Atonement: A New Look at the Iraq War's Human Cost
"Ten years later, Lou, now dishonorably discharged and struggling with PTSD, seeks a meeting with the surviving family."
Key Details
- The film 'Atonement', directed by Reed Van Dyk, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival (Directors' Fortnight).
- It is based on Dexter Filkins' 2012 New Yorker article of the same name.
- The narrative follows an Iraqi family, the Khachaturians, during the 2003 Iraq War and a US Marine, Lou D'Alessandro, over a decade.
Plot Summary
In the opening, three generations of the family shelter in a Baghdad house. A US military operation leads to the shooting deaths of three family members.
Ten years later, Lou, now dishonorably discharged and struggling with PTSD, seeks a meeting with the surviving family, now in Glendale, California, through journalist Michael Reid.
The family's matriarch, Mariam, agrees to meet Lou, leading to a tense exchange where she states they forgive him.
Background
- The film diverges from typical American war movies by focusing on both US soldiers and Iraqi civilians.
- It was adapted from a New Yorker article by Dexter Filkins, a combat journalist.
- Director Reed Van Dyk is making his feature debut.
Cast
- Hiam Abbass as Mariam Khachaturian
- Boyd Holbrook as Lou D'Alessandro
- Kenneth Branagh as Michael Reid
- Gheed, Majd Eid, Yara Bakri, Amanda Warren
Critical Response
The review notes Abbass's performance as a highlight and praises the film's humanization of both sides of the conflict, while noting some script elements as ham-fisted.