live with her crime for the rest of her life.
This film deserved all the acclamation it received. It's one of the most brilliant adaptations in recent cinema history. It's very faithful to the novel, which is not an easy task since a lot of it is developed inside the character's minds. The director found a very ingenious way of translating this aspect to screen: the soundtrack. During the course of the film, we don't ever hear any thoughts, but we know exactly how the characters feel and that's due to the brilliantly placed music. The casting is almost flawless. Most of the characters are very truthful to their description on the novel, and some great performances make them very close emotionally to the novel. The only exception goes to Keira Knightley and her approach to Cecilia. In the book, she is warm, nice and caring, which is a contrast to the cold and snobbish woman we see on screen. She is the worst miscast. On the other hand, James McAvoy gives a spellbinding performance as Robbie, and the actresses playing Bryone do a wonderful job. The veteran Vanessa Redgrave captures perfectly the quiet desperation the character feels towards the end of her life. Another great achievement is the visuals of the film. The scene on the beach where Robbie and two of his fellow soldiers are walking among all the chaos is astonishing, as it's how closely they managed to portrait Bryone at all stages of her life.
Overall, Atonement is no less than a masterpiece. It works as a brilliant adaptation, but it also stands on its own. It's impossible not to be affected at some degree by the film, whether it's for its love story,the chaos of the war or the desperation of guilt. Although it didn't have a place at the Oscars, it will certainly be a reference in the coming years.