 
Atonementa.k.a. “Espiazione,” “Kefaret,” “Sovitus,” “Expiación, deseo y pecado,” “Reviens-moi,” “Abbitte,” “Desejo e Reparação,” “Exileosi,” “Expiação,” “Expiación, más allá de la pasión,” “Expiation,” “Försoning,” “Kapara,” “Lepitus,” “Pokajanje,” “Pokuta,” “Soning”MPAA Rating:
 for disturbing war images, language and some sexualityReviewed by: Ben Tabberer Offensive
Moviemaking Quality:
Primary Audience:
Adults
Genre:
Drama, Adaptation
Length:
2 hr. 10 min.
Year of Release:
2007
USA Release:
December 7, 2007 (limited); UK: 7 September 2007
           Relevant Issues
What is “atonement” in the Bible? Teenage issues
 Abuse
Sexual Abuse of Children - Go I think I was sexually abused, but I’m not sure. What is sexual abuse, and what can I do to stop the trauma I am facing now? Answer Does God feel our pain? Answer Why does God allow innocent people to suffer? Answer What about the issue of suffering? Doesn’t this prove that there is no God and that we are on our own? Answer What kind of world would you create? Answer Love and sex
How can I deal with temptations? Answer Should I save sex for marriage? Answer How far is too far? What are the guidelines for dating relationships? Answer What are the consequences of sexual immorality? Answer  Parenting
 Answers to life problems
 Discover the good news that Jesus Christ offers
 
“Joined by love. Separated by fear. Redeemed by hope.” A T O N E M E N T. The letters comprising the word appear one after the other on the big screen as if typed on a typewriter, and are thus imprinted on the minds of the audience as confirmation of both the overarching theme and literary nature of the story that’s about to unfold. Opening in pre-war England, 1935, on the hottest day of that year, the story begins with Briony (here played by Saoirse Ronan), a 13 year old girl, sat at the typewriter in her affluent family’s country mansion, having just finished a play entitled, “The Trials of Arabella.” The play, we soon learn, is intended to be performed by her and her young cousins that evening for the enjoyment of her family and honored guests. Events that day take an unexpected twist when Briony sees her sister, Cecilia (Keira Knightley) strip off her clothes and dive into the garden fountain in front of family friend Robbie (James McAvoy). Cursed with an over-active imagination, Briony misinterprets what she has witnessed (a minor quarrel between Cecilia and Robbie) leading to salacious thoughts and gossip. This is exacerbated when Briony later intercepts an erotic letter written by Robbie, intended for Cecilia’s eyes only; further still when later that evening when she walks in on Cecilia and Robbie in a passionate embrace. With Briony’s confused mind already at fever pitch, the nights drama reaches it’s apex when she discovers her eldest cousin in the aftermath of being raped, as we see her unidentified attacker disappear into the night. In Briony’s mind’s eye their can only be one person guilty of the crime, that is perceived “sex maniac” Robbie. With a false (or rather disingenuous) sense of confidence that this is the case, Briony relays the incident to family and police who accost the accused accordingly. Five years on and Robbie, we discover, is at war in France, just prior to the Dunkirk evacuation. Granted parole for joining the infantry, yet relegated to private due to his criminal record, Robbie heroically guides members of his company to the evacuation area, amid traumatic scenes of the aftermath of war, where they await departure. Meanwhile, we discover that both Briony and Cecilia have joined the war effort in a more gender specific capacity, as nurses. However, the sisters are miles apart (emotionally as well as geographically) and nursing in different hospitals tending on wounded soldiers returning from France. Cecilia seems to be at peace in her new role, which now gives her life a sense of meaning and purpose. Conversely, Briony (now played by Romola Garai) is riddled by guilt and immerses herself stoically in her work as form of self-flagilation. As the war draws to a close, old relationships can be rekindled as Cecilia and Robbie are reunited and form a covert relationship once again. Motivated by strong feelings of guilt and for a need for atonement, Briony goes in search of her Cecilia to come clean about what really happened that fateful night. Upon finding her sister and Robbie living together, and coming clean to the pair, the process of reconciliation can begin… or can it? While bearing many of the features of a classic period drama, “Atonement” does have some content that could offend Christian audiences as well as sensitive viewers. There is some foul language uttered by certain characters including a few instances of the f-word during the war scenes. The c-word is also displayed in writing in the scene where Briony reads the erotic love-letter. The Lord’s name is also taken in vane on one occasion. Aside from the bad language, there are also a few highly sexually charged scenes, the foremost being the rape scene. While we only see the aftermath of this, it is nonetheless as unpleasant as one would expect. Secondly, there is a scene where we see Cecilia emerge from a fountain with her under-garment wet and transparent. The other is the scene where Robbie and Cecilia are in the throws of passion in the library, and it is clear that they are in the early stages of intercourse. That said, both of these scenes are tastefully done when compared to how some contemporary film handle such scenes, and there is no real nudity to speak of. There are also some gruesome post-war scenes where soldiers injuries are displayed in a particularly graphic manner, and a disturbing scene where Robbie encounters a massacre of French schoolchildren. “Atonement” is brimming with relevant spiritual issues, although the treatment raises more questions than answers. Etymologically speaking, the word “atonement” derives from an Anglo-Saxon hybrid of the words “at” and “onement” which rose to prominence in the theological vernacular courtesy of William Tyndale. When Tyndale was writing the English Bible in 1526, he was looking for a word that would convey a more subtle theological nuance that the word “reconciliation” so as to also comprise the ideas of God’s forgiveness and propitiation. Amid this search, the word “atonement” was born and has remained an integral component of theological language and thought. However, although the pervading theme of the movie (and the novel) is ostensibly atonement, whether the director and screenwriter effectively convey the subtle nuances of the term through the story is open to debate (in some ways the story could have more fittingly be called “Reconciliation”). What can be said though is that the theme of atonement is only one amongst many that are explored here. The themes of guilt, shame and anger are also probed in a profound and thought-provoking way. While these themes are dealt with in an intellectually and philosophically satisfying, the supposedly overriding theme of atonement is dealt with in a way that is theologically troubling to those familiar with the biblical concept. The central protagonist spends the last third of the film attempting to atone for a specific sin. This attempt is essentially made through a process of self-flagilation, which even a casual reading of scripture will show to be doctrinally wrong. Further more the end product of this desire for atonement is to be found in a novel written by the protagonist in which she re-imagines the history of the two lovers whose lives she ruined by giving them a fictitious happy ending. The New Testament makes it abundantly clear that it is Christ who made atonement for us, and that we cannot make atonement for our sins in and of ourselves. However, in the final scene, the protagonist appears to be vindicated by this “final act of kindness.” The concept of atonement is after all a Christian one and the fact that the idea of true atonement is never explored leaves something of a bitter taste in the mouth. However, theological nit-picking aside, I have nothing but praise for “Atonement.” Make no mistake this is filmmaking par excellence. The cinematography is sumptuous, at times breathtaking; the acting excellent (Knightly and McAvoy have never been better); and the script tight. From what little I managed to read of the book before viewing the film, I found the adaptation to be faithful and evocative of the writing, the lyrical poetry of the book was replaced by the visual poetry on screen and the complex narrative was handled expertly in the editing. The characters were given a complex texture and the patience of the viewer is slowly rewarded as we see the story masterfully unfold. A harsher critic might say that at times some of the dialogue seems a tad anachronistic and the cinematography a little too much like a fragrance commercial, but there’s really very little to fault this film in terms of technical expertise, and we can expect Oscar’s aplenty come next spring. A real triumph of British cinema. See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.   Comments below:
Positive
Positive - Read the excellent movie review first, so you know what to expect. I thought it was very well made. The moral is how a lie can wreck peoples lives. It gives a true view of war, and not a happy ever after ending. The disturbing / sex scenes were well done, and not too offensive/explicit; they simply told the story. Adult for sure, as secular films go, it was OK. Positive - “Atonement” is one of the best films I've ever seen. In addition to the notion of Briony “atoning” for the disasters her actions and misinterpretations created for her sister and Robbie, the story is also about the class differences in British society. Although an educated man thanks to his employer, Robbie will forever be merely an employee. Despite his protestations of innocence of the rape crime, due to the class differences he is automatically assumed by the family (with the exception of his love) to be guilty. Of course, the real rapist is the “high class” friend of the older brother. Positive - Joe Wright (“Pride and Prejudice”) has done it again! I am VERY selective about which films I see in the theater, and my decision to see this one was richly rewarded! This is a beautiful piece of filmmaking, with an epic feel to it. The cinematography, the acting, even details like sound editing were wonderful. I think James McAvoy should get an Oscar® for this one. Although this is an adult film, it is a somewhat mild “R”. The “rape scene” is nothing but a very indistinct shot of someone's hindquarters partially obscured by darkness… you can barely make out what is happening. In regard to the risque letter, Robbie makes it very clear that it was “never intended to be read.” (It was merely an admission of the content of his dreams.) Even the one love scene did not contain any nudity. Positive - I believe the reviewer missed a very important point. While the title of the film is “Atonement,” there was no atonement made by Briony. The end of the movie makes this point very clear. Briony's book is a complete work of fiction. There was no “happy-ever-after.” She made it up to make herself feel good. Briony even says, “I wanted to give them the life they deserved but never had.” How? By writing a fairy tale story. The two lovers died. We've no real evidence that they would have ever gotten back together after the war. Positive - I found myself totally fascinated by this movie. The script is very well written, and the story evolves carefully and strongly. There is no question what the truth is, and the young Briony's lie, although not made with malicious intent, but with other complex motives, becomes the overriding theme, as we see the consequences of her false testimony. The movie plays with time sequences and also with reality, which, in retrospect, are a bit puzzling, but that is probably how the novel was written. Nevertheless, this is a really fine feature film that will surely win some awards. Positive - Besides being extremely well produced, acted, and shot, the move is truthful. The attempt to make atonement through self-effort is inadequate. The guilty goes beyond 'self-flagellation' in war-time service, she goes to fantasy - even fantasy wherein she is punished by unforgiveness. Yet still her guilt is unatoned - as expressed in the onset of dementia at the movie's end. Atonement must come as a gift beyond the self. Positive - As the credits rolled across the screen at the end of the film, I sat beside three of my good friends silent. All of us remained in our seats for a moment before looking at each other in shock. I cannot praise 'Atonement,' because I simply do not have the words to do it. This movie was so much more than a film, it was a story that I felt deeply. The tragedies of war are all too real in our lives today and, while this is not the same war, distance and death constantly leaves young lives unfinished. My heart broke for Briony. As much as she angered me, she was a child, and her actions reflected her age. Positive - This was a beautiful film. The idea of 'atoning for one's sins' has always fascinated me and I thought the film did an incredible job of showing us how one person's actions (even a child's) can have a ripple effect on a multitude of people and may even affect generations. After the movie I was able to talk with several people in a setting that included people of the Catholic, Jewish, and Christian faiths as well as an atheist and an agnostic. It made for some deep and profound conversation. When a movie generates those types of gatherings it must be good. We talked about what it means to 'atone' and many people wondered and reflected on when atoning is or is not necessary or important. Positive - 'Atonement' is an amazing film that will take your breath away, first in delight, then in unbearable, crushing sadness. If you do not cry at the end of this film, then you have no heart. Neutral
Neutral - I am really surprised that people are raving about this film. Though the cinematography and performances are well done, the story itself is less than worthy. This film plays out so visually stunning that each shot is magnificent and moving. The thing that seems to lessen it is when people open their mouths. This film is about more than a lie; it's about an obsession—and about not taking responsibility for your actions. My one concern is that the reviewer states that Briany walks in on Cecilia and Robbie in a passionate embrace. This is not entirely accurate. She walks in on them having intercourse in a rather untraditional manner. The scene prior to her interrupting them is, although visually modest, verbally graphic. Neutral - I went for the matinee with my wife, and most of the crowd was 20-30 years older than we were. It wasn't too bad. From the onset, I didn't expect a good ending. A lot of the plot was predictable. I thought they might end up together, but with the stigma, so the ending was a little bit of a twist. A lot of the scenery was pretty good. The pervert character was a downer, but it was needed for the plot. The dirty letter, I suppose, was also needed. The showing of the pubic hair while she came out of the fountain was unnecessary. Also unnecessary was the sexual intercourse in the library—it was too heavy, long and drawn out, I was blushing and embarrassed. The relationship between the two was not that believable for me. Neutral - I am a person who likes good movies and try to keep a balanced point of view when watching. This movie was definately thought provoking and the cinematography excellent. I gave this movie a nuetral review because although the look of the movie was luring, the content and story are very disturbing and sad. First, the young, bright girl Briny (sp?), encountered so many serious sexual issues. Negative
Negative - This movie, though well made and with beautiful imagery, leaves a heavy lump in my spirit. I wanted so badly to really like it and enjoy it. I suppose in some cleaned up fashion, it could be fantastic, but we can only see it as it is at this time. The theme is very powerful and a lesson learned that what we say and do affects others. What disturbs me so much is the language, and the imagery of sex acts. I find it upsetting that a minor girl and adult man are among this group. I wish I had not seen it. Negative - “Pride and Prejudice” was so much better than this movie, as far as movies go. Of course, they are in a different period of time, but as far a movie plot, this one was kind of stupid and boring and a let down to say the least. It was a bit long. The visuals were good, but really the ending was such a let down, the movie was a let down. It was a disappointment. Negative - I was very excited when this movie came out on DVD. My sister and I watched it together and I just have to say I was very shocked at the language, scenes and word usage. Negative - I found this movie extremely offensive. After watching just 40 minutes of it, I turned it off. I'll admit, it did have some good movie making qualities such as nice lighting and costumes, but that's about all I could give it credit for. I kept waiting for it to get better, but I continued to find it very slow and boring. Also, there were many times where I could not even understand what they were saying. Their English accent was so thick and they spoke in fast spurts at times. But the icing on the cake was by far the language. Very vulgar words were used even around small children. I didn’t even feel like finishing the movie. The Lord would be very dissapointed that I wasted his $5 on renting it! Comments from young people
Negative - I found that though the overall plot of this movie was interesting and well woven, what sorely disappointed me was the love story. I was hoping for a sweet, wistful chick flick. Instead, a girl and a guy who've been friends for awhile realize they like each other during an 'incident' in the library and then are suddenly madly in love. It wasn't romantic to me at all. The characters weren't very thoroughly introduced and so the love line had no time to develop. So, overall, the movie left me with a strongly dissatisfied feeling. Although the plot was well done, it had too much objectionable content for me to enjoy myself. Positive - Wow, Atonement is the movie of the year in my book. It shows how lies can ruin people's lives forever, and how forgiveness is a hard thing to give.
The movie excels in all things related to film making. The cinematography, acting, music (it won the Oscar for best soundtrack, which is almost all done with typewriters) and story are all the best of the year. The ending was by no means perfect, but it was great, even if a little sad.
Content wise, the movie is a little weighed down. I counted 14 F Words (11 or which are said by the same person in the same minute) and 1 S Word. There was no real 'violence', but we do see some very graphic war wounds.
The sexual content is another matter completely. The 2 sexual scenes are shown from 2 viewpoints: Briony's and Robbie's. The first, involving Cecilia stripping down to underwear (it's decent, not a bra or anything), going into a fountain, and coming out dripping wet. It ends up being that something broke and a piece fell into the fountain so Cecilia had to get it, but of course, Briony doesn't know this.
The other sexual scene takes place in the library. First Briony walks into the room and sees Robbie pressed up against Cecilia (who's legs are wrapped around him). You see no movement or anything, just them standing there.
The second time around it shows Cecilia and Robbie confessing their love for each other, followed by some undressing and movement, but no nudity either. |
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