Ian McEwan is Britain’s pre-eminent literary novelist, with 18 best-sellers and numerous prizes to his name. Less well-known is McEwan’s film and screenwriting work, from BBC dramas like ‘The Ploughman’s Lunch’ (1983) to the Academy Award blockbuster ‘Atonement’ (2007) and screen adaptations of his more recent books.
Often his stories pivot on a moment of crisis when something shocking collides with daily reality, raising profound moral and existential questions. Always fascinating, often challenging, but do they make for great cinema?
In this talk, Nick Johnston-Jones reviews Ian McEwan’s 40 years of screen work alongside his burgeoning literary output, illustrated with a range of clips. It considers his fascination with dark and taboo material in early films such as ‘The Comfort of Strangers’ (1990) and ‘The Cement Garden’ (1993), to the scientific and political issues explored in later titles like ‘The Child in Time’ (2017) or ‘Enduring Love’ (2004).
The film version of ‘Atonement’ is screening this week and the stage version runs from 29 May–20 June at Chichester Festival Theatre.
100m inc. Q&A
Tickets £8
