Based on the graphic novel The Coldest City, Atomic Blonde is the 2017 espionage thriller with a thick spread of double agents and betrayal during the week prior to the fall of the Berlin Wall. Directed by the John Wick co-director, David Leitch, his first solo directorial credit is helped with the strong performances from Charlize Theron, James McAvoy, John Goodman, and many others. Premiered at South by Southwest March 12, 2017, the film acquired generally positive reviews and grossed $100 million worldwide. Music by Tyler Bates was greatly applauded upon the hit release, with the soundtrack consisting of a combination of original and covered 1980’s hits, giving the film a contemporary 80’s feel.
Charlize Theron’s powerful presence leads Atomic Blonde
The plot of the film intercuts between a debrief room where the top-level MI6 spy Lorraine Broughton (Charlize Theron) tells of her completed mission in Berlin, and the mission itself. Coming into the mission after a failed attempt of an agent she had had a relationship with, she arrives in Berlin and is immediately ambushed by KGB agents, but escapes and meets up with the correct contact, David Percival (James McAvoy). Searching for The List of every intelligence agent in Berlin, the agents are also keeping an eye out for a double agent by the moniker “Satchel” who has been a problem for the agency in years. While searching for the list, Lorraine is doctoring audio clips and information to paint Percival as the Satchel, and presents them to the MI6. After convincing them that she doesn’t have the list, the case is closed and three days later, Lorraine is in Paris, speaking in Russian with other KGB agents who refer to her as ‘Satchel’. After an earlier seen Russian contact admits he learned more about Satchel than he originally had known, he and his men attempt to kill her. Lorraine is far out of their league in terms of combat, and kills them all, but not before telling the KGB agent that she had been giving him false information. In the closing scene, we see Lorraine (Satchel) on a private jet with the CIA, returning to the United States with The List. A classic triple crossing agent move.
Lorraine subverts the spy trope of a male lead
Lorraine is painted as a James Bond, Jason Bourne caliber agent, and it literally colored as being hot and cold in the film. Always shown in a blue grey scale, many of her scenes use red and blue light in different yet relevant moments in the film. The very first scene where we see Lorraine, she is taking a blue ice bath, and being perceived by the audience as the ice cold blonde role. When she is with her French operative, Delphine, in their moment of passion they are shown in a red light. With Theron playing this otherwise overused and bland role, she gives the character more emotional depth, even in her inhuman moments of fighting and killing. Theron’s performance as the action star in this film are what drew audiences in, and are definitely a strong element giving the film the high rating it had gotten. Known for doing most of her own stunts, the work and dedication that Theron gives many of her action roles shows prominently in this film as much as the violence is nearly on par with The Raid.
Elaborate and complicated fighting style distinguishes Atomic Blonde.
With the techno beats of the 1980s soundtrack featured in the film, the songs were chosen specifically by the director and composer to progress the plot and give meaning to the characters themselves. For example, when we see Lorraine the song “Blue Monday” is playing, immediately painting her as the ice blonde that the coloring of the film gives her. Even in the car chase scene when Lorraine is with Spyglass, the song ‘I Ran’ is playing as she tried to run from the KGB operatives in order to keep The List safe. The aesthetic of this film really works and correlates with the ‘atomic’ feeling with neon electric lights utilized throughout the film, and the locations and dates shown in ‘hazardous’ bright colors. The action scenes were impeccable and just the right amount of violent, even with the blood spatters hitting the camera. The narrative of the classic espionage film was twisted in a way that was interesting and cool, and made bangs seem like as bad an idea as I had thought before.
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