The Atonement End, Explained

Adapted from the novel by Ian McEwan, The Atonement The ending shows the tragic consequences of how a child’s misunderstanding complicates a romance between two adults. The movie opens in 1935 showing the mutual attraction between wealthy heiress Cecilia (Keira Knightley) and the housekeeper’s son, Robbie (James McAvoy). However, Cecilia’s sister, Briony (Saoirse Ronan), misreads the situation and lies about Robbie being guilty of sexual assault. Joe Wright’s movie spans several decades in the lives of these characters, capturing lies, heartbreak and the traumatic aftermath of war.

The movie shifts from a love story to a war movie which may shock the first time audience. Even the final scenes initially confuse the audience, spilling over into fictional utopian and real-life dystopian scenarios. However, once all the pieces fall into place, empathy will emerge for the three main characters, especially Bryony, whose struggle for redemption defines the movie’s title. end of Atonement It has endured since its release thanks to its lead’s performance and Dario Marianelli’s equally tragic Academy Award-winning score.

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What happens at the end of the atonement?

Cecilia and Robbie’s happy ending was imagined

AtonementThe tragic conclusion of shows that Cecilia was killed during the Blitzkrieg Because she was trapped in Balham tube station when it was bombed by German aeroplanes. Robbie, who served in World War II in exchange for his release from prison, died in Dunkirk of septicemia (blood poisoning).

Only Briony survives the war, eventually becoming a successful writer. As Briony faces old age (now played by Vanessa Redgrave), it is revealed that her final novel, Atonement, is a semi-autobiographical work. Much of this fictional novel is revealed to be based in fact, except that Cecilia forgives him and settles down with Robbie.

Through a fictional happy ending, Briony hopes to make things right. Time jumps and the use of multiple actors are integral to building up to this ending for Bryony. Through Saoirse Ronan’s Oscar-nominated performance in the movie, viewers see the confusion that 13-year-old Briony goes through when making serious accusations against Robbie, as she also accuses him of sexually assaulting her cousin Lola (Juno Temple). .

Romola Gorai’s portrayal of the 18-year-old shows some level of self-reflection while Redgrave’s role as the elderly Briony perfectly embodies the tear-jerking ending. Despite being lied to at the age of 13, Bryony continues to carry his emotional burden throughout her life..

Was the final scene Robbie’s hallucination?

Was there an imagined final movement from Briony or Robbie?

Although Briony establishes that both her sister and her lover met tragic fates during World War II, Atonement Still Cecilia and Robbie take the final leap, playfully walking and running along the beach. It is suggested that they are possibly living by the sea as they intend to be reunited once again. Of course, this is another fictional scenario as the lovers never meet during the war or afterwards.

The exact nature of this scene is unclear. It could have been a scene from Brioni’s novel, with a happier ending. However, the scenes before Robbie’s death may suggest otherwise. Given the surreal nature of some of Robbie’s scenes during the battle, It is also possible atonement’The last scene of it may have arisen from Robbie’s imaginationPerhaps as his final thoughts before he breathed his last.

Although not a true story of the war, Robbie finds himself waiting for rescue in a historical setting on the beach of Dunkirk when it comes too late for him. With most of his comrades dead and him mortally wounded, Robbie still imagines himself merrily walking through a carnival, watching movies and singing merry songs with the other soldiers. Of course, he never gets to enjoy such a life as he dies on the beach at Dunkirk. It is clear that after his wound became infected, Robbie hallucinates these moments, and possibly his reunion with Cecilia.

Did Bryony deserve what she got?

A simple understanding of AtonementThe story of some viewers may brand Bryony as a villain. After all, it was her lies and testimony that caused the rift between Cecilia and Robbie. However, what needs to be considered is that she was only a teenager when all this sweat was shed.

Atonement Explores how a naïve girl becomes corrupted by her infatuation with an older man and a real-life case of sexual assault involving her cousin and a different older man. In one of Benedict Cumberbatch’s earlier films, he plays AtonementPaul is the real culprit behind what happened to Lola. However, succumbing to the pressure and based on her own suspicions about Robbie, Briony points the finger at him.

Accidentally reading Robbie’s sexually explicit letter to Cecilia causes the girls to become suspicious of him, with Lola calling him “Sex crazy“Apparently, Bryony realizes her mistakes as she grows up, but by then, it’s unfortunately too late. Lola is later revealed to be married to Paul, so not only Robbie and Cecilia, but also Lola’s future adds to Briony’s guilt.

How does the book end?

The book is not meant to suggest a happy ending for the tragic couple

Compared to its movie adaptation, Ian McEwan’s period romance book Atonement There is a dark ending, with the final pages focusing on Bryony’s life as an old woman. It is revealed that he is a successful writer while Paul and Lola live a happy married life. Finally, while attending a birthday party at her childhood home, Briony sees the children acting out scenes. The Trial of ArabellaA play she wrote years ago.

However, rather than the TV interviews seen in the movie, the book focuses on a more self-reflective approach. The movie’s final shot by the sea is also not mentioned in the novel. For some of the most poignant quotes with Bryony’s final monologue Atonement, the book ends on a dark note. The literal description of Briony’s life as a lonely old woman adds to the burden that she has been carrying all these years.

With her confession finally written – unlike the movie, which shows her book already published – her future is uncertain. The reactions of his readers are left open to interpretation. Unlike the film adaptation, there isn’t much to think about in terms of any “what if” scenarios for the couple since the novel doesn’t mention anything after their deaths.

The real meaning of the end of the atonement

Bryony wasn’t the only reason for the tragic romance

More than Briony’s statements, the war is also to blame for the distance between Cecilia and Robbie. Even if the two had indeed survived the violence of World War II, there was actually a chance for them to reunite and live happily ever after by the sea. After Lola refused to testify against her now-husband Paul, it was nearly impossible to prove Robbie’s innocence.

Still, at least Robbie could have forgiven Briony, giving her the much-needed atonement she so desperately wanted. In the war setting Atonement Goes to show how an already ruined relationship between lovers and sisters can deteriorate further.