It is a multi-layer story about truth and lies, about how powerful authors can lead readers into beliefs and how little they could do about the reality.
Briony lives to the end of her life in lies she fabricated. It is her fancy that have propelled her into the false charge against Robbie and torn apart the happiness around people that cherish her. However ironically, she has to tell another lie, as an established writer, to put things right, to give her sister and Robbie the justice they deserve.
The movie was so brilliantly done and it must also be mentioned that its director Joe Wright was only 34 at the time. I like where he made a critical full stop to this movie by the old Briony in an interview saying, almost in monologue: "I gave them their happiness", followed by the last scene, the reunion of Robbie and Cecilia on the coast. This makes the twist even more devastating than how it was revealed in the novel (The novel is also great of course).
Is Briony redeemed from her "final act of kindness"? Observe the transition of cinematography styles and color among the three sections, in the words of film critic Devin D. O'Leary: "glowing and summery in the early scenes, dark and wintry in the later". The lights do not just dim. Briony is completely surrounded by solemn darkness in the interview. I don't take it as a positive sign.
(An interview with the cinematographer on Atonement.)
.jpg)
Oh, I indulge too much in this film. It must be the fault of the nostalgic tunes by Dario Marianelli.
Briony lives to the end of her life in lies she fabricated. It is her fancy that have propelled her into the false charge against Robbie and torn apart the happiness around people that cherish her. However ironically, she has to tell another lie, as an established writer, to put things right, to give her sister and Robbie the justice they deserve.
The movie was so brilliantly done and it must also be mentioned that its director Joe Wright was only 34 at the time. I like where he made a critical full stop to this movie by the old Briony in an interview saying, almost in monologue: "I gave them their happiness", followed by the last scene, the reunion of Robbie and Cecilia on the coast. This makes the twist even more devastating than how it was revealed in the novel (The novel is also great of course).
Is Briony redeemed from her "final act of kindness"? Observe the transition of cinematography styles and color among the three sections, in the words of film critic Devin D. O'Leary: "glowing and summery in the early scenes, dark and wintry in the later". The lights do not just dim. Briony is completely surrounded by solemn darkness in the interview. I don't take it as a positive sign.
(An interview with the cinematographer on Atonement.)
.jpg)
Oh, I indulge too much in this film. It must be the fault of the nostalgic tunes by Dario Marianelli.
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