Character Differences between Movie and Book in Atonement

Atonement Characters


In the novel and movie Atonement there are a few differences and similarities in characters that I would like to discuss.  First of all, I find many of the characters to be bland and I felt the characters were more interesting in general in the movie, and the motivations and emotions of the characters to be more evident in the movie, with the exception of Briony.




Briony Tallis


"Who gave you the right to open other peoples letters?Who made you a fuqing detective? Just sit the shirt down. You know nothing.Why do you walk in on so much sex? Do you have a sex radar?"





In the book we were able to understand Briony's point of view much better than in the movie which is understandable considering the book is written from her point of view and in the movie we are not privy to her throughs other than what we see her experience.  In regards to Briony's character, the book does a much better job of creating empathy and understanding for the characters motivations and actions

Cecilia Tallis


I preferred Cecilia's portrayal in the book as well because she come across much more stuck up in the movie and yet more bland.  Keira Knightly kind of plays the character she always does in every movie I've seen her in, and the only times I felt any thing other than passing indifference towards her was during her temper tantrum when they are at the lake and in regards to her fashion sense





Robbie Turner

Robbie is basically the same in both the book and movie but I felt that I got a more negative vibe from Robbie's character in the book, but that could also be my lack of impartiality to James McAvoy





Ahem... Well then, where was I?  Robbie was a pretty bland character, and like Cecilia we are meant to pity them after the incident and I find that they are both portrayed through rose coloured lenses, especially during war time, which is understandable considering Briony's desire to fix the outcome of her childish decisions

Emily and Mr Tallis


Boring, non-existent; but more integral in the book, rather than the movie; as their relationship serves as contrast and the suspected infidelity gives more depth and understanding to the reader about the repressed existence of the Tallis family.

Pip Pip Cheerio

Leon Tallis


Leon isn't a prominent figure in either the book or the movie, other than his connection to all the other characters and the fact he was the one to bring Paul Marshall to the Tallis estate.

Lola

In the movie it's obvious Lola is straight up flirting with Paul Marshall is it far more evident that he has dangerous intentions in mind when it comes to Lola.

While it's not fair to say Lola is not a victim, she did encourage Paul Marshall with her behavior and she obviously had some sort of feelings for him as she married him 5 years later

Paul Marshall

Paul Marshall seems considerably more nefarious in the books, I think this is because we see Lola flirting with him more obviously in the movie and her complicity in the situation is slightly more complicated then the way the book makes it seem.  Paul Marshall's role as the "rapist" is more evident in the movie as we can see the "chemistry" between them, or rather, Paul Marshall's rapey-stare.

You know he`s about to get his rape on when he bites his knuckle.














"He is beautiful, he is a horrible person, he is a creep, he is a pervert, he owns a chocolate factory, he is a rapist, he makes choctails.."