Atonement (2007)

‘Atonement’ is the new film directed by Joe Wright (‘Pride and Prejudice’) and is based on Ian McEwan’s best-selling novel of 2001. The cast includes the cream of British acting talent including Keira Knightley, James McAvoy, Brenda Blethyn and Vanessa Redgrave. The film is released on 7th September 2007 in the UK and on 7th December in the US.

Shropshire’s interest in the film lies in the location chosen to film the scenes portraying life in the Tallis family’s country home in 1935. The production team from Working Title Films searched the UK for a suitable house and came across a photo of a likely candidate in Country Life. Stokesay Court is a late Victorian mansion set in attractive parkland between Ludlow and Craven Arms. Filming took place in the summer of 2006. Many local extras were used and the cast and crew stayed in South Shropshire for about six weeks.

The production crew moved on to London to film wartime scenes in Smith Square and then eventually arrived in Redcar, Cleveland to film the spectacular recreation of the retreat from Dunkirk in 1940 with over 1,000 extras.

Stokesay Court is a private home but there will be the opportunity to take a tour of the house after the release of the film in September. These will be pre-booked tours for groups of between 20 and 30 people and information is available at www.stokesaycourt.com

The film is a superb recreation of the 1930’s and 40’s. Here are some other places in Shropshire where you can travel back in time to a by-gone age.

To find out more about this era take a trip to Craven Arms and visit the Land of Lost Content Museum of Popular British Culture in the Old Market Hall. Here Stella and Dave Mitchell have put together the largest collection of memorabilia from the 20th Century under one roof in the country. Find out more at www.lolc.org.uk

Rocke Cottage Tea Rooms at Clungunford near Craven Arms is a traditional tearoom with plenty of memorabilia around the walls such as old adverts and prints from the different decades of the 20th Century. Recorded music from the 1920’s and 30’s is played in the background. The tearooms are open from 10am to 5pm daily (except Monday and Tuesday – open Bank Hols.)
Tel; 01588 660631

RAF Museum Cosford – the collection has many aircraft from the 1930’s and 40’s including the oldest Spitfire and the Mosquito used in the film ‘633 Squadron’. More information at http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/cosford/index.cfm

‘Atonement’ links:-

Official site – www.atonementthemovie.co.uk

Internet Movie Database – http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0783233/

Images From The Film - http://www.filmweb.pl/Pokuta+2007+galeria,FilmGaleria,id=305474

Working Title Films

The trailer and stills can be found here: - http://www.workingtitlefilms.com/film.php?filmID=104

Review at Empireonline *****
http://www.empireonline.com/reviews/reviewcomplete.asp?FID=11344