Historical Context of Atonement

The war scenes in Atonement were truly breath taking and heart wrenching to watch.  Atonement highlights the injustice of any war, considering Robbie is sent to war for a crime he did not commit.  The war scenes on the beach while waiting for evacuation were extremely moving.  These scenes seem to be the most enjoyed by viewers, yet also the most misunderstood.  Atonement is most definitely a fictional story, therefore people seem to believe that the war scenes are fictional as well.  On the contrary, these scenes are very real.  The scenes that took place in France and in the hospitals, were both historically accurate.  Especially the Dunkirk beach scenes, when the army is faced with horrors while awaiting their evacuation.  That is extremely accurate and the movie Atonement goes into great detail while explaining these war horrors.  Historical accuracy is also evident later in the movie, when Briony is faced with the after math of the war.  All of her experiences while working as a nurse in the hospital would have happened to an actual nurse who was present while World War II was occurring.  So although Atonement is a fictional story, it is constantly being misunderstood, as there is truth behind these magnificent war and hospital scenes.