‘On Chesil Beach’ is a film adaption of a 2007 novel by Ian McEwan. The author also penned the screenplay that stars Saoirse Ronan and Billy Howle has newlyweds on their honeymoon. Ronan is one of the most talented actresses of her generation. Howle is an up-and-coming actor that delivers a soulful performance. The story deals with the awkwardness of first-time sex and regret. In an American movie, the fumbling and groping for zippers and private parts would be treated like a parody. McEwan takes the subject matter seriously by showing how one moment in time can change a relationship forever. For those that enjoy slow-burning period piece dramas, the two young leads deliver impeccable performances.
It’s a simple story about a young couple Edward Mayhew (Howle) and Florence Ponting (Ronan) on their first night together in a hotel alongside Chesil Beach in Dorset. It examines two virgins on their wedding night that are unable to consummate their marriage. It’s a topic that is rarely covered in cinema. Flashbacks are interspersed throughout the story. The two are very much in love despite their social class differences. Florence hails from an upper-crust family while Edward comes from a working-class background. Florence is a talented violinist who leads a string quartet. You can tell that classical music gives her tremendous joy. On the other hand, Edward prefers Chuck Berry and aspires to write history books. They meet at a Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) event at Oxford and it is love at first sight. Their courtship is blissful and carefree. The next step is marriage and that’s where the romance turns toxic.
The real trouble begins in the bedroom. They look uncomfortable eating over-cooked beef while the wait staff leers at them. You can cut the tension in the air with a knife. Edward wants to get the meal over with and have sex with his new bride. Florence wants to take it slow and walk along the lovely pebbled beach. There is a humorous flashback where she reads a passage from a sex manual. It uses words like “blood-flow” and “penetration” to describe sexual intercourse. The prospect of “being entered like a doorway” terrifies her. It reflects the conservative mores of the time before the youth-driven Cultural Revolution takes place in the UK during the mid-1960s. Florence is nervous and apprehensive about having sex with Edward. The film never really explains why she is so repelled by the thought of having sex.
The scenes on the beach are beautifully shot by cinematographer Sean Bobbitt. There is moody feel to the overcast salt-sprayed beach. It’s their body language on the pebbled shore that makes them look emotionally stranded. They confront each other and say hurtful things. How many of us have been in a similar situation when angry? By letting their pride get in the way, the relationship becomes fragile. ‘On Chesil Beach’ is a tortured look at young love. Although it is a heartbreaking film, it is worth at least one viewing for the strong performances, meticulous costumes and the majestic landscapes.
