What is the plot of the movie Atonement?
This sweeping English drama, based on the book by Ian McEwan, follows the lives of young lovers Cecilia Tallis (Keira Knightley) and Robbie Turner (James McAvoy). When the couple are torn apart by a lie constructed by Cecilia’s jealous younger sister, Briony (Saoirse Ronan), all three of them must deal with the consequences. Robbie is the hardest hit, since Briony’s deception results in his imprisonment, but hope for Cecilia and her beau increases when their paths cross during World War II.Atonement / Film synopsis
What does Briony lie about in Atonement?
That’s why she thought the young man forced Cecilia to undress, only to later “assault her” before dinner. That skewed logic together with Lola’s malicious words about Robbie was the lethal combination that led Briony to lie that night.
Is the movie Atonement based on a true story?
No, Atonement is not based on a true story. Briony Tallis, who is set up as the novel’s author and narrator, is no more real than her story. Through…
What happens between Robbie and Cecilia at the fountain?
Cecilia dips the vase in the fountain to get water, and Robbie tries to help her. She refuses, he insists, and they manage between them to break the lip. Two pieces snap from the vase and fall into the fountain.
What are the main themes in Atonement?
Atonement Themes
- Perspective. The most essential theme of Atonement is the way an individual’s perspective inevitably shapes his or her reality.
- Guilt. As the book’s title suggests, guilt is a primary theme of Atonement.
- Class.
- Lost Innocence.
- The Unchangeable Past.
- Stories and Literature.
Does Briony have crush on Robbie?
Briony has a major crush on Robbie (as revealed later in the movie and by the scene in which she jumps into the river to see if he would save her). She is filled with rage when she sees him making love to her sister Cecilia.
What poet does Cecilia quote in her letter to Robbie?
In her letters to Robbie, Cecilia quotes from W. H. Auden’s 1939 poem, “In Memory of W. B. Yeats,” which includes the line, “Poetry makes nothing happen.” In part, the novel explores the question of whether the writing of fiction is not much more than the construction of elaborate entertainments—an indulgence in …
What happens at the end of Atonement?
Briony hopes to give the two, in fiction, the happiness that she robbed them of in real life. The last scene shows an imagined, happily reunited Cecilia and Robbie staying in the house by the sea which they had intended to visit once they were reunited.
Is Atonement written by Briony?
Briony is part narrator, part character and we see her transformation from child to woman as the novel progresses. At the end of the novel, Briony has realised her wrongdoing as a “child” and decides to write the novel to find atonement.
Who broke the vase in atonement?
But the vase that Cecilia and Robbie break at the fountain isn’t just any broken vase. It’s also… a symbol of their love. They break the vase on the day they come together just like their love is broken apart almost before it gets started.
Why did Robbie touch the water?
When Robbie touches the water, it’s like he’s touching Cee for the first time. It’s sexual, but it’s not as lustful as he stroking the handle; it’s more like he’s acknowledging his love for her.