When it was published in 2011, The Sense of an Ending was an immediate sensation, with acclaimed author Julian Barnes having written what many consider to be his masterpiece. Instantly, there was discussion about bringing the novel to the screen, as is often the case with wildly successful works of literature, which is a consolidated trend in the modern cinematic landscape. However, it did take quite a while to be adapted, eventually being brought to life with director Ritesh Batra at the helm, who endeavoured to tell the story of a retired camera shop owner who is forced to relive some uncomfortable memories from his past after the death of an old friend, which thrusts dark secrets from his formative years right to the forefront, causing enormous strain as he desperately tries to find answers to the questions he seeks. A simple but evocative psychological drama that is infused with a sense of mystery and intrigue, The Sense of an Ending is a truly fascinating film, handcrafted by a director known for subtle, quiet dramas about human psychology and the various existential quandaries that we all tend to face from time to time. Barnes is not a particularly easy writer to adapt, and this novel, in particular, was the definition of challenging – but yet Batra easily overcomes some of its more troubling quirks, turning this wonderful story into a fascinating account of the trials and tribulations of a man seeking a resolution to the ambiguities of his past, as well as making amendments for the misdeeds that he inflicted on those in his younger years. Beautifully made and always compelling, The Sense of an Ending offers us an insightful glimpse into the psychological state of someone who is trying his best to mend the wounds of history, but finding that seeking forgiveness is not always as easy as it would appear in theory, especially not when the process of enacting this kind of resolution unearths many disquieting secrets that he would have preferred to remain dormant.

While it may not be nearly as difficult as something like Gravity’s Rainbow or Infinite Jest (novels that are commonly labelled as “unadaptable”, based on their challenging structure), The Sense of an Ending was not a particularly easy text to adapt. It employs a non-linear style of storytelling, leaping between the present day and the 1960s, showing the life of the protagonist and his friends as they navigate various challenges in both the past and present. Batra certainly had a challenge ahead of him when he was handed the screenplay, which was written by Nick Payne (who in turn had the unenviable task of taking this fascinating but unconventional novel and turning it into a coherent script), but it is one that he took on without any difficult, carefully piecing together an extremely compelling story, while never neglecting the most compelling aspects of the original text. The film does employ the same non-linear style of storytelling, showing the constant shift between the eras as fragments of memory, narrated by various characters as they recount the past and discuss their psychological state. This approach aids the film in examining a range of broader subjects, which all play a part in establishing the overall identity of this story, which is not nearly as easily digestible as one may assume based on a cursory glance. It isn’t so much that the film takes a non-linear approach, but rather that it intentionally refuses to give us the answers. It can be quite challenging, and some may find it overtly frustrating at some points. However, there is a tranquillity that helps ease us into the film, allowing us to become immersed in the world Barnes has created, which is one of the many very effective aspects of The Sense of an Ending, which is an intentionally dense and layered text, with the film not doing too much to detract from this fact, actively encouraging the same thought-provoking ideas.

The Sense of an Ending is a very dense story and therefore required actors that could navigate the challenging material without their performances becoming too impacted by a narrative that could have grown unwieldy without the right collaboration between the director, his cast and the text with which they are working. Jim Broadbent truly is one of our greatest living actors, and while he may usually be more fondly remembered for his work in scene-stealing supporting parts, he showed great prowess in leading roles throughout his career, this film undeniably being one of his very best performances. As Tony Webster, he is playing one of contemporary literature’s most fascinating protagonists, someone who has not been a particularly good person, but whose journey is still one that is sympathetic and strangely quite beautiful. He commands the screen, being able to play to both the subtle charms of the character, as well as the more broad moments of immense emotion, which helps anchor the film through having the central character be someone to whom we are constantly very empathetic. He is joined by two of the finest actors Britain has to offer, namely Charlotte Rampling and Harriet Walter, both of whom are exceptional. These are not very complex roles, but these actors make the characters so fascinating and truly immerse themselves in this material. They have tremendous chemistry with Broadbent, with the trio being able to play off each other exceptionally well, adding so much nuance and detail to otherwise very simple, straightforward characters. There is a lot of merit in a film that is willing to take risks when it comes to its actors, and while none of the participants in The Sense of an Ending is incapable of what was asked of them, they all still push themselves to their emotional limits, finding the complexity lurking at the heart of their respective characters, and contributing a level of extreme sincerity to this often quite cold and methodical story.

Usually, a film that uses flashbacks as a narrative tool will do so to provide context and answers to the central questions, and while The Sense of an Ending does end with a somewhat satisfying conclusion, we don’t walk away having seen every plot point neatly resolved. Instead, we experience a film about the unreliable nature of memory, and how it plays a part in the development of not only our future but our shifting identity. As a result, this film is driven more by its atmosphere than it is the specific story, which is decisively not all that complex if we separate it from the actual thematic concepts that occur alongside it. Batra has experience making these simple stories that contain immense emotional resonance, and this is not an exception at all, using Barnes’ novel as the starting point for this powerful and provocative examination of the human condition, and how memory interweaves with identity to create a multilayered portrait of existence. This is a deeply human film, not only in how it portrays the compassion required to fully embrace forgiveness but also in how it focuses on the intricate and sometimes disconcerting foibles that define the lives of the vast majority of people, all of whom will be able to relate to some aspects of this story. The Sense of an Ending doesn’t always come across as particularly easy, and it is unquestionably quite dense (and therefore requires the viewer to actively engage with its themes), but the more we look at how Batra uses Barnes’ major themes as the foundation for this adaptation, the further our understanding of the material becomes, taking this from a by-the-numbers literary adaptation into something far more compelling.

The Sense of an Ending is not a film that immediately captures our attention – it is a slow, gradual ascent in terms of establishing its tone, as well as setting the foundation for the narrative, which is a lot more complex than we may initially think. Barnes is not an easy writer to adopt – in fact, this is the very first (and to date only) instance of one of his works being brought to the screen, despite a substantial body of work that consists of many fascinating subjects. However, it is not difficult to figure out why these novels are so challenging – they are dense, labyrinthine examinations of the human condition, tenderly pieced together by an author with a firm command of not only language but a deep philosophical investigation of the nature of life and the unreliable burden of memory, which is something that factors into many very challenging stories. The Sense of an Ending is a very complex film and one that knows how to get to the root of its existential ponderings without being overwrought or entirely academic, which is always a concern when adapting something so deeply ingrained in the more intellectual territory. Batra does remarkably well and creates a film that is sensitive to its broader subject matter, and detailed in a way that is quite fascinating, and relentlessly fascinating in how it handles the material. It may not be as engaging as some may want it to be, and there are moments when it feels slightly too complex, but the broad expression of human empathy, coupled with an intellectual examination of the life and its many strange qualities, all work to make The Sense of an Ending a truly engrossing, captivating drama about exploring the ambigious spaces between the past and the present, as well as the many unconventional contradictions that accompany us on this metaphysical journey.