Atonement: 10 Best Quotes

Atonement is a 2007 film directed by Joe Wright and adapted from Ian McEwan’s novel of the same name. It stars Keira Knightley, James McAvoy, Benedict Cumberbatch, and a young Saoirse Ronan. Ronan also stars in another McEwan adaptation, the 2017 film On Chesil Beach.

Set in 1930s England, the young Briony Tallis confuses fantasy with reality. She’s constantly concocting stories, but when she jumps to the wrong conclusion about what Robbie Turner was doing with her sister, Cecelia, the result is a lifetime of atonement for all characters involved – all, except for the one who is guilty. The film’s skillful use of cinematography, sound, and dialogue make it a memorable and powerful watch.

10 “How Old Do You Have To Be To Know The Difference Between Right And Wrong?”

When Briony is questioned about what she “saw” when she stumbled upon Lola, Briony insists that she saw Robbie with her own eyes. She only assumed it was him because she read an inappropriate letter he accidentally passed on to Cecelia.

Later in the film, Briony reveals that she was in love with Robbie as a child, but of course, he never saw her that way. Only at the age of 18 is Briony able to accept her guilt in wrongfully accusing Robbie of assaulting Lola. He’s not impressed with her apology, reminding her that people the same age as her are dying in the war.

9 “Oh, You Idiot!”

One of the most memorable scenes of the film is the one that changes everything. Cecelia and Robbie are out by the fountain, fighting over the vase when it breaks. A piece of it sinks down to the bottom of the water.

Cecelia turns on Robbie. “Oh, you idiot!” Robbie barely suppresses his laughter Cecelia exclaims, “Do you realize that’s probably the most valuable thing we own?” He only smiles and calmly responds, “Not anymore, it isn’t.” Furious, she lowers herself into the water to retrieve the handle.

8 “Come Back. Come Back To Me.”

As Robbie is taken away by the police, Cecelia bursts forth and whispers in his ear: “Come back. Come back to me.” These words stay with Robbie over the years spent in France.

When they meet years after the incident in the library, Robbie is barely able to meet Cecelia’s eye. He can’t even bear for her to touch him. She brings him back to reality by repeating the words, “Come back. Come back to me.”

7 “I Gave Them Their Happiness.”

The last scene of the movie is an interview Briony gives as an author about her new book, Atonement. She confesses that the ending is fictional, because in reality, Robbie and Cecelia never got their happy ending, and Briony didn’t get to make amends with them.

Both of them died in the war, but in Briony’s story, she made sure that they got to live in their clapboard house by the sea. She hopes that giving them an alternate ending will be perceived as a final act of kindness.

6 “The Truth Is I Feel Rather Foolish And Lightheaded In Your Presence, Cee, And I Don’t Think I Can Blame The Heat.”

Robbie spends a lot of time in his room trying to compose an appropriate letter to Cecelia. He tries to apologize for his behavior by the fountain and for the vase.

In one version, he confesses his feelings towards her, which he’s clearly been aware of for a while. He’s also sure that Cecelia knows but hasn’t quite made her peace with it yet, which is why she usually avoids him.

5 “It Was More Formal, Less … Anatomical?”

In regards to these letters, the one Cecelia receives is not the one Robbie had intended for her eyes – or anyone else’s. The letter also ends up in Briony’s hands, and he only realizes when it’s too late.

Fortunately, Cecelia finds the situation as funny as he does. She even teases him about it in the library, though the scene is rife with tension. He apologizes and explains that the version she was meant to read was “more formal, less …” He trails off, and Cecelia supplies, “Anatomical?”

4 “Yes, I Saw Him.”

Even though Briony is only a child, she’s the only witness on whom the police can depend for a reliable answer as to who assaulted Lola.

Briony first says that she saw him, but when prompted, she amends her answer. “I know it was him.” The officer squints at her. “You know it was him, or you saw him?” She then overcompensates and firmly repeats that she saw him, sealing the deal.

3 “If All We Have Rests On A Moment In A Library Three And A Half Years Ago, Then I’m Not Sure …”

When Robbie and Cecelia meet years later, neither of them is the same. Robbie has been traumatized by the war but also doubts whether what happened between them was real.

Cecelia is desperate to reel him back to the present, even as his eyes fill with tears. “If all we have rests on a moment in a library three and a half years ago, then I’m not sure …” But Cecelia understands and comforts him, reassuring him that what they have is real.

2 “Don’t You Know?”

One of the things the film does really well is balancing silence with punchy dialogue. The famous library scene, for instance, makes excellent use of both. The characters skirt around the real topic at hand.

Cecelia alludes to something having been there “for weeks” and how Robbie was aware of it before she was, obviously meaning their mutual attraction. Robbie asks her why she’s crying. She frowns at him. “Don’t you know?” He steps forward and in a single breath says, “Yes, I know exactly,” before kissing her.

1 “The Story Can Resume.”

The false hope that the story plays with is perhaps the most heartbreaking part of it. Robbie and Cecelia believe that they still have a chance if their love has survived so much. He writes to Cecelia from France, saying that he will “simply resume.”

“My story will resume. The one I had been planning on that evening walk. I can become again the man who once crossed the Surrey Park at dusk in my best suit, swaggering on the promise of life … I will return, find you, love you, marry you, and live without shame.”

About The Author

Svetlana Sterlin
(256 Articles Published)

After years of relocation, Svetlana Sterlin (she/her) was raised by her Russian parents in Brisbane, Australia, where she completed a BFA and contributes to ScreenRant and Our Culture Magazine. An avid cinephile and bookworm, Svetlana also writes creatively across multiple forms and genres. Her fiction and poetry appear in several printed and digital publications. Find more from Svetlana here: https://linktr.ee/svetlanasterlin.

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