Movie Review To Kill A Mocking Bird.
The story was set in 1932 Alabama during the Depression era when whites overpower black people. In the small town of Maycomb, Tom Robinson(Brock Peters), a black man was wrongfully accused of raping a white woman named Mayella Ewell(Collin Wilcox) ( To Kill A Mocking Bird ). Atticus Finch(Gregory Peck), a noble small town lawyer and a loving father to Scout(Mary Badham) and Jem(Philip Alford), was tasked to defend the accused ( To Kill A Mocking Bird ). As the trial gets nearer, some ignorant townsfolk tried to take things in their hands and planned to kill Tom by hanging him. Atticus and Sheriff Tate, the only two characters who had a better understanding of right and wrong, decided to stop this carnage by guarding Tom s cell during the night. Atticus, being the upright lawyer that he was and having a strong belief that the situation is about justice and not skin color, was able to present a strong argument favoring Tom s innocence. Unfortunately, Tom s fate is pre-decided already as it lies in the hands of an all white jury who is unwilling to recognize the truth from a black man s words over the lies sewn together by a white one. Justice failed to triumph over evil brought by wrong beliefs and ignorance.
On the lighter note, the film also presented the adult world as perceived through the eyes of innocence. Such a delightful observation of the surroundings of normal kids who goes to school and plays around shrieking and tumbling makes us feel like we are going to be sucked inside their tiny bodies-the sweet innocence that is soon to be blurred as they progress with age . And then there are the childhood myths. One of such we found in some the their discussions is the silent, sensitive, and also somewhat crazy man named Boo Radley(Robert Duvall) whom they thought to be the legendary boogeyman ( To Kill A Mocking Bird ). They had a funny kind of relationship with him in way that they have a fascination and fear at the same time for the mystery that envelopes Boo and his surrounding. How clear they see the characters provides us with a better judgment. Atticus is the decent and respectable lawyer and an affectionate father. Tom Robinson is a heartbreaking figure. Bob Ewell is a terrible person. And Boo Radley is the Boogeyman-frighteningly mysterious.
Undoubtedly, To Kill a Mockingbird is an exceptional motion picture, an Oscar nominee during its time. It manages to transport us into a time and place where bigotry and racism dominates the headlines through the eyes of a particular child, Scout Finch. Despite the lack of action and love story, it gained outstanding commendations from viewers everywhere. The complexity of entangling the harshness of an adult s world with the outlook of an innocent child held our interest. It is an opportunity to examine how different is a child s perception to an adult s as shown in the scene where Atticus stands guard outside Tom s cell as the drunken mob advances toward him. As an adult, this would be perceived as a dangerous situation. But Scout and Jem did not fear for they knew that their father is standing right next to them. Yet, during their limited encounters with Boo, they were scared out of their wits Though in a fascinating twist later in the story, Boo will become a savior in the eyes of Scout due to an incident where Boo saves their lives.
The black and white cinematography of Russel Harlan makes us really feel that we are there. It is safe to say that we have experienced the tired, slow, and old county of Maycomb, Alabama in the summer of 1932. The monologue at the beginning established the time and place and it stayed throughout the movie. And with Elmer Bernstein s quiet melodic score, it was easier to be in the mood to remember the joys and pains of childhood.
The performances of the cast were stunning as well. Gregory Peck and Robert Duvall gave a remarkable performance. Peck, during To Kill a Mockingbird, is already an established actor with Oscar and Academy Awards nominations in his previous works. He showcased a collected and reserved performance resulting to a perfect portrayal of Atticus composed authority, fortitude, and dignity and at the same time giving indications of his passion for justice and love for his children. With this, it permits viewers to feel the hatred induced by the actions of the narrow-minded town people.
On the other hand, it is Duvall s first time to venture into acting. And with only facial expressions and body language used to convey the essence of Boo Radley, his first role came as a challenge. His performance was so successful that he was notice by many Hollywood directors.
The children Mary Badham and Philip Alford, who portrayed Scout and Jem are also commendable to their performaces. They were able to commit to their characters despite their young age. Their effectiveness as actors greatly helped the success of the film.
The director, Robert Mulligan, is brilliant to have the idea of letting the emotion of the story overwhelm the viewers. It is one of the attributes that make this film well loved by many ( To Kill A Mocking Bird ). Actions and reactions were toned down to emphasize the reverence and strength of the impact of the message of movie as shown in the scene where Atticus lost Tom s case. Atticus silently gathered his papers and left the rooms as the black observers silently salute him for fighting valiantly for one of their brothers. Though he failed as a lawyer, it is evident that he was successful in doing the right thing and teaching others that it is possible to do so even in a place of racial hate. Together with Horton Foote, the screenwriter, they were able to achieve a faithful adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize winner novel and a masterpiece in its own right.
To have this kind of movie created for us to enjoy is a gift. For those who lived in the same year as the film was made, it serves as a reminder, a trip down memory lanes, a jolt in the brain to reminisce what had been, and it helps to appreciate more the lessons in the lifetime that had come to pass. For the younger generation, it serves as a reference of values, a guideline for what is right and just, and example of justice denied and the tragic consequences, and a challenge to do the right thing and stand for it.
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