UK

Synopsis

The film opens in England in 1935, on the hottest day of the year. In the looming shadow of World War II, Briony Tallis and her family live a life of wealth and privilege in their enormous Victorian Gothic mansion. As the family gathers for the weekend the combination of the oppressive heat and long suppressed emotions coming to the surface create an ominous sense of threat and danger. Briony, a fledgling writer, is a girl with a vivid imagination. Through a series of catastrophic misunderstandings she accuses Robbie Turner, the housekeeper's son and lover of her sister Cecilia, of a crime he did not commit. This accusation destroys Robbie and Cecilia's new found love and dramatically alters the course of all their lives.

Director's Statement

This film is about the destructive and redemptive power of storytelling. During the course of the two years it’s taken to bring ATONEMENT to the screen, Ian McEwan's spectacular novel has revealed layer upon layer of meaning to me, that, when I first embarked on the journey, was hidden from my view. Fools rush in where angels fear to tread. Just when I thought I understood the book another facet would reveal itself and I'd have to re-think the whole once more. A book is an illusion, a series of symbols on a page that create a story in the reader’s mind. There are as many different versions of the book as there are readers of it. I‘ve made an adaptation of the book that happened to me as I read it.
Film, too, is an illusion, 24 still frames that move only in your mind. This story, this film, therefore, is now yours to imagine for yourself.
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Cast & Crew

Directed by: Joe Wright

Written by: Christopher Hampton

Produced by: Eric Fellner, Paul Webster, Tim Bevan

Cinematography: Seamus McGarvey

Original Score: Dario Marianelli

Cast: Keira Knightley (Cecilia Tallis), James McAvoy (Robbie Turner)

Nominations and Awards

  • People's Choice Award 2008
  • European Actor 2008
  • European Composer 2008
  • Feature Film Selection 2008