Attonement

War, Romance
USA  /  English

The movie "Atonement" (2000) is set in 1930s England which was a time when the second world war was imminent. Briony Tallis (Romola Garai) is a wealthy young woman who lives with her privileged family in their huge mansion. Briony’s family gather one hot and humid weekend and tensions surface. Briony witnesses her sister Cecilia (Keira Knightley) and a servant’s son, Robbie (James McAvoy), together and misinterprets what is happening which results in Robbie’s arrest. After three years in prison, Robbie joins the army and fights the German army in France. During this time Robbie and Cecelia exchange letters and are still in love; meanwhile Briony is working as a nurse for the war wounded. Briony realizes that she must apologize to Robbie and recant her testimony but it seems she never does so. Robbie and Cecilia die before they can be reunited and an elderly Briony (Vanessa Redgrave) realizes that she can never atone for what she did to her sister and her sister’s lover.