Cecilia and Robbie do rekindle their romance, but he has to go off to war on the Continent. The uncertainty of how events will unfold is nonetheless riveting. And Wright plays it up with beautifully composed scenes. There's a rushed quality that creeps into the whole package, but Wright and screenwriter Christopher Hampton capture it all with consummate skill.

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As in the book, the film tells its story in three parts - the first involves that tragic error: an error that will alter the destinies of three adults. The second explores its aftermath, and the third is where the atonement of the title comes into play.