The inner world of “Atonement” depicted in 5 minutes and 6 seconds by the legendary one-shot shooting

And the camera starts rolling...

So what is engraved in this Dunkirk scene? First of all, if you are able to watch "Atonement" on a familiar device, please tune in after the "1 hour 4 minutes 30 seconds" mark of the main story. There, as the soldiers pick up the scent of the salty sea, rush through the grass, and run up the hill, they are greeted with a picture so spectacular that they say, ``It's like a world straight out of the Bible.''

The long take begins immediately after that. Approximately 1,000 residents of Redcar (a seaside town in Yorkshire, England), the filming location, were mobilized. Clad in 1,000 military uniforms ordered from a Polish vendor, each of them competes in a serious competition for just five minutes.

On the day the photo was taken, the forecast was not to see much sunlight until the afternoon. If the amount of light is not sufficient, the image will lack clarity. Will we be able to get enough sunlight by evening? This is a bet. All participants gathered at 6 a.m. and thoroughly rehearsed.

6 pm. The weather has improved. I decided that sunlight would be fine as well. "Okay, let's go!" and the camera starts rolling. At the beginning, James McAvoy and others walk along the sandy beach while having a conversation while riding parallel to each other in a cart, and then in the middle, they get off the cart and walk on their own to film the cast's movements. In the scene where horses are shot to death one after another right next to them, a circus horse was used and was made to lie down quickly at the signal of the trainer.

“Atonement” Film (C) 2007 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.

From there, it feels like a magnificent world of poetry. Each soldier's life is alive with their own life. Those who quarrel. Someone who drinks. A person at a bonfire. A person who hangs his head holding his legs. People chanting chants toward the sea. While doing so, the camera suddenly becomes integrated with the protagonist's point of view and begins to wander. Director Wright also refers to this as a "point of view shot," and to me it felt as if a wounded soul had briefly left its body and was floating around.

However, one cut is not finished. A Ferris wheel in the distance slowly rotates with a playful soldier hanging from it. A herd of horses runs past. Soldiers cross the street in formation. Those who entrusted themselves to the play equipment were playing like children. At that point, the cameraman stopped walking, got into a cart pulled by a staff member, and filmed McAvoy's movements from the front as they moved. One last time, the panoramic view of the beach is shown over the terrace, and the long five-minute journey finally comes to a close.

According to the DVD commentary, director Joe Wright said, ``In this scene, horses, machines, and human lives are all wasted.It shows how wasteful and pointless war is.'' It seems that it is. One of the producers also said, ``The Battle of Dunkirk is believed to be a heroic strategic retreat, but what actually unfolds is chaotic chaos. Discipline is broken, people die, property and machinery are destroyed. "It was a complete retreat."

The point, however, is not to accurately portray the Battle of Dunkirk, but rather that this vast, chaotic chaos is also connected to the mental landscape and state of mind of Robbie, played by James McAvoy.

I finally arrived at the end of this world, in a state where I felt like I was about to collapse, with deep wounds to my mind and body. There is a landscape that goes beyond war and seems like the gap between life and death, between this and the other world. The reason why tears well up helplessly in our eyes is that his "thoughts", which had been suppressed so far, are now flowing into a continuous, turbulent scene of sadness, loneliness, chaos, and despair. , because I was overwhelmed by the heartlessness.

This work does not shy away from the question of ``how to depict the inner world,'' and pursues the answer, sometimes delicately, sometimes grandly. Even though more than 10 years have passed since its production, it is rare to find a work that still moves people's hearts this much. The 5 minute 6 second sequence I mentioned about Minghella is just one example, but each of these various elements work together to make this movie shine divinely as a masterpiece that surpasses the original. is not it.

Text: USHIZU ATSUNOBU

Born in Nagasaki in 1977. When he was 3 years old, he saw ``Superman II'' with his father and became fascinated with movies. After The Graduate from Meiji University, he worked for a movie broadcasting channel and then became a movie writer. Currently, in addition to writing for Eiga.com, EYESCREAM, Real Sound Movie Club, etc., he also contributes to media press and theater programs.

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"Atonement"

Blu-ray: 1,886 yen + tax / DVD: 1,429 yen + tax

Publisher: NBCUniversal Entertainment

Film (C) 2007 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.