March 2018
Kiara Naiker 6Z
Film Comparatie Essay
Portolio: Uncontrolled Conditons
The flms Atonement and Anna Karenina and the novel To Kill a Mockingbird are similar in
that they deal with human emoton and feeling. The basis of the texts is empathy and
understanding, and through flmic techniques (used in the flms referred to), and with the
use of various writng styles and techniques (used in the novel referred to) one is able to
identfy one’s self more closely to the characters, with an element of empathy for his or her
situatons and experiences, and be able to understand and ostracise the efects of injustces
in society, which is introduced through forms of prejudice, racism, classism and the element
of conflict and injustce, along with the overruling power of love and relatonships, and one
is therefore able to develop a deeper knowledge and encounter of the world through the
medium of flm and writng.
In Atonement Wright makes use of facial close-ups to emphasise human emoton which also
assists in crafting Briony as an obsessive, atenton-craving young girl. The leitmotf of the
typewriter typing both synchronously and non-synchronously allows for the viewer’s
opinion of Briony to gradually change, and for one to look at her more sympathetcally for
her desperate need to atone and rectfy the mistakes she made as a child. The flm portrays
elements of love, prejudice, misunderstanding and the unfairness of a society that places
value on class and positon rather than honesty and truth. Through Briony, who is displayed
in diferent stages of her life, the viewer is manipulated to empathise with her, having been
a young girl at the tme of falsely accusing Robbie of raping Lola. One is also led to be
sympathetc towards Robbie, who, because of his positon in society, is sent to, and dies in
war as a result of the societal prejudices of those who were unable to, and chose not to,
queston the statements of a twelve year-old girl who caused the unjust fate of her sister’s
boyfriend. As Briony begins to atone by serving as a nurse for soldiers of the war and by
writng her novel, London 1999 it becomes evident that Briony’s mistake and false
accusatons will follow her for the rest of her life and no mater how much she tries to atone
she will never be able to undo the consequences of her actons statng that “ though you
think the world is at your feet, it can rise up and tread on you”, emphasising her
helplessness ad uter guilt in the atempt to correct what is wrong, which proves to be
unsuccessful as Cecelia disowns Briony and her entre family and she never meets Cecelia
again.
