**Briony Is EVIL** Atonement Reaction/ Commentary: FIRST TIME WATCHING
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- Опубликовано: 18 дек 2024
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Book reader here (sorry for the essay). The fake drowning incident is often misinterpreted as proof of Briony's motives. However, in the book, Robbie contemplates for a long time why Briony lied, and this was the only reason he could come up with. However, as movie-Briony and the book points out, by the time the events of the story happen, her crush on Robbie had waned. Briony's motives are actually more complex. Briony wants to be a writer because she wants to be in charge of narratives. There's the shot of her neatly arranged toys (described in the book as well) - a sign that she's a control freak and has a desire to have the world the way she wants it to be (a neat and tidy story). She shows frustration when trying to set up the play with her cousins because she doesn't have 100% control of that story. Even the fake drowning incident was her coming up with this narrative of a perfect love story where the hero (Robbie) saves the damsel in distress (herself).
When she sees the incident by the fountain, she doesn't understand what's going on, but because she has an overactive imagination (as Cecelia says "she rather fanciful"), she concocts this idea that Robbie is a 'maniac' and just runs with it to the point that she's convinced herself that she saw Robbie SA Lola - a series of unfortunate events don't help the situation (the dirty letter; her catching C+R in the library). That's why after she sees the fountain incident, the first thing she does is write about it prolifically in the garden. The tragedy is that even after maturing and experiencing years of guilt, she still uses her imagination and craft of building a narrative as a crutch to gain 'atonement' and give C+R their 'happy ending'. It's especially frustrating because Briony actually does end up having a very long and happy life - she gets married, has a family, and is a successful novelist.
The story is also a critique of the rigidity of the British class system, particularly of that time. Robbie has all the makings of a successful person; he's handsome, humbly charismatic, and incredibly bright (got a first in Cambridge and was going to be a doctor). The book even suggests that he's probably too good for Cecelia, who didn't do well at school and isn't as attractive (described as messy, awkward, and horsey looking in the book). However, because Robbie is the son of servants, there's no real critique of Briony's (an upper class girl's) testimony, and everyone is ready to believe that this son of a lowly servant is the villain. When Robbie says "the last thing I am is a toff" (a colloquial term for an upper class posh person) he's acknowledging that despite his a posh accent and education, he can't escape where he came from. I highly recommend giving the book a read, especially if you're an aspiring writer!
As a writer, I second this. The book is astonishing
I agree with this. A clarifying essay, thank you.
thank you for this. I'll definitely read the book
I read it and would recommend it, but I would also say that Ian McEwan’s writing is a taste to be acquired.
Thanks for this. I've not read the book but am big fan of the movie.
Did you notice that when Briony is telling lies, you hear typewriter sounds?
Good observation!
This movie is on a very short list of movies I love but are so emotionally draining, I can't watch too often.
Yep, throw it on the stack with The Green Mile and Schindler's List.
I’ve seen it a few times, and even knowing how it ends it is still heartbreaking
Yup. This and House of Sand and Fog. I can re-watch this given enough time, but not the other one!
top 5 for me, along with In Bruges, The Fountain, It's A Wonderful Life and something else (a comedy probably) depending on the day haha
It's hard to empathise with Briony because we never get to know the real her. The story is all from her POV as an author and she's the epitome of the unreliable narrator. So her motivations, real inner feelings and level of shame remain unknown. Did she write the book to tell her crimes or garner sympathy? How much is fact and how much is her telling only? The haircut, as you point out, never changes and it's the one real clue that the audience may have that she hasn't grown at all.
Fascinating layered tragic movie.
Brione had a crush on him and was jealous of her sister. That's why she did it, pure spiteful evil. And she didn't clear anyone's name. Plus she had the arrogance to "give" them a happy book ending to ease her conscience. You shouldn't feel sorry for her at all.
But why is no one mentioning the crime Paul commited? He is the real villain in this whole thing. AND HE GOT AWAY WITH IT. Brione walked in on people having sex twice, and no one even bother asking her if she was ok or if she had any questions. Yes, she lied, for years, but I think this was a horrible misunderstanding.
Sounds narcissistic
@@gracehenriquez1298 Is that a joke
@@gracehenriquez1298 it wasn’t a misunderstanding. We clearly see later in the film that she knew the truth all along.
I always believed that she never got over it. I think the director decided to show that, by having all actresses playing Briony have the same haircut, meaning that she got stuck in her 13-year-old self with her mistake, which ruined -absolutely ruined- people’s lives and she cannot take that back, ever. She was trapped forever in her devastation. That is worse than prison.
Great reaction. I love this movie but I have no sympathy for Briony. The interviewer at the end mentions that she has written 20 some best selling novels. She may have felt guilty, but obviously not enough to keep her from living a long full, life. Unlike her sister (who died in the war), Robbie (who died in the war), or her cousin (who married her abuser) all of which can at least indirectly be attributed to Briony's lie. Including, writing a final novel at the end of your life where you come clean about your lie, when you can't be held accountable.
When you were optimistic about the ending, my brain went 50% "Oh, how sweet" and another 50% "Oh damn... you've got a big storm coming!" This is one of my favorite movies and it hasn't been reacted to that much, so I was thrilled to see your reaction. Thank you so much for doing this.
Every time Thor would talk about Briony being sweet at the beginning, Benedict cumberbatch’s character, and the happy ending, I kept thinking done get too attached because it takes major turns. I read the book before the movie, and when the movie came out, my then-wife and her two sisters went to see it. Throughout the movie, they kept trying b to get me to tell them it had a happy ending, and I kept telling them I forgot (I didn’t). I was prepared for the end, they weren’t 😇
this movie is mindblowing to me
on the one hand, briony was a child with a wild imagination under a lot of pressure who thought she was doing the right thing with the few (wrong) information she had, because everyone there had secrets and noone talked to her about it
on the other hand she was old enough to know better and she literally ruined the lives of so many people
I agree, I think Briony isn't to blame for getting the wrong idea in a situation like this. Paul is the real villain, had he not abused Lola none of this would've happened and Robbie and Cecilia would'be lived hapilly ever after.
I disagree that she was old enough to know better because 13 year old back then have barely begun to grasp the idea of love making, and the lack of knowledge in that department has led her to find explanations for the things she witnessed in her overactive imagination the best way she could.
And I think your last sentence should be rephrased. It was the repercussions of an adult man being caught raping a child and allowing the wrong man to be blamed for it what ruined the lives of so many people.
@@debbieday5812 Please.
Knowing the twist at the end, seeing how Briony sees different events through her eyes vs the actual facts is excellent foreshadowing
Great reaction! I feel like people forget that because of Briony's lie, her cousin ended up marrying her abuser! Yes, she ruined her sister's life and Robbie's, but her poor cousin was also very much affected.
I disagree, If you read the book or watch the movie again look out for the feelings and expressions of Lola. She is in fact aware of the assault and the signs leading up to it.
Moreover, getting married to a guy who is much more like lola and owns chocolate factorys is not much of a bad luck. There are numerous signs and discurses about Lola's feelings.
Lastly, I have a question for you, investigate Lolas actions, what happens to the characters around her and how she reaches a final destination at the church.
@@nagyakos643 She was a child though, I do think she went along with the lie because of Stockholm syndrome but she was still raped even if statutory. She was too young to fully understand what happened but I do believe she tried to fight him considering he refers to having a “war wound” and she has bruises on her forearms meaning she didn’t want it initially.
@@TheKingsDaughter1995 I agree she fought back the first time, but that means she knew that the one who attacked her was of course that coward. She porpusefully lied and blamed it on Robbie, she helped Briony complete the picture and lied to her also. Lola is just as much of a sinner if not much bigger than the younger, jealous, and confused Briony. I think that in the end Briony having cancer successfully died as an atonement and also published her best work for Robbie and Cecilia. Gettting revenge on that 2 mf.
@ I agree. I think she was afraid of him at first, but then she ultimately chose him for money in the end sadly. Unless she was just too afraid to say no to him and risk being called a liar because of his status.
Wow, I never expected to see someone react to this film.
I wonder why nobody does
Soarise Ronan’s first movie appearance
No one else that I follow has reacted to this film. I cried so hard, like when I watched it ten years ago. Thank you so much for this moment. Much appreciated.
It took about three weeks to prepare the beach and sea front area, having all street furniture removed, tons of sand brought in to cover the promenade, road, and pavement, boarding up of all sea facing windows and installation of a ferris wheel, bandstand, and Army vehicles, et cetera. After nearly a week of rehearsals for the extras, actors and crew, then the actual filming, it took over two weeks to put everything back to normal, all for five minutes of screentime.
According to a BBC article, in order to achieve one aspect of this movie's extraordinary visual style, Christian Dior stockings were stretched over the camera lens to achieve a soft focus.
Yes it was filmed in Redcar, North Yorkshire where I lived - and they used the Corus steel works as a backdrop - our beach was like that for a while during prep-filming-clean up - it was so cool though and the call went out locally for hundreds of extras and they shot that scene in one clean shot - it was amazing!
LOVE Atonement!! Book is very good as well. Wow can’t believe someone is reacting to this I clicked sooo fast 😁😁 cinematography is amazing
I cry at movies at the drop of a hat, but I seldom cry reading a book. But reading the end of the book broke me
Atonement is a beautifully haunting movie. I absolutely love the storytelling and how Joe Wright created this eirie but pleasing aesthetic to tell such a depressing story. The acting in this is incredible.
Jow Wright is also the director of Pride and Prejudice (also with Keira) and if you watch that one you will pick up on some stylistic choices from the director. Both have masterpiece soundtracks as well.
Saoirse Ronan was nominated for a lot of awards, including an Oscar as a supporting actress and she was 13 at the time, one of the youngest nominees.
The ending is heartbreaking but it shows the consequences of one's mistakes and their effects in others' lives.
The scene where Robbie walks along the beach at Normandy was shot in one continuous shot
The Dunkirk scene was all done in one take.
what I meant was it was one tracking shot
Nice job bro. Also, this movie is soooo damn good. Also, I love the James McAvoy scene where he goes all out on Briony telling her what she cost him when she visited him and Cecilia in her mind as she tried to apologize to them. Oh and the music in this movie is sooo beautiful
I read an advance copy of the book before it came out. It was one of the best books I read. The ending was devastating. In the book Briony is sitting in her bedroom thinking about the past. I didn’t think they would be able to carry it off in the movie, but they did. One of my favorite monies
I love this movie so much! They both deserved so much better. I also recommend Anna Karenina by Joe Wright, starring Keira in the main role. She was definitely robbed of an Oscar nomination.
They deserved so much better similar to how their characters deserved so much better...happy thought for you.
Anna Karenina is such a wonderful movie. I love Keira knightly in it
Kiera was amazing in The Duchess as well.
@@sassylittleprophetwhen she’s being SA’ed and screaming and all of the staff look uncomfortable i cry, its such a good movie.
@destiny-xw5eh yeah that scene was so hard to watch
That imaginary encounter with Robbie, towards the end, it is just her punishing herself and thinking how Robbie should react to her. That angry Robbie is in her mind only
I searched for Atonement reactions a few months ago, no reactions found.
I just did a search again and this was uploaded 46 minutes ago lol xD
and I know you from your other reaction videos already 😀
what a coincidences!
Now I'm gonna watch it, thx!
I agree about the soundtrack at the beginning blending the typewriter sounds with the music. I believe it won the Oscar for best score that year
When you commented at the very beginning that this movie is about a writer, I knew you’re so going to get it! Ultimately, this is not a movie centered on Robbie and Cecilia’s romance (despite the film’s marketing). It’s about how a writer used her storytelling to atone for her sins. Like you, I was expecting a standard period film but the movie kept on surprising me with its clever use of music, editing, and direction that when all is said and done, I cant help but to appreciate how every aspect of this film worked together to tell a story about this young girl Briony. It was beautifully constructed piece of story. And as I wept through the end credits, I think I not only wept for Robbie and Cecilia but I wept because of how depressingly beautiful this movie is from a filmmaking standpoint. It just became one of my favorite movies.
PS: Dario Marianelli deserved that Oscar for Best Original Music!!
Dario Marianelli did the soundtrack for this and it is just beautiful. He also did the music Pride & Prejudice (also directed by Joe Wright with Keira Knightly) and a movie called Everest. They are some of my favourite soundtracks to listen to.
Such an underrated film. Loved your reaction!
18:50 she’s not scared, she’s a writer. Her imagination gets the better of her.
Just finished the highlights and I really love the moral dilemma you brought up at the end. When I first watched this film I do remember feeling bad for Briony because I do think she paid a price carrying the guilt of what she did for the rest of her life and in a way that's punishment enough considering how long she lived. Also I think there was a theme of passion underlining this whole film and I do think Briony's actions were driven by passion (impulse/ jealousy). I suppose some can argue that what Briony did was premeditated because she actually saw the real abuser but a part of me feels like she just had so much going through her mind. The intensity of her emotions led to an irrational decision she couldn't take back. Overall I see what Briony did as an impulsive act in the heat of the moment. It ruined a lot of people's lives which is why my sympathy definitely goes to Cecilia and Robbie. The twist broke my heart the first time and I felt depressed too! haha.
However, regarding your point about whether there is any act that you cannot atone for or "fix"...I'd say we live like that all time now (although not at such an extreme level). Do we not say things we don't mean from time to time? Once we speak hurtful words or react harshly without thinking we can't take that back either. In Briony's case, I definitely think she should have told the truth regardless, but after that, and especially once the people you've hurt have passed away, our actions only live on in our memory and no one can change or fix the past. The question then becomes, do we hold ourselves accountable for the rest of our lives? Outside of the law/ judge in our physical world, the only one that can keep punishing us is ourselves. Even if Robbie and Cecilia lived and forgave Briony, her actions still robbed them of a life together. You cannot fix the past, you cannot return the time that was lost, so the question of regret really comes down to whether you can make peace with past and forgive yourself. As humans I don't believe we have fixed identities unless we choose it. I believe we are naturally shaped by our experiences and we evolve from that. I'm sure you're not the same person you were 10 years ago right? I didn't get the impression that Briony at the end of the film was the same person she was at the start either. Perhaps it's because I have a bias towards redemption? I personally don't like to put people in a box or subscribe to the idea that a person is defined by a mistake for the rest of their life...but that's just me :)
PS: On a completely unrelated note, I found it amusing how dirty text messages were done on a type writer because of the time period. They could type the C word in a letter and make it seem classy! 😂 - Anyway, loved this reaction Thor! Great discussion at the end.
You’ve a keen eye for cinematography and framework! I would never have thought to think of Briony as evil per se (with connotations of steeple-finger scheming and conniving and malice etc etc) but as a more I dunno selfish, self-serving and nonetheless harmfully destructive character to the end. Brilliant performances!
My heart aches , I can't explain the pain felt after watching this first time. I felt numb. 🥺🥺
I loved watching you piece together the story. Your analysis was so good considering how complex the story was.
Nominated for 7 Oscars including Best Picture but won for Best Original Score by Dario Marninelli.
I believe it also won best costume design. Her emerald green dress was stunning
@@thomasbradley4505 no it didn't
i remember when i first saw this movie, for about 60% of it i thought that birony was just confused about what she saw. she was a scared kid who didn't know how to make sense of what she witnessed. i wanted to assume the best. but then towards the end when it was revealed that she blatantly lied and made accusations based on sheer spite and jealousy...i couldn't believe it. she was pure evil.
I always believed that she never got over it. I think the director decided to show that, by having all actresses playing Briony have the same haircut, meaning that she got stuck in her 13-year-old self with her mistake, which ruined, absolutely ruined, people’s lives and she cannot take that back, ever. She was trapped forever in her devastation. That is worse than prison.
I haven't read this book in years, but I highly recommend it; it really sticks with you. Briony is a flawed character - who isn't? - but I can't help but feel sorry for her. Not to the extent that I feel for Robbie or Cecilia, of course, but she does a terrible thing when she's young and confused. Jealousy plays into it, as does class, resentment toward her cousins, etc.
The thing is, all of this happens just before WWII, and the war is a disaster for them all. Would Briony's actions have been so ruinous without the wartime nightmares to worsen everything? If you're considering reading the book (please do!), you may want to skip the rest, but it's excellent.
There's a part near the end that sticks with me, Briony asking herself: "how can a novelist achieve atonement when, with her absolute power of deciding outcomes, she is also God? There is no one, no entity or higher form that she can appeal to, or be reconciled with, or that can forgive her ... It was always an impossible task, and that was precisely the point. The attempt was all."
Yes it was one 5 and a half tracking shot with a single cameraman, four takes and they used the third as the best. Brilliant!
off the top of my head: pride and prejudice, bend it like Beckham, and the duchess.
"Look he's beeing friendly to the younger kid ,That's cool"
-Oh YES very Friendly💀
I’m so happy you reacted to this film! I’ve been hoping someone would one day :)
i watched this movie once when it was new and it stressed me out so much. but i think i need to rewatch it because if feel like i missed a lot of the details the first time. it just made me so uncomfortable the whole time. and yes its a little confusing/hard to follow. i think its one thats better to watch a second time probably. my thoughts on briony are that she is awful. she did a horrible thing and then she never corrected it. she waited until she was dying and would not have any consequences because anyone who was around when it happened it gone. what a selfish coward.
I'm gonna try and finish the highlights at some point and I'm definitely catching the full version on Patreon. Your bias towards Briony (because she's a writer) has me in stitches knowing how this film ends haha. I cannot wait to see your reaction to the twist cause it totally caught me off guard and it was a twist that stuck with me for some time too, so I do regard this film highly for that. I'm also rediscovering my love for this film because of the cinematography but also the sound design that you mentioned, which I never paid much attention to before. The calibre of this film (shots, music, acting) inspires me so much. It's so well done! PS: Visiting a few manors like the one in this film made me actually realise I could NEVER live in one! lol. Far too grand and a little suffocating. I prefer my home to be quaint and cosy :) Great reaction so far Thor!
This is one of my favorite movies. The end makes me cry every time. That happy-ish ending getting just crushed... 😭
About Briony, what she did was absolutely inexcusable but I think it was very well shown what led to her lie. Doesn't make it better though.
I'm surprised there haven't been more reactions to this movie. It's an intense movie with some heavy emotions, beautiful aesthetics, and some tragic twists....perfect for reactors.
Joe Wright is an awesome, underrated director. Atonement has a great script, great cinematography, great acting, and a great score. It’s a sad film, but it’s perfect.
I’m not saying that what Briony did wasn’t unforgivable, but I got the impression that she didn’t know the Benedict actually attacked the girl. She remembered in that moment where we see the clip of her seeing his face. I could be completely wrong, but that was my impression.
24:00 the thing here is to show she had feelings for him, her decision was partly because of the jealousy that he liked her older sister instead of her, that's why she cried out "Cecilia!" when she saw them together, it wasn't a cry of fear, it was a cry of betrayal, and the fact that none of them said anything to her and just walked passed her... Must have broken her little heart. At this scene you can see she purposely jumped so she could be saved by her "prince charming" but instead he got mad at her.
“I like her, she’s a writer!”
Having seen the film, you know what I was thinking the entire time!
One of my favourite films.
You’re a storyteller, as am I, and the core of this film which moves me every time is the central concept of how storytelling creates order and a chance for redemption in a chaotic and morally complex world.
There is a combined sense of hope and tragedy the film touches on - a truth that behind every great story we love that has satisfied and inspired us is a truer version of the tale which was probably far more complex and less satisfying.
Real life like you said is so many times so often filled with pain and regret, with some times no chance for love or to be forgiven - for us to be stuck in our own guilt and shame. It’s all about how we process these things and come to find some version in which we can find some peace, if that even is at all is possible.
And then when it comes to the end of our lives, the question the film asks of whether we want to be remembered as how we truly lived our lives or as how we’d have liked to have lived our lives?
Would we want our life story to go down in history as a tragedy or one in which we are into a happy ending we deserved?
And can some peace be found for those lost souls who have long gone just for the fact that if they were around to know… they would at least know that they were known and remembered for having at least lived and loved as opposed to just a tragic ending and something not at all satisfying.
It’s a cinematic masterpiece in terms of directing, cinematography and score but the core story and the many great concepts and questions it poses to us as a viewer… it’s perfect!
Finally someone reacts to Atonement… I wish I could erase my memory to watch this movie again for the very first time. Good reaction Ü
The breakdown after the reaction is absolutely wonderful Thor. Really brings up the same thoughts and questions of the themes and events that I had when I watched it.
I love that you mentioned the rigidity or formality of the character's interactions that reflect the time period and class status perfectly contrasted by how the soldiers interact with each other.
I'm not sure you are aware of just how stereotypically prudish Brits were back in the day so a 13 Yr old would have been extremely shielded from almost everything of a sexual nature especially with no TV, tame song lyrics, no social media etc.
The first shot where Briony finds them on the grounds is deliberately left ambiguous as to who the perpetrator is. I think we've all jumped to conclusions or got caught up in our own narrative and made it our "truth" and doubled down on it but on reflection months or even years later, a different recollection manifests. The "lie" is a difficult one to navigate because I think you're absolutely right that she's old enough to know that the consequences are grave but by that point in the film we know she's a child with a strong creative imagination, headstrong, naive about anything sexual, love or romance related apart from what she's created in her head and very much third party to a lot of the context. Add in the mounting "evidence" from her perspective and could be enough to convince adults to jump to conclusions too, makes it less cut and dried.
I agree with you, I think of this as an excellent cautionary tale. For me Briony made the kind of selfish decision and mistake that children, particularly teenagers of her age, are wont to do. Often at this age we are just starting to understand adult concepts but our view of them is distorted by a child's limited perception. We also have not fully developed our capacity for empathy (the areas in our brain associated with this do not fully mature until we are 21) and so we struggle to empathise and make helpful choices and will often do things that are unthinkingly, impulsively selfish.
I also think the concept of atonement is interesting, because the story does raise the question for me, if the people you wish to atone to are not around do you still go through with trying to atone? I think it also raises an interesting question about the concept of atonement and its association with penance in general. Is it about paying penance for what your did until others have been satisfied that you have been punished, or understanding what you did and expressing remorse for it and accepting it, or something completely different?
I always think of Briony's book as a gift to the people she'd wronged. For me she perhaps recognised her personal failing in never coming forward or attempting to right or change things. So at the end of her life she admitted to them and did what she could to gift the people she'd wronged the chance to have one up on her by being known by the people who read her books as people who stood up to and were finally free of her decision.
one of my top 10 favourite movies of all time, so happy one of the reactors I'm subscribed to is reacting to it!
Having read the book, I’d say, Briony convinces herself. She’s extremely fanciful, because she believes herself to be the smartest person around. I mean she’s 13, raised in a rich, higher class family. While Robbie actually IS smart, and Briony’s father agrees to pay for Robbie’s education, it’s heavily implied that he does this not just out of kindness, but because it makes him look good to others, that he’s helping the fatherless child of one of his servants. They don’t see Robbie as an equal. Ironically Cecelia is the only one who does. Which is why she’s angry. She knows that her family won’t accept her love for Robbie. She knows that loving him means she has to make a choice. Which she does after her family basically sends Robbie to jail on a pretty baseless accusation. There’s no physical proof he did anything. But Briony tells the police she saw him. Because she’s a child from a wealthy family, she’s believed over Robbie, even though Lola can’t identify her attacker. Cecelia leaves home and becomes a nurse after that, and has no contact with her family again until she dies, because she realises that not only do they not see Robbie as an equal, they’re quite happy to throw him under the bus without proof. They know Briony over embellishes and doesn’t tell the complete truth. But never question it. Briony spends years haunted by it, because as she gets older, she realises that she was wrong about Robbie and Cecelia’s relationship, and because she didn’t clearly see Lola’s assailant, that she was probably wrong about it being Robbie. She only realises at the wedding, seeing Paul’s face from a certain angle, with the sudden flash of sunlight from the open church door, reminiscent of her torch briefly flashing over his face years ago, that it was definitely Paul and not Robbie. But that also meant that Paul could never be truly prosecuted. Because in that time period, the law protected the sanctity of marriage. No spouse could testify against another spouse. The minute Lola married Paul, she could never testify against him as a rapist. Even if she realised it was him. It’s heavily implied she does realise, but her family are so grateful that Paul is willing to marry ‘soiled goods’ that she keeps it to herself, and no one considers that he soiled those goods in the first place. It’s a pretty tragic story all around.
The movie was extremely faithful to the book. They made very few changes
While I can understand why Brionny did what she did, I can't forgive her. The fact that after she understood that what she did was wrong she never tried to take it back is quite damning in my opinion. She never went to the police and never admitted that she lied, she never told her family that she lied either. I can't forgive her because she ruined three people's lives and never tried to make up for it (like actually make up for it and not just write stories about what happened). She only revealed the truth when she was already old and dying which seems selfish, because she'll never face the consequences of her actions. Nobody can hold her accountable anymore, because Robbie and Cecilia are long gone and Lola will not move against her husband even though he's her attacker and because of Brionny, she's been married to her rapist this whole time. And Brionny has an easy way out anyway - she's dying, so by the time anybody would try to hold her accountable she'll be dead already. The fact that she decided to tell the truth only when it's way too late to do anything convinces me that she did it more because she wanted others to feel bad for her and not because she cared about the truth.
This is my all time favorite movie. The character of Briony was merely highly intelligent for her age, yet she made the kind of mistakes that a child and even adults make. Beautifully written, choreographed and acted.
Except it wasn't a mistake. A mistake is accidentally buying 5% milk when you where supposed to buy whole milk. Lying on robbie to break up him and her sister, in a fit of jealousy is diabolical. She knew it wasn't him because she saw the attackers face. She wanted to hurt robbie because he rejected her.
Kiera Knightly is in Star Wars Ep 1 as Queen Amadla in makeup because she and Natalie Portman have similar hieght
Aside from other things, interestingly Atonement was directed by Joe Wright, who also directed (and worked with Keira Knightley) Pride & Prejudice and Anna Karenina. He has an amazing skills for cinematography! I love this movie, but at the same time the pure tragedy of Cecilia and Robbie is too heart-wrenching for me to watch often, Keira and James acted so well together and alone on the film I really do believe them as their characters when I watch!
I haven't have the corage to watch it again.... it crush your soul that much......... it takes time to recover!!
The only real failure of this otherwise wonderful movie is how the ending was completely changed. In the novel, Briony is attending her own birthday party at the old estate, which has been sold and turned into a golf club. The movie has her confessing to a television interviewer as the book is coming out. In actuality, she wasn't going to say anything about the book and was only going to have it released after Paul Marshall and Lola were dead because she knew they were very litigious. The movie ending was really the only thing the novel's actual author, Ian McEwan, said disappointed him. In another matter, Briony was not lying. She never did see Paul Marshall attack Lola. She just pieced it together over the years.
This movie is in my top 10 favorite movies of all times!
Nope. No sympathy for Briony whatsoever. She didn’t make a mistake, she chose to lie because she was jealous. & kept quiet that night, & for years after.
Love this one. If you want another great Kiera knightly film I would check out Colette from 2018.
I watched this with my Mum. I’d read the book. She absolutely hadn’t. I got an hour lecture about how I could let her watch something with such a depressing ending. The book was by Ian McEwan. The dude has a huge habit of writing some of the most morbidly depressing endings. He’s almost on par with Thomas Hardy.
I interperated this movie completely different. It's pretty much established that Briony has a vivid imagination as an aspiring writer and since she is very young and doesn't quite understand the adult world, she misinterprets her sisters relationship with Robbie. She sees them arguing by the fountain with out being able to hear what they say. Even we as an audience is confused in the beginning until we get to see what the real exchange was. She thinks Robbie is raping her when she catches them having sex. And that's why she first thinks it's Robbie raping Lola and even Lola doesn't disagree when Briony says she saw him. She never accused him just because she was evil, jealous and spiteful like some commenters here says. Later when she matures, she begins to fully understand what she really saw and the consequenses of her actions. But then she is too ashamed to say anything for a long time. Not trying to defend Briony or to make you sympathize with her. I just feel that Briony's character was much more complex then just a simple villain.
I enjoyed your reaction. I had so many similar thoughts as you, but I did dismiss Cumberbatches creepiness and that he had a struggle with Lola before dinner and Lola said it was her little brothers. It didn’t make sense because she was very dominant over them. You picked up on things in your first take that was impressive, the lighting, Briony’s life long hairdo & the build up of passion, the beautiful screenshots and how he was dying (I missed that in the beginning). Yes, Briony is the devils spawn and I was pissed at the ending. Lol
Thanks for the reaction! Sad there isn't that many reactions or video essays for this movie. I remember this movie being so iconic when it came out
Here's a question ... If a man sexually assaults a child, and another child catches him and he runs away quickly enough for the other child to wrongly identify him as somebody else based on the unfortunate circumstances of a letter she read and that man goes to prison ... The rapist, who set it all off is never mentioned while the young impresionable and confused girl is blamed for everything ... Like make it make sense
What's the bigger crime? Abusing a child, and when somebody else is accused not saying anything, and then years later marrying that girl ... Obviously nothing to jumping to conclusions.
I understand you think her not being sure who she saw, but in situations like these your mind fills the gaps and because of the situation with the letter and the library her mind filled the gap and only years later did she realize who it was.
I read this book a while ago and I remember thinking Briony was one of the best written characters I'd ever read. So complete, with all our good and bad aspects in one. It's more complicated than just "she's evil", which is what makes this story work. Briony was a smart kid but had zero understanding of life - that was the point of the scenes from her pov. She saw what we saw but didn't understand it. Was it bad? Well her play writing mind filled in the blanks for her. It wasn't real to her. Which by the end and adulthood she understood was wrong but by then it was too late.
The interviewer at the end is director Anthony Minghella
There is nothing to feel sorry for with Brione, she was a jealous evil kid and blatantly and willingly ruined her sisters life and his life
You know what’s scary, I think would’ve done exactly what Brioni did. And I believe many people would’ve done the same even if they hate to admit that to themselves.
As a child younger than Brioni, I remember already feeling jealous of my older sibling. I was jealous of the freedoms he enjoyed, and I’d get especially mad if some girl started showing interest in him. I thought it was wrong and sinful. I spent a lot of time feeling jealous of my siblings. People forget the sort of crazy emotions children grapple with.
Oh my god this is one of my favourite adaptations of one of my favourite books! I am a big fantasy reader, but the book made a serious impression on me in university. I've written two papers about it. It is such a complex story!
I usually read mystery/suspense, but this book is also one of my favorites. I’ve read a few other books by Ian McEwen, and he tends to write morality plays like this. Not a lot of action, but it really makes you look at people actions and how they affect others around them
@@thomasbradley4505 I have this really bad habit, when I read a really good book, I don't read anything else by that author for ages. Because what if it was a stroke of genius and I hate everything else they wrote? It's nonsensical and stupid 🙈 So yeah, I still haven't read anything else by Ian McEwan.
It's an excellent excellent movie and yes Briony is attracted to McAvoy and is upset that he's attracted to her sister. But this kind of thing happens a lot it's called sibling rivalry. I think the point of the movie is to show that people in general need to keep some distance from even their siblings because it can sometimes turn into this movie.
I think Vanessa redgraves performance was absolutely incredible at the end of the movie but so were Keira nightly and James McAvoy. But the movie also shows a Time during the war when someone like Briony would not do question very much. Nowadays her accusation and her eyewitness account would have been questioned extraordinarily thankfully. Bob L
Oh I love that you did a reaction to this movie. You're the first one I stumbled upon doing this movie. Thanks a lot, man. One of my fav films absolutely.
That actress is the fabulous Harriet Walter.
I honestly think this books deserves a seriers after the movie. The book has parts that where not made into the movie. Heartbreaking and sad.
FINALLY!! someone who reacts to this goddamn movie lmao It's Joe Wright's masterpiece, imo. I like it even more than Pride and Prejudice, and p&p is one of my favorites of all time.
*THEY KILLED THE HORSES 🐎*
"Jungle drums" means "grapevine".
I have seen this movie like 60 times. I LOVE IT! I am so happy you did this reaction! I work in film and you would definitely enjoy it!
Great movie, even better book. The writer Ian McKewan is phenomenal and it’s really worth you seeking out his other books
Although what Briony did was horrible and had devastating consequences, I understand her. Having been an "only child" with two siblings much older than her in an upper class family, she has probably been pampered and quite lonely. 13 would be just around the age when you start learning that you are not the centre of the universe, which cannot have been easy for her. She also clearly has a very vivid imagination, which makes her jump to conclusions, trying to make sense of what she's seen.
I honestly don't think Briony intentionally chose to lie to blame Robbie, I just think her interpretation of what she had seen previously that day made her think that she had seen Robbie rape Lola. It was not until the wedding that her subconscious made it clear that Robbie was not actually who she had seen. Would she have gone to the wedding if she knew she would witness Lola marrying the man who raped her?
That being said, I think she from the start questions her own judgement (as you point out in the scene where she looks out the window, seeing Robbie being arrested). I also don't think she actually admits to anyone what she has done, until she is dying, which is terrible and cowardly. Perhaps the fact that Robbie and Cecilia had died during the war made it "easier" for her to keep the truth hidden.
The composer and director of Atonement were also the composer and director of Pride and Prejudice (2005).
Briony is not evil. She is a child who misread the situation and thought she was protecting her sister and cousin and by the time is older and realizes her mistake, its already too late.
This is the only movie that actually broke my heart.
Thanks for the video!! See you later!! Stay safe.😁
Brilliant reaction of a brilliant movie 💜
I JUST watched the movie for the first time before watching your video and your reaction was literally mine lol i went in thinking this was a love story only to be hella sad at the end😭😂
I saw this film three times when it came out back then. Don't know why it hit me, but it just did. Some films do that to me. I do remember the theatre being filled each time, not particular normal for a British film, and I am in Honolulu.
I don’t think I can fault briony like most people tend to do. Yes she’s 13 and told a lie that ruined two peoples lives. And maybe she did do it out of spite. But she’s a child even if she should know better. She’s just a little girl if she was Cecilia’s age it would be different but she’s not. She’s not innocent but she can’t be blamed so harshly especially because she died with guilt. She wrote a happy ending to feel some sort of comfort but she died knowing that it would never be enough because Robbie and Cecilia still died never getting they’re happy ending. If it was me I would never find peace and I would blame myself for the rest of my life and die with guilt.
Super awesome!
During the war, you could get out of serving time by joining up.
Human beings are fallible, we make mistakes, some of which lead to the worst consequences. This movie shows how someone who cannot turn back time can atone for what they have done or in the very least, make things right in their own minds.
"Only the book ending has it go like this"
Later on
"I saw in the description it is based off a novel"
Okay buddy
The music won an Oscar.
I love this movie as well but it is extremely sad 😢
Love your reaction!! Love this movie!!!
This is one of the movies that you can appreciate the acting, directing, and script; however, I can’t say I enjoy it. Depressing is a good title!
Joe Wright loves to make long shots of long scenes.
I’ve literally never heard of this movie.