Briony was such an unlikable protagonist, both as a child and as an adult. That's not even mentioning that she was an egotist by writing a novel profiting off her dead sister and the man she falsely accused of a despicable crime, claiming herself a martyr by giving them the life they didn't get to live purely as a result of her stupidity. She should have been behind bars.
shareI think it's more complicated than that but it's certainly an opinion that's out there.
shareExactly! Where was the atonement? I'll repair my wrongs by making money and fame off of them? Totally agree this movie pissed me off.
shareI think you are meant to debate Briony's actions, not to accept at face value she achieved atonement.
So, let's debate. Regarding the argument presented here, that she's profiting from the deaths she caused. Is she? She's dying. She won't see any money. And what was she to do? The two died when she was 18, barely enough time for her to realize her error, born of misguided and overwrought childhood imagination, no time at all to rectify it.
She's a writer. That's her skill, she can write her story and you can hate her for it as she wants you to and she can explain Robbie and Cee to tell their story and her responsibility for ruining them.
She's not going to write a symphony about them, make action figurines out of them, name a cereal after them, pray for them, create a scholarship fund in their name. She's going to write about them, money is not the object.
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My problem with her "atonement" is this....everyone whom it would have meant anything to is dead and buried. She never did any of the things she promised in her imagined scene in the apartment with Cee and Robbie. I mean, in a way I applaud her for finally telling the truth, but on the other hand I despise her for not doing it when she was 16-18 years old when it would have made a difference to the people who knew them.
shareeveryone whom it would have meant anything to is dead and buried. She never did any of the things she promised in her imagined scene in the apartment with Cee and Robbie.
The movie was about the power of lies. Briony's childhood lie destroyed the lives of everyone around her. Her adulthood lie (her novel) rewrote history and gave her victims a life together.
shareObviously she feels remorse all guilty people do. But waiting until you're 80 years old and everyone else that knew Robbie and Cerise is dead is not making amends. His reputation was ruined and his life was ultimately ruined. Not a very good way to repay the man who saved your life once. Her writing this book right now is pointless and she is profiting from it. Her living her life in shame in guilt is not atonement. Repairing the damage you set in motion or at least making an attempt too is atonement. Like the OP said she should be behind bars. But I guess for some people the fantasy make believe ending that never happened makes up for it.
shareagreed
so many movies, so little time
No there wasn't any Atonement but it was about the atonement she wished she had and fictionalized in her book.
shareI'm surprised the film has a 7.8 on IMDB not cause it's bad but just cause Briony character and her sense of "Atonement" would made this film very divisive. Briony still ruined a man's life and the life of her sister true love. Writing a happy ending in a book doesn't redeem you from the evil you did. It makes Atonement to rewatch for that reason for me.
share