Costumes

Welcome back to the Connections blog, and to our look at the adaptation to film of Ian McEwan's best-selling novel, Atonement. In this entry, we will take a closer look at the set design and costumes used in the film, and will examine how these have been adapted from the novel in order to ensure they are as accurate as possible. We will examine the process which was used to create the sets and costumes, and will see how these contribute to the overall feeling of the film.


In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, costume designer, Jacqueline Durran, talks about the unique challenges which she faced when researching and creating the costumes for the film. Durran explains that Director Joe Wright made it clear to her that he wasn't looking for the average re-creation of the fashions of the day. Durran explains that, "Joe was clear that he didn't want it to look pristine or to have the patina and age you usually associate with that era. When you look at photos of upper-middle-class British families from the '30s, they look rather scruffy, clumpy and lumpy. That's real, but it's not what we wanted because the film isn't based on reality. It's more of a dream, a remembered past, a child's distant memory of a perfect day before everything went horribly wrong."  


Durran explains that one of the biggest challenges was to create the costumes for the 30's period, since there was no original historical clothing which suited her needs. Durran said that they used traditional shapes from the era, but utilized all modern fabrics. This was very time consuming for Durran since she had to dye many different pieces of fabric to create the patterns they needed. Durran gives some background on Cecilia Tallis' striking green dress, and the effort which went into its creation. She explains that they had originally started with three different shades of green, and that in the end they had to dye white fabric with a combination of all three shades in order to come out with the final colour. Durran also reveals that the main goal for the dress was for it to be almost "weightless" in a sense. She wanted it to flow, and blow with the wind, and she wanted it to capture the heat of the day, but also the heat of the moment (in the library.) Durran notes that in the novel McEwan describes the garment as almost a character itself, stating that it is partly responsible for igniting the passion between Cecilia and Robbie, and as such, Durran felt it cruical that " instead of being constructed around Keira's body, that the dress skimmed her [frame] and added to a feeling of semi-nakedness."

When asked about the many variations of military uniforms which can be seen in the film, Durran explains that she consulted military uniform advisors for her inspiration. Regarding the advisors, Durran says that "they are a breed all to themselves, and know everything about every rank's uniform." Durran goes on to explain that the uniforms were also very challenging to recreate, as there are not many original garments which remain, and they had to have enough uniforms for over one thousand soldiers. Durran was able to find about two-hundred-fifty original uniforms in correct colour and style, but says that unfortunately they had to compromise on the other seven-hundred-fifty uniforms. She ended up having the original reproduced in Poland, to create the remaining garments.

Durran also briefly mentions the nurse's uniforms, and explains that they were also somewhat difficult to create. She explains that they were looking for a white and blue striped fabric, but could not find anything that was not cotton or polyester. So to be true to the times, Durran had to have all of the linen and fabric woven for the uniforms. The original design for the nurse's uniforms apparently was developed from one of of Florence Nightengale's books on nursing, which would ensure accuracy, considering the fact that there are several references to Nightengale's nursing techniques in the novel itself.

All in all it is very clear that a great deal of effort has gone into the creation of the costumes for the film. Whether its a particular time period or even a particular fabric, Durran and the rest of the crew are clearly dedicated to ensuring that even the smallest and least noticeable details are also perfect and completely accurate. Though descriptions of all of the clothing, is not readily available in the novel, I believe that most readers would agree that Wright, Durran and the crew did well to bring the costumes to life, and give them a feel which just seems to fit so perfectly into the story.

Further Connections: 

• Interview with Jaqueline Durran (Costume Designer)
• Article about Academy Award Nomination for Best Costumes
• Entertainment Weekly Article about Costumes in the film

Cinematography

Welcome back to the Connections blog, and to our examination the adaptation of Ian McEwan's best-selling novel, Atonement. In this entry, we will take a look at the aspects of cinematography which are used in the film, and how these methods, and the shots themselves, contribute to the successful adaptation of the novel to film. Cinematography is one of the most crucial aspects of a film, because it contributes greatly to the general "feel" of the film. It is also so important, because it provides a foundation for editors and other members of the production crew.

With its beautiful costumes and amazingly-detailed sets, Atonement is definitely very visually appealing. However, the quality of the cinematography in this film, trumps any of the other aspects of production in my mind. With the wide range of settings and time periods for this film, it is amazing to consider how natural and elegant the filming seems. Capturing the mood of a wealthy 1930s household, cinematographer Seamus McGarvey’s first task was to convey the sweltering heat, which he apparently did, through the resourceful use of  stockings over the lenses. 


Panning shots of Briony walking around the house, as well as wide shots of the two sisters lying in the grass, are among the best in the film in my opinion. This is because they’re simple yet extremely beautiful. McGarvey manages to capture the beauty of Atonement in the grittier and harsher scenes of war, which included scenes of a bomber in flight reflected on the surface of a water reservoir. Of course, there’s also the infamous Dunkirk scene, which despite only taking two takes, took several months of planning and choreography. 

In my opinion, the scene at the beaches of Dunkirk is one of the most moving in the film, and it is probably the best technical aspect. The massive scale which Wright and his crew were responsible for is almost unthinkable, and the coordination of so many aspects of the scene must have been a great challenge. The almost five-minute scene is perhaps so remarkable because it is shot continuously, and uses what seems like an effortless tracking motion across the beach. The goal for Wright and McGarvey was to ensure that as much as possible, the viewer does not become disconnected from the action due to traditional methods of editing into multiple shots. They hoped that instead the scene would allow the viewer to see not only the massive scale of the operation, but also the individual soldiers for what they truly are; living and breathing human beings, with aspirations and dreams, just like you and me. 


Under the direction of Joe Wright, McGarvey truly embraces McEwan's story and overcomes the non-linear structure of the plot in a unique way. The sweeping and graceful camera techniques are very impressive and  lend themselves to the story of Atonement. The bright, beautiful and carefree nature of the shots in the earlier parts of the film, does well to mirror the innocent and simple nature of the plot. Later in the film we see that the filming also mirrors the metered pace of the scenes of war. The quality of the cinematography is just as important as the quality of the acting, if not more. So with that being said, it is very encouraging to note the amount of pure skill and effort which went into the filming of this production. From beginning to end, it is clear that Joe Wright has an amazing vision for Atonement, which is not a great deal different from McEwan's. 

Wright understands the serious nature of the plot, especially the terrors of war, and does well to drive these moments home for the viewer. That being said however, he also very eloquently displays the soft and warm feelings of love and lust, and the very abstract examples of childhood innocence. The adaptation of McEwan's novel to film, could not have been successful without the attention to detail and innovation which is used in filming of this production. Again, thanks to the dedication of Wright and his team to not only McEwan's vision, but even to the characters themselves, the viewer of the film is able to truly capture the thoughts, emotions and struggles of each character. 


More Connections: 

• A collection of the film's most cinematic shots
• Clip of the scene at Dunkirk 
• Background article on the tracking shot at Dunkirk 
• Interview with Atonement's Cinematographer: Seamus McGarvey

Editing

Welcome back to the Connections blog and to our look at the adaptation of Ian McEwan's best-selling novel, Atonement. In this entry we will take a look at the editing of the film and will draw connections between the original novel and the edited version of the film. The editors have a very important role in the production as they are responsible for wading through hours of footage to ensure that the plot of the film mirrors that of the novel as much as possible. 

The editing for Atonement is very  innovative and different than many of the films of its time. Director Joe Wright and his editing staff are very unique in many of the editing and filming methods they use. This of course, lends itself well to the uniqueness of the plot of Atonement.  For example, Wright chooses to revisit certain moments in the film, such as the scene at the fountain; from the perspective of different characters. I believe that this technique helps a viewer who has not read the novel, to better understand the complicated plot. It is refreshing to see that Wright's style of filming is very different and much more visually appealing than most of the in-your-face action and drama films, which dominate the box office these days. The cinematography in this film is stunning, which allows for a great deal of artistic freedom for the editors. 


The editing is also quite seamless; yet often changes up in ways which one would not expect. I find that this style is much more visually engaging, and it keeps the viewer focused on the most important aspects of the film. This is very positive when considering the adaptation to film, because given the amount of detail Wright puts into his work, he is ALMOST as detailed as the great Ian McEwan himself. 

At different times in the film, Wright also chooses to rewind a scene for emphasis, yet also chooses to leave the long shot of Dunkirk, almost completely uncut. This is a clear indication of Wrights abilities as a director. Just as he focused his efforts on cinematography, Wright wanted as much as possible for the editing techniques to mirror the emotional or physical state of the scene. Theses actions demonstrate his dedication to intricate detail, and make the viewer realize that they are lucky that he was chosen as the director.

More and more as we look at the different elements of this film, it becomes clear that a great deal of time and thought has gone into the adaptation process. From casting, to editing, to setting and even history; so far everything that we have investigated has demonstrated that Wright and all of the cast and crew show a great deal of talent, and worked very hard to ensure that the adaptation was as accurate as possible.

Connect the Dots:

• Movie Review: Details on Editing

Casting

Welcome back to the Connections blog and to our look at the adaptation to film of Ian McEwan's award-winning novel, Atonement. The film, which was also nominated for several awards, stars high profile actors such as Keira Knightly and James McEvoy. In this blog entry we will examine the casting choices for the film, as well as the challenges and struggles which had to be overcome, in order to ensure that the cast fit perfectly into their roles. Atonement is a story which focuses heavily on the character's inner-turmoil and their actions as they attempt to deal with it. Keeping this in mind, it was very important for Joe Wright, the film's director, and Jina Jay, the casting director, to ensure that the actor's not only fit the roles, but were able to live and breath the characters which they were responsible for. 


When casting, Cecilia Tallis, Wright stated that, "when [he] was thinking about Cecilia [he] immediately thought about Keira [Knightly] and [he] just felt that she was ready for it. It's a character role rather than simply being a pretty leading lady. It is a very complex role and Cecilia is not a particularly likeable person to start with and then she is redeemed by her love of Robbie and his of her. Wright goes on to state that not all actors would be willing to take on such a role as they often would not want to be cast in the role of a unlikable character. Also, since Knightly and Wright had already worked together shooting Pride and Prejudice, both had a good working relationship, and had a mutual respect for one another's approach to filming Atonement. 

When asked about her views on Cecilia Tallis, Knightly stated that the reason why she likes Cecilia's character is, "because she is a woman. She knows who she is but she doesn't know what direction to go in so she's quite conflicted. She doesn't realise that actually she fancies Robbie who she's grown up with and won't admit that there's anything beyond a kind of brother and sister relationship, and actually it's something quite different.” I believe that Knightly does an excellent job of capturing the essence of Cecilia, and this can be seen quite clearly in the crucial scenes in Part One, including the essential fountain scene at the beginning of the film. 


Perhaps the most difficult role to cast is obviously Briony Tallis. Wright and Jay had quite a challenge on their hands since they not only had to cast one role, but three, for the same character. An actress had to be cast for Briony in her childhood form, Nurse Tallis, and the elderly Briony, seen in the last moments of the film. In an interview with Wendy Ide, of the Sunday Times, Jay explains that casting Briony was one of the most difficult jobs in her career. Jay stated that "casting three actresses to play one role in Atonement was very challenging. We focused on the essence, spirit and intellect of Briony’s mind and soul, and applied this to all three Brionys. That they ended up looking similar is a coincidence – or perhaps subconsciously there was design."

They struggled most with the casting of young Briony, as there were a great deal of expectations for the character, which could not be fulfilled by just an average young actress. After auditioning countless young actresses to play the role, Jay came across, Saoirse Ronan, who is described as having, "a keen sensibility which belies her years, making her perfect for the role of the fledgling young writer, Briony." Jay goes on to say that she was very surprised by Ronan's abilities, considering "Saoirse had not even read the book and barely had time to read the screenplay in depth when we offered her role." Jay goes on to say that despite these limitations, "[Ronan] distils only the absolute essentials of the literary character and understands how to bring Briony to life. 


The part of 18 year-old Briony went to British actress Romola Garai. Since this was the last role of the three to be cast, Garai worked diligently to ensure she had the same sort of "look" as Ronan in the earlier scenes of the film. Garai also worked closely with a voice coach to ensure that her speech was as similar as possible as well. Elderly Briony, who is only seen in the final moments of the film, is played by Vanessa Redgrave. Redgrave also does an excellent job of capturing the spirit of Briony in her later years, and when I watch the final scene, I am reminded of how difficult it must have been to portray all of the essential qualities which we would assume Briony possesses. The role of Briony is essential when attempting to understand the film, so it is very encouraging to see that Wright and Jay dedicated so much time and effort to casting her character, and believe that it definitely shows through in the powerful performances put forth by all three actresses. 

The character of Robbie Turner is also an extremely important role in the film, and considering all of the potential challenges of the role, I believe that James McEvoy did an amazing job in his depiction. Just as with the role of Briony, Wright and Jay knew right away the McEvoy was the right fit for the role. When asked about his decision to cast McEvoy, Wright stated that, James has working class roots and that was very important in the casting of Robbie, whose story is that of a working class boy who is destroyed partly by the snobbery of an upper class family. James has also got soul and isn't afraid to show it. The character is described as having 'eyes of optimism' and James has those.”

McEvoy was given a very challenging task when he accepted the role of Robbie Turner as he had to capture not only the soft and precious moments of love in the beginning of the film, but also the harsh realities and struggles of a soldier at war. When asked about the role McEvoy said that, "Robbie's a bit of an angel really. He’s very straight, one of the most difficult characters I’ve ever played. Joe's so complete - gets the audience, the actors, understands the story he’s telling, and he knows how to make actors better. He really falls in love with his characters."

It is important to note the efforts which went into the casting of the scenes at Dunkirk as well. In each of these scenes, the soldiers are seen interacting in different ways with the coastal town of Redcar, and whether they were brutally maimed, dead, or just enjoying their time before evacuation, each actor does well to contribute to the overall feeling for the scenes, and really make the viewer feel as if they are actually immersed in the terrible times of war.

The efforts of the directors is clear when reviewing the cast  of this film. All of the actors fit very well in their roles, and under the direction of Joe Wright, truly bring the characters to life, just as they are in the minds of the readers of Atonement. I believe that the time spent casting the characters for this film was not done so in vain, considering the outcome. This sentiment is mirrored by the sheer number of Academy Awards which the film was nominate for, including the coveted Best Actor/Actress Award.


Connect: 

• Article on casting for Atonement
• Interview with Casting Director Jina Jay
• Interview with Vanesa Redgrave
• Interview with cast at the premiere
• James McEvoy on getting cast

Literary References in the Film

Welcome back to the Connections blog and to our investigation into the adaptation of Ian McEwan's award-winning novel Atonement. In this short entry we will look closely at the literary references which exist in McEwan's novel, and how, if at all, they have been adapted and utilized in the film.

McEwan's novel, Atonement, contains intertextual references to a number of other literary works, including Virginia Woolf's The Waves, Thomas Hardy's Jude the Obscure, Henry James'The Golden Bowl, Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey, Samuel Richardson's Clarissa, Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita, and Shakespeare's The Tempest, Macbeth, Hamlet, and Twelfth Night. It also has a (fictional) letter by the literary critic and editor Cyril Connolly, addressed to Briony. These references lend themselves well to the plot of the novel, which focuses heavily on literature and writing. Briony and Robbie specifically make great use of literary references, and in the film as in the novel, both are seen as dedicated to the art of writing. A typewriter is also used in both the film and the novel as a symbol which represents this. 


Noting that there is such a great wealth of literary references in the novel, it is somewhat disappointing to see that the trend was not carried forward into the film. All of the above references were not written into the script and were not adapted for use in the film. My belief is that the producers and director came to the conclusion that the average viewer of the movie would not understand the references, and that they would instead stand to confuse their view of the overall plot. This reasoning is somewhat understandable, and it ultimately brings emphasis to the notion that film and literature are two very different mediums. Within the context of his novel, McEwan is easily able to connect the above literary references throughout his text; however when considering how to link these ideas into a plot which already stands to confuse, it is easy to see how the crew came to the conclusion of just bypassing the references all together. 

Landscape, Setting and Set Design

Welcome back to the Connections blog and to our investigation into the adaptation of Ian McEwan's award-winning novel, Atonement. When considering the many aspects of production which come together to create a feature-film, such as Atonement, I believe that most individuals would agree that the landscape and setting which is portrayed, has a major effect on how the film is interpreted by the viewer. In this blog entry we will look deeper into the development of the landscape and setting for the film, and will examine the effects which it has on the viewer.

Designing all of the intricate details of the landscape and setting for the film, is the sole responsibility of the Production Designer. In the case of Atonement, Sarah Greenwood was chosen to recreate McEwan's novel. Even Greenwood herself admits, in a background article, that, "from a design point of view, Atonement was a fantastic challenge." She goes on to explain that this was to be such a monumental task, solely due to the fact that she was responsible for multiple aspects of the landscape and setting. Greenwood details that she had to design not only the pre-war setting, but also the post-war setting, and the setting for the events which occur during the very graphic war scenes. To ensure accuracy, Greenwood dedicated a great deal of her time to consulting historical documents and photographs, and even visited several locations including the real beaches of Dunkirk. These experiences broadened her perspective, and in my eyes contributed greatly to the accuracy of the landscape and setting as adapted from the novel. 

Transforming the Stokesay ruins into
the Tallis fountain.

Looking at the pre-war setting for this film, Greenwood had many challenges which she had to overcome to ensure that the scenes looked as realistic as possible. Greenwood states that she had two objectives when she was choosing the location for the Tallis home: "first to capture the class aspirations and limitations of the characters and second, to set the physical and emotional climate of the scene." To achieve these goals, Greenwood finally settled on Stokesay Court, a quaint manor in the English countryside, not too far from London. This location was ideal for Greenwood and the rest of the production crew, because it provided a location for both the interior and exterior scenes of the Tallis home. Stokesay Court, with its sprawling grounds and Gothic design, lends itself very well to McEwan's depiction in his novel. The only challenge which Greenwood had, was the construction of the infamous fountain, which appears early on in the film. Greenwood states that even in relation to the fountain, she was very lucky, as there was already ruins of a fountain on the property, and therefore was fairly simple to reconstruct.

There has been a great deal of discussion surrounding the landscape and setting of the scenes filmed on the "beaches of Dunkirk." Since its release in 2007, many individuals have stated that film does not do the evacuation at Dunkirk justice, because too much time is spent focused on the pre-war and post-war sections of the film. The general consensus is that the filming and tracking of these scenes are amazing, and the dedication of Greenwood and Wright to historical accuracy and detail, shows through clearly when examining the later half of the film. Greenwood states that she felt sure that they would find the setting for these scenes "somewhere on the east coast of England." Greenwood goes on to explain that she and Joe Wright, "drove for days along the coast, until [they] found the small coastal town of Redcar." After visiting the actual Dunkirk beaches, and reviewing countless hours of historical film, Greenwood was satisfied with her choice, and I believe that this accuracy is demonstrated in the landscape and setting portrayed in these scenes of the film. 

I believe that Greenwood and Wright, but also the entire production crew, do an excellent job of spotlighting the important aspects of each of the settings, and this shows through in the viewers interpretation of these scenes. Whether it is the Tallis Manor, the beaches of Dunkirk, or even the halls of St. Thomas' Hospital in London, the painstaking dedication to detail and accuracy is clear. 


Though there may be a few aspects of the setting which don't exactly reflect the novel, one must remember that the medium of film is very different from that of literature, and that it is not always possible to adapt all aspects of the original novel. Film is a very distinct form, and has requirements which are quite different from that of a novel.  For the most part however, I believe that most viewer's will agree that considering all the effort which must have gone into the process, from planning to production, and considering the massive scale for which the crew were responsible, the setting and landscapes in the film are well adapted from McEwan's original work, and contribute well to the viewers overall interpretation of the film.


Food for Thought:

•  Background on setting and landscape design for Atonement
• Atonement Review: thoughts on the setting
• Dunkirk clip from film 
• Background on England between the wars

Historical Context

Welcome back to the Connections blog and to our look into the adaptation of Ian McEwan's novel, Atonement. In this entry we will consider the historical context of the adaptation to film, and will specifically investigate the accuracy (or inaccuracy) of the depiction of war in the novel.

Personally, when considering the monumental task which faced Joe Wright, the director, and Christopher Hampton, the screenwriter; I believe that the film is very well done, and quite accurately depicts the events of the novel. Special attention should be drawn to Part One, as I believe most readers would agree that it was particularly accurate in its adaptation from the novel. It is clear that a great deal of time and effort has been put into all aspects of this production to ensure historical accuracy as much as possible. Factors such as the acting, setting, and cinematography in Part One all contribute greatly to the historical accuracy.

Wright and Hampton choose to bear all in a sense when in comes to the depiction of war in the film. We see not only the terrors of war, but also the gruesome outcomes.This film contains some powerful images of a grim and brutal reality, of bloody wounds and shattered limbs, and of a frantic and helpless time. The scenes on the beaches of Dunkirk were particularly well shot and also contribute to a successful historical adaptation in my eyes.

Beaches of Dunkirk

However, There are individuals who believe that the later part of the film is riddled with inaccuracies. A user on IMDB claims that "from a historical perspective, Atonement, leaves a lot to be desired". He states in his article that he believes there are several obvious inaccuracies which exist. One example that is given, is the use of a 'Lancaster' model aircraft in 1931, when it shouldn't even have been built yet. Another is that Dunkirk actually occurred in 1940, not 1941, as displayed in the film. His further examples do draw into question the accuracy of the scene at Dunkirk, but I still believe that for the most part, the message which McEwan is attempting to send, rings true.

Stay Connected:

• New York Times Film Review: Focus on negative depictions of war scenes
• Discussion: Historical accuracy of the subway station flood