ON CHESIL BEACH
UK, 2017, 110 minutes, Colour.
Saoirse Ronan, Billy Howell, Anne- Marie Duff, Adrian Scarborough, Emily Watson, Samuel West.
Directed by Dominic Cooke.
Chesil Beach is on the Dorset coast.
The core action of this film, set in 1962, takes place on the beach and in the hotel on the beachfront, Florence (Saoirse Ronan) and Edward (Billy Howell) walking along the pebbles on the beach, formally dressed, in fact, the aftermath of their wedding that day. They are young. They are in their early 20s. They have studied at university and had top results, Firsts. But, despite the contemporary music and the bands, and the beginning of permissiveness of the 1960s, each of them is still, in manner and reserve, back in the rather restrictive 1950s.
While this day at the beach extends over most of the film, there is almost as much time, perhaps even more, given to frequent flashbacks to build up the characters of both Florence and Edward as well as glimpses into their families.
Florence comes from a very conservative family, the father, Samuel West, an industrialist with snobbish attitudes (and mean determination to dominate everyone, especially Edward, at tennis), critical of his daughter despite giving her a financial gift and offering a job at his factory to Edward. Florence’s mother, Emily Watson, embodies and mouths the Conservative views of the day.
Edward, on the other hand, comes from working class stock in working class conditions – to the disdain and comment of Florence’s parents. Edward’s family is far more interesting to watch, a considerate father, Adrian Scarborough, twin younger daughters, and a mother who at first view, naked in the backyard rousing on her children, Anne-Marie? Duff, seems quite strange. However, the sad explanation is given for her mental condition, a sudden accident on a railway station. She loves art and that sustains her with the help of her ever-caring husband and her daughters. When Florence comes into the family, she shows tenderness and sensitivity towards the mother which endears her to everyone and greatly relieves Edward.
The screenplay is based on a novel by Ian McEwan?, celebrated for film versions of The Comfort of Strangers, Enduring Love, The Child in Time and, especially, Atonement (which featured Saiorse Ronan). These are all films about relationships but relationships which are tested, tried, relationships which are misunderstood, which can fail.
This means that this is the bittersweet story of the relationship between Florence and Edward, at moments very bitter. And, at some moments, the audience is tested as to where they might lay some blame, strongly on Florence and her immediate response on the wedding day, and strongly on Edward and his response to Florence.
A film of love, courting, hope for marriage, regrets.
1. The novels of Ian McEwan? Themes of relationships, regrets?
2. 1960 story, the ethos and UK the time, the beginning of changes in the 60s, music, yet rather puritanical approach is to relationships, textbooks on sexuality, virginity, frigidity and fear?
3. The Dorset coast, the beaches, the pebbles? The hotel in the room? The family homes, the factories and tennis courts, backyards, the railway station, home interiors?
4. A transition of 1962 to 1975, the music shop and its atmosphere? 2007, the town, the concert hall?
5. The musical score, the classics to Chuck Berry?
6. The core story, the day in 1962, the progress of the day from the wedding to disaster?
7. The insertion of the flashbacks, Edward story, his exhilaration at getting his degree, the postman, wanting to tell someone, his mother’s reaction, nice, his father’s pride? Going to town, to the meeting, seen Florence, telling her, her first, the talking, going out, the effect? At home, with his parents, his mother, the brain damage, the scene on the railway station? The girls? Florence and her visit, sharing with Florence, the family liking her, her helping and their domestic detail? His father wanting Edward to marry her? His hopes, his sexual approach and her reactions? The intimacy of the kisses – but the effect on the wedding night?
8. Florence, her story, her father and his business, his snubbing her, her mother and her conservative views and expressing them? Her sister? The music, the quartet and her plans, the fifth player, the cello player and his attention to her? The rehearsals? It would watching and listening? The meetings with Edward, the intimacy, her love for him? Reading the sex book?
9. The aftermath of the ceremony, walking along the beach, going to the room, the dinners and the waiters in the awkwardness, they’re laughing, the couple being apprehensive? The awkward approach to sexuality, she is on stockings? Edward, his behaviour, Florence’s reaction? Dismay? Are going to the war, Edward following her? Her proposing that they lived together but no sexuality? Audience response? Florence to blame? Edward to blame?
10. 1975, the shop, the assistant, Edward in his life, relationships and friends? The little girl, wanting Chuck Berry, quoting her mother, his following?
11. 2007, a long period, 45 years, 32 years? The news about the quartet? Florence and her looking older, her husband the cellist, the members of the quartet? Performance, it was tears, saying bravo?
12. A film of deep regrets – and relationships are difficulties unresolved?
