"Come back to me," Cecilia whispers to Robbie. Atonement is a movie I have been watching on HBO - the first time I saw it I was almost in shock at the ending. I mean it hurt.
The scenes of Robbie in France, and finally Dunkirk. and the troops arriving back home in england - They were saved, they returned to their past lives, to their loved ones. Actual footage of the Dunkirk survivors.
And then Brionny's interview. She is old, has a disease of the brain, she will soon be suffering from dementia, will forget who she is, will wither away in a nursing home. So she writes her last novel, something she must "atone" before her mind is lost. And then she explains the real ending, the real life ending of Robbie and cecilia, and that is when I gasped. I have seen painful movies before, in fact, I drive to pittsburgh to watch heart breaking films (one from england I forgot i will research and update blog when I find it). But here I am in my apt, and suddenly this movie takes an incredible turn.
and then the scene of robbie and cecilia on the beach...(it is called Redcar beach) -so absolutely beautiful. Here is the scene, but dont click it if you havent seen it, SPOILER ALERT.
I plan on watching again, several times, it is full of nuances, the director placing small details to subconsciously draw you into the plot, each scene designed to affect emotions. A well thought out movie, edited perfectly. The acting, off the charts.
Pefect picture for political film, but too many students have probably seen it. Is there atonement? What about atonement for lost love? Or atonement for the crimes and inhumanity of war?
1 comment:
Painful indeed. I have a good tolerance for pathos, but this film ... it is very difficult for me to find words to describe the depth of feeling. Certainly beautifully done, and amazing chemistry.
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