A character in Atonement (2007)

Robbie Turner quotes from Atonement (2007)

James McAvoy

2nd most-quoted character in Atonement (2007): in 12 of its 32 quotes
Most scenes with: Cecelia Tallis (4), Briony Tallis (2)

A line from Robbie Turner

Dearest Cecilia, the story can resume. The one I had been planning on that evening walk. I can become again the man who once crossed the surrey park at dusk, in my best suit, swaggering on the promise of life. The man who, with the clarity of passion, made love to you in the library. The story can resume. I will return. Find you, love you, marry you and live without shame.

More lines from Robbie Turner

5 quotes
Robbie Turner
[to Briony]

'll be quite honest with you. 'm torn between breaking your neck here

Robbie Turner

and throwing you down the stairs.
[to Briony] Have you any idea what it's like in jail? Course you don't. Tell me, did it give you pleasure to think of me inside?

Robbie Turner
[to Briony]

How old do you have to be before you know the difference between right and wrong? Do you have to be eighteen before you can own up to a lie? There are soldiers of eighteen old enough to be left to die on the side of the road! Did you know that?

Robbie Turner
[to Briony]

Five years ago you didn't care about telling the truth. You and all your family, you just assumed that for all my education, I was still little better than a servant, still not to be trusted. Thanks to you, they were able to close ranks and throw me to the **** wolves.

Robbie Turner
[to Briony]

I’ll be quite honest with you. I’m torn between breaking your neck here and taking you and throwing you down the stairs.

Scenes with Robbie Turner

6 scenes
[Robbie breaks a vase]

You idiot! You realise this is probably the most valuable thing we own.

Robbie

Not any more, it isn't.

[crying]

I don't know how I could've been so ignorant about myself... so... so stupid. And you know what I'm talking about, don't you? You knew before I did.
'Robbie: Why're you crying?

Don't you know?

Robbie

Yes, I know exactly. [kisses her]

Frenchman

Ah, c'est vrai, l'arm?e anglaise se retire. (Subtitled: So it's true, the English are retreating.)

Robbie

On va disparaitre, avant qu'il fait jour. (Subtitled: We'll be gone at first light.)

Frenchman

On s'est battu toutes ces ann?es, tant de gens sont morts. Maintenant les Allemands sont de nouveau en France. (Subtitled: We fought all those years, lost all those dead. Now the Germans are back in France.)

Robbie

On va revenir. On va les chasser. C'est promis. (Subtitled: We'll come back. We'll throw them out. I promise you.)

Frenchman

Bonne chance! (Subtitled: Good luck!)

Robbie

Have you been in touch with your family?

No I told you I wouldn't. Leon waited outside the hospital last week. I just pushed past him.

Robbie

Cee, you don't owe me anything.

Robbie didn't you read my letters? Had I been allowed to visit you? Had they let me, every day, I would have been there every day.

Robbie

Yes but, if all we have rests on a few moments in a library three and a half years ago then I am not sure, I don't know...

Robbie, look at me, come back, come back to me.

Robbie

Come on, pal. You should be getting dressed.

Briony

If I fell in the river, would you save me?

Robbie

Of course.

Briony
[Briony jumps into the water and Robbie dives after her; eventually, he pulls her out of the water and drops her near the bank]

Thank you, thank you, thank you...

Robbie

That was an incredibly bloody stupid thing to do.

Briony

I wanted you to save me.

Robbie

Don't you know how easily you could have drowned?

Briony

You saved me.

Robbie

You stupid child! You could have killed us both! Is that your idea of a joke?

Briony
[she looks at him for a moment, shocked by his tone, but defiant nonetheless]

I want to thank you for saving my life. I'll be eternally grateful to you.
[he strides away angrily, into the woods, leaving Briony disconsolate amidst the cow parsley]

There isn't much time. Robbie has to report for duty at six and he's got a train to catch. So sit down. There are some things you're going to do for us.

Robbie
[Briony and Cecilia sit in the kitchen. Robbie leans on the table, looming over them]

You'll go to your parents as soon as you can and tell them everything they need to know to be convinced that your evidence was false. You'll go and see a solicitor and make a statement and have it signed and witnessed and send copies to us. Is that clear?

Yes.

Robbie

Then you'll write a detailed letter to me, explaining everything that led up to you saying you saw me by the lake.

Try and include whatever you can remember of what Danny Hardman was doing that night.

Briony

Hardman?

Robbie

Yes!

Briony

It wasn't Danny Hardman. It was Leon's friend, Marshall.
[Cecilia and Robbie look at her, astonished] :Cecilia: I don't believe you.

Briony

He's married Lola; I've just come from their wedding.

[Silence. Finally, Robbie exhales the breath he's been holding, Cecilia looks across at him]

Lola won't be able to testify against him now. He's immune.

Briony
[Robbie straightens up and turns away, grappling with a riot of emotions; silence; finally, Briony stands up and speaks, very formal]

I'm very, very sorry for the terrible distress that I have caused. I'm very, very sorry.

Robbie

Just do as I have asked of you. Write it all down. Just the truth. No rhymes, no embellishments, no adjectives. And then leave us be.

Briony

I will. I promise.

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