 By the 1970s Atheis had become part of the Indonesian junior and senior high school curriculum . In 1974 Sjumandjaja adapted the novel into a film with the same title . The film , shot on a Rp . 80 million ( US $ 193 @,@ 771 ) budget , mimicked the novel 's non @-@ linear plot . Intended as a challenge to Indonesia 's religious communities , upon its release faced with controversy . Ultimately , the Indonesian censorship bureau passed the film after several cuts . Though it was a commercial failure , Sjumandjaja 's Atheis was well received by critics . 
