Comparing the Movie Atonement to the Novel...

7/24/2013

What is your reaction to the film, Atonement? Comment on some particular aspect of the film that you thought was an improvement upon or a positive adaptation of the original story.

OR

Identify something that you thought was a negative adaptation of McEwan's novel. What do you feel the director did to the original story that was not a good choice?

15 Comments

Katie Henderson

7/24/2013 01:37:05 am

In my opinion, a positive change that was shown in the movie was the addition of the typewritter sound affect throughout the film. I thought that it not only foreshadowed the idea that the entire movie was being written down, but it also emphasized the importance of literature theme that was very important to the book.

Eshan Mankotia

7/24/2013 04:36:07 am

What I really enjoyed about the film was the sound of the typewriter during the situations whenever Briony was in the frame, as it was her recollection of the situation. When it went back and forth during the moment when Briony was searching for the letter, and Cecilia talking to someone else, the sound only happened during Briony's moments, as she was not around during Cecilia's conversation, and can only assume what happened.

Victoria Guderian

7/24/2013 04:38:15 am

I think a positive change in the movie was the fact that Briony was in love with Robbie. I believe this is a postive change because it gave Briony a reason to do what she did to Robbie. She was jealous that Robbie and Cecelia were together, so she got back at Robbie.

Sara Canini

7/24/2013 04:40:25 am

I think the photo was a good addition to the movie. It added hope for Cecila and Robbie's future together, and in the end when the truth is revealed, it displays how Briony gives them happiness. Briony's story of atonement provides a happy ending for them by giving them time together as a couple. The photo is the place they dream to be together, so by showing them there in the end of the movie the happiness Briony thinks she gives them is more believable.

Maha Rizvi

7/24/2013 04:40:50 am

It was a good movie overall but I think that the director should have included the original last part where Briony is old. Because I think it would have given the audience a higher sense of sympathy for her atonement. And I didn't think that the interview in the end was quite effective and the director should have rather shown her birthday party and the scene outside the museum where Briony sees Lola and Paul Marshall.

Zamil Hirani

7/24/2013 04:43:20 am

A large discrepancy between the novel and the film of Atonement was the war scenes. In the movie, the leg in a tree was not shown. Furthermore, the Flemish mother and child were not shown either. I believe without these scenes depicted, the movie did not correctly illustrate the horrors of war.

Rebecca Errey

7/24/2013 04:48:11 am

In my opinion I believe that the war in the movie was not as descriptive as the book. Due to this we really didn't have a feel for how the war was. Also I felt that in the book the war it was a much longer and more meaningful event but in the movie it was a lot more generalized. The movie attempts to hit all the key points, but doesn’t embellish on it. I think that the movie should have focused a bit more on the war, and the tragic events that occurred during the war. This would have made the viewers of this movie have additional feelings towards Robbie.

Esra Aborig

7/24/2013 04:48:41 am

I personally preferred the book Atonement over the film because i felt that in the novel, the characters are more in depth and analyzed than they are in the movie. Also, the movie brushed off alot of the little details in some of the scenes which, if i hadnt read the book, i would have probably been a little confused. Overall, i preferred the book better than the movie. Although, one positive aspect of the film version i enjoyed was how the scenes went from Briony's perspective to reality and vice versa and i liked the typewriter sound effects, it acted as great foreshadowing.

Natalie Kozlowski

7/24/2013 04:52:03 am

In my opinion, I liked the addition the director did in the movie when Briony found Cecilia's hair clip before she entered the library scene. I think that as Cecilia dropped the clip and Robbie stepped on it as he followed Cecilia, forshadowed the loss of happiness that would have soon encountered Robbie and Cecilia. I think that the star on the hair clip represented hope between Robbie and Cecilia and how it was shattered when Briony found it. I think that this addition helped the audience understand the character's emotions and situation.

Adrian Gheju

7/24/2013 04:52:52 am

Overall I enjoyed the movie Atonement. It was very similar to the book and set the proper tone throughout the film. What I enjoyed most about the movie were the characters used in it. I feel that the characters really matched and fit the description provided in the novel and how I personally had thought them to look and act like.

Nick Suwalski

7/24/2013 04:55:48 am

The negative change is that at the end of the film there wasn't the birthday party scene as it was in the novel. This is a bad thing because in the film it shows when she is an old lady but they don't show the party scene. In my opinion that is an important scene because it lines up the part that they show that she is an old lady dying.

Erij Elkamel

7/24/2013 06:23:46 am

Personally, I feel that a negative adaptation of the film is the ending. In the way that it is portrayed, it seems that Briony writes her book because it is what others want of her, not a personal choice that she makes. The major theme of 'atonement' lacks in the film because unless one reads the book, it is difficult to interpret Briony's actions to be regarding atonement, such as the reason as to why she becomes a nurse. It does not seem as though she dedicates her entire life towards redemption, as she did in the book. Although it is stated that she spent several years working on her novel, the reason behind this is not justified and can be interpreted in other ways.

Donna Voll

7/24/2013 10:19:35 am

The film, Atonement was worth viewing after reading the novel, Atonement. While watching the film I was able to identify the characters with ease because of their distinct personalities the novel conveys. However, the movie lacked specific context of characters that the novel explains in depth. Without key details the movie viewer is unable to fully comprehend certain situations. Throughout the film, I was able to notice the importance of water symbolism. I believe that water represents the changes and transitions all the characters experience. Water symbolizes in many cultures; change, transition, constantly moving and flowing into the next phase. Water symbolism is well displayed through the following scenes; when Cecelia is lying on the diving board above the lake and the viewer can see her reflection in the water, rippled and distorted. It is almost a premonition of her death; drowned in water, as she appears in the reflection. The scene following, Robbie comes out of the bath looking up at an airplane, showing a premonition of his fate in war. The addition of water symbolism allows the audience to see a direct link throughout the novel and the film.

Ahmed Owity

7/24/2013 02:00:01 pm

A couple of things were different in Ian Mcewan's novel Atonement, when comparing the actual book to the movie. What really caught my eye during the film was the aspect of writing, during the film it seemed the director wanted to tell us something about the writing. I also enjoyed the idea of flashbacks during the film. Comparing flashbacks during the movie when other current situations were going on in the film, gave me a clearer idea on what was happening and why it was happening. I enjoyed the fact the director decided to do this.

Sarah Moslehi

7/25/2013 12:36:56 pm

In the movie atonement, I found that, as an audience, we learn much more about Briony's individual energy. In the novel, we read how about how much trouble Briony causes. In the movie, I feel that we saw the kind of vibe she radiates. She seems very rigid and stiff with her actions. Personally, I thought she seemed very troubled and lonely. Although we learn that she is lonely in the novel, it does not describe the way in which she carries herself. However, in the novel, we see that she is does not seem very relaxed about anything. From the way she walks and talks, to the intensity of her expressions, (along with the dramatic background music) we recognize the atmosphere that Briony brings to the story.

PS: Sorry Ms.Taylor, I completely forgot to finish this up yesterday evening!

Comparing the Movie Atonement to the Novel...

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