TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

REVIEWED BY JENNY SAWYER

Our rating: 4 out of 5

Because of: thematic elements

Rated:

To Kill a Mockingbird is hailed as one of the best movies of all time, and most audiences will heartily agree. No matter what kind of movies a person tends to enjoy, To Kill A Mockingbird can satisfy a large range of interests. Starring Gregory Peck and made in black and white, it was one of the last of the great movie empire when emotions in the movies ran deeper than special effects, and it shows in its tear-jerking scenes and brilliant dialogue. One would almost think it would remove some of the aura of the movie to see it filmed in color and with modern technology, camera angles, and special effects. Based on Harper Lee's Pulitzer-prize-winning novel of the same title, is a story about three children in the deep south during the depression. Jem and Jean Louise "Scout" Finch and their friend Dill are young enough to see the adult world in eyes which make it look foolish to us as they learn about prejudice, roll models, and the injustice of the world.

Atticus Finch, the widower father of Jem and Scout, is a lawyer hired to defend a black man falsely accused of raping a white woman. His struggles through the prejudice of an all-white jury and the snipings of a cruel town are more poignant through the eyes of his children, who find themselves in the court room on the fateful day of the trial. Harper Lee, however, refuses to describe her novel as a drama or even a moral story, but rather prefers to call it "a love story between the children and Boo (Radley)," a mentally ill man whom the children swap stories about in the movie's subplot. The intelligent mix of the two storylines and their unexpected union is tempered well with humor and tears. 

There is little to complain about in this grand, old-style movie. A few scenes (including several attempted murders and drunk encounters) may be too tense for younger children, and the rape trial and the theme of racial hatred are probably a bit too strong for them as well. All the issues are handled in a delicate way, however, and even the most conservative moviegoers will probably not blush during the trial scene. True to the school of movies where well-written dialogue rather than profanity is used to get the point across, the movie contains no questionable language other than one or two inappropriate references to African-Americans, both of which are sternly condemned by the movie's strongest role model, Atticus.

Artfully done, the movie is excellent in its perception of mankind, even when it hurts. Few movies can make a person laugh so much and think so hard at the same time. Gregory Peck earned the 1962 Oscar for Best Actor for his performance in this film, and it is heartily well-deserved. The film-making and music are of wonderful quality when it comes to enhancing the movie. ("Is this an Alfred Hitchcock?" is a frequently-asked question in that regard.) Few movie characters are more powerful portrayals of an honest man in an evil world, and few role models are better. From the school time escapades of Scout and Jem, to their adventures around the Radley place, to the painful growing-up lessons they learn, the movie is a sure winner with an ending that will bring tears to the eyes of most viewers. 

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