When one hears the word “romance movie,” he or she typically thinks about a passionate story where two lovebirds end up together. However, some romances endure these strives in vain; such passionate stories result in the inevitable separation of the lovers, through death, a forced removal, or other means of an undesirable event. Romance movies like these are perhaps the best and most memorable flicks offered within the genre.
One movie that resembles this type of a dramatic romance is Atonement. Based off of the novel by Ian McEwan, Atonement takes place in the United Kingdom during World War II and provides viewers with mystery, suspense, and the plights of a young couple. The narrator is Briony Tallis (Vanessa Redgrave), an aged author who is being interviewed about her latest and last novel/semi-autobiography called Atonement. The elder Briony begins her story when she was 13 years old.
Immediately the characters in the story are shaped by their social standing. One can clearly see that the majority of them live privileged, wealthy lives and govern themselves with high standards of society. These high standards will later act as one of the main factors that contribute to the film’s affairs.
The opening scene depicts a colossal mansion where the Tallis family resides, a massive piece of property with a lake, expensive cars, numerous housekeepers, and women of the household wearing designer clothing. We are introduced to the younger Briony Tallis (Saoirse Ronan) who aspires to be a professional author or playwright. She creates and organizes a play for the guests in her house to demonstrate her talents. While the festivities are unfolding, Briony witnesses a series of misunderstood sexual events between her older sister, Cecilia (Keira Knightley), and her lover Robbie Turner (James McAvoy). Due to her naivety, Briony views these occurrences as maniacal acts committed by Robbie instead of a normal developing relationship between him and her sister. This opinion plays a crucial role in future events.
During the day, Briony and Cecilia’s little cousins go missing. The entire family goes on a search for the two boys; Cecilia goes with her mother, Robbie by himself, and Briony by herself. As Briony searches for the boys, she stumbles across a disturbing scene: her cousin Lola getting molested by a mystery man. Briony immediately assumes that this must be Robbie because he is a “sexual maniac.” She then tells her family about what she “saw,” and the family calls the police. Because Robbie was by himself searching for the boys, he has no alibi and is charged with rape without an investigation. The actual culprit is not revealed until later in the film. Robbie is then sent to prison, changing the lives of him, Cecilia, and Briony forever.
Previously discussed in the introduction to this movie, Atonement reveals a twisted ending that is not typical of a romance. Aside from the unexpected conclusion, the film measures up to the general aspects of this genre. Like other dramatic romance films, Atonement begins with a blossoming relationship and develops the plot with many hindrances that keep the couple from achieving happiness. Spoiler alert: Atonement DOES NOT have a joyful ending. It is actually quite the opposite. Ian McEwan chose to incorporate a tragic closing in his novel because he wanted to show the damaging effects that naïve perceptions can have on people’s lives.
Although the movie does not contain the normal, satisfactory, perfect ending of a romance, Atonement makes a lasting impression on anyone who sees the film. The reason that the movie has received immense amounts of praise is because the story achieves common characteristics of a romance, but it possesses an unexpected, profound finish. If anyone is looking for a unique love story that lacks the predictably blissful conclusion, Atonement is most certainly the perfect film to select. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0783233/
