My first reaction to Atonement was: I have seen this film before. Aristocratic daughter and son of servant fall in love.  The differences in social class make it impossible for them to be together. The romance shatters. But before long, the film takes an unexpected turn and my second reaction became: This is a marvelous drama. The human brain is designed for people to survive. When you have done something terrible, beating yourself up for it and becoming all depressed does not have survival value. Suppression rather than atonement is a far more common reaction. Atonement, based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Ian McEwan, is remarkable because the sister of the heroine commits a terrible transgression but years later is able to admit her awful dead. She sets out to atone and win back her older sister’s respect and love. But then war comes and plays havoc with everyone’s plans.