Atonement

Joe Wright’s film production is an adaptation to the novel Atonement written by Ian McEwan. The adaptation contains distinct strengths and limitations in the way certain events are perceived and emphasised. The novel opens the door into the character’s emotions and thoughts. The effects of guilt are explored through the characterisation of Briony, Cecilia and Robbie through various literary techniques and emotions of frustration and humiliation are further emphasised in the complex path towards atonement. The film creates deeper understandings of setting and atmosphere but can only tell so much to preserve the meanings and suspense that are created within the novel. Events are thus explored in both mediums in unique ways with the help of various literary and cinematic techniques.

The characterisation and build up of characters is heavily focused on in part one of the novel. The reader is introduced to Briony Tallis, a 13 year old girl that possess the love for literature and uses this a means of escaping reality, where she is able to find meaning and purpose in her life. She carries a controlling nature and has "the wish for a harmonious, organised world denies her the reckless possibilities of wrongdoing” (pg 5). The reader can thus achieve a sense of understanding that Briony possesses a type of innocence and urge for maturity that is clouded beneath her raw creativity, engaging the reader and builds suspense and tension between characters. She succeeds in controlling her surroundings but not yet mature enough to discern the reality of what is going on around her. A distinctive example of this is occurs when she testifies Robbie, a childhood friend of Cecilia and Briony and son of ____, was responsible for the rape of her cousin Lola. The whole situation bears down on her pre-teen crush for Robbie and jealousy she feels towards her sister Cecilia and leads her to say, “It was him. I saw him” (pg 174). By witnessing a moment of flirtatious behaviour at the...