The Atonement (2007) - beginning and the fountain scene 

That is why you should never trust your senses according to the great philosophers of our time. But, you should rely on reason.

The attention to detail is very clever because from Briony's POV there are no broken pieces of the vase on the floor and when Cecilia emerges from the fountain she's not holding the broken piece of vase in her hand. From Briony's perspective she doesn't understand why Cecilia did what she did and based on what she saw she jumps to the conclusion that Robbie was making her do it. Whereas when we see what actually happened, Robbie was stopping Cecilia from cutting her feet on the broken pieces on the floor and Cecilia was furious with Robbie for breaking the vase and went into the fountain to retrieve the broken piece that had fallen in.

He could've helped her carry the vase, but at the last minute offered to help.

Oh yes he’s delish

Yep I’ve always thought the sound design was solid.

@SarcasMiss Joe Wright always had a thing for showing the emotions of the characters through actions rather than words. It's the same thing when they meet in a cafe. It's more powerful than words.

Hmm, is there a scene in the movie when that vase actually properly breaks into pieces?? If not (and if it's not supposed to be a display of his physcial tension, as nothing visible there few seconds later ;)), it's the handle, so fair guess somebody will pick it up one day, and "the pieces will simply come away in her (Betty's) hand". Basically, the vase is symbolic for the entire novel, the fragile peace between WWI and WWII (as it was a rather unpractical but priceless gift to uncle Clam, Mr. Tallis' brother, for heroism in WWI by French residents, uncle Clam was killed in the war eventually, yet the vase survived), the doomed relationship between Robbie and Cecilia, also, "the chalice" i.e. women in war, and, the looming rape of Lola - whatever's going on her mind later in life, it was just that.

He was holding back. Same interpretation I had when he touched the water she was in. I believe they're trying to conceal the fact that they're madly in love with each other. One of my favourite scenes, no words just pure and raw emotions. The sexual tension between them was so immaculate

@@dovaakh Yes, I took the same thing from this scene. The way he squeezes the handle, and after she storms past him and snatches the handle from him, he tightly clenches his fist, gives me an impression of sexual tension and repression.

This director often uses tension in hands and touching hands to express desire, especially in a period piece

It’s available of Netflix- or at least in the UK and Ireland it is.

@@kat2435 ,got it on DVD 🙂

You can watch it here on youtube too, you have to buy it but it wont cost much

it's free on dailymotion

She would have died in the war either way. It is always curious how the men who start wars never fight in them.

I have no idea what you're asking

dude, i thought I was the only one. Isnt it like... incest?

I guess you're talking about when her brother was looking at Cecilia smiling at the pool. Well, sometimes when you are close with somebody amd especially with your siblings, you can communicate without using words. Cecilia and her brother were laughing silently at Cumberbatch's character and communicating without using words

South Shropshire countryside. A late Victorian mansion and family home called Stokesay Court.

X-mansion