GB
2007
2hrs 03mins
Dir: Joe Wright
Starring: James McAvoy and Keira Knightley
A thirteen-year-old irrevocably changes the course of several lives when she accuses her older sister’s lover of a crime that he did not commit
Based on Ian McEwan’s 2001 novel of the same name, this romantic wartime drama is a brilliant production, justifiably winning a number of awards. It features a final poignant and shocking scene filmed at Aldwych Underground station. The scene portrays a wall of water hurtling down the staircase of the underground station towards those sheltering inside. Keira Knightley’s body is then shown floating in the depths of the murky water. The station represents Balham, which was one of many deep tube stations designated for use as a civilian air raid shelter. At 20:02 on 14th October 1940, a 1400 kg semi-armour piercing fragmentation bomb fell on the road above the northern end of the platform and burst the water mains and sewers that ran above the station tunnels, which then flooded causing the deaths of sixty-six people. The film also includes a couple of shots of newsreel footage of troop trains. These are formed of LNER teak and GWR suburban coaching stock, though no locomotives are seen.
