To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) Review

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KR7loA_oziY

THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS OF THE DISCUSSED FILM READERS DISCRETION IS ADVISED.

When the world is so full of bad, it’ll always be hard to stay true to your morals.


PLOT


Based on Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize winning novel, 1962’s To Kill a Mockingbird takes place in the Depression era and follows widowed lawyer Atticus Finch who lives in Maycomb, Alabama with his children, Jeremy aka Jen and Jean Louise aka Scout. Each summer, the kids befriend another boy named Dill (John Megna) and they are simultaneously frightened/intrigued of the reclusive neighbor Arthur ‘Boo’ Radley. As they wait for him to one day come outside and tell each other imaginative tales, the kids would find themselves surprised of gifts being left outside their home. One day, Atticus would be appointed to defend a black man named Tom Robinson, who is accused of raping a white lady named Mayella Ewell; The latter’s father Bob is a violent & racist drunkard. Atticus being appointed to Tom causes racial tension in the town to the point of his kids being bullied in school over it. On the night before the trial, they would see their father wait outside Tom’s jail cell to keep a lynch mob. They intervene and the mob retreats when Scout recognizes one of the men being a father to one of her schoolmates. Embarrassed, this leads to them dispersing. The day of the trial, Jem & Scout would sneak in to see it, sitting in the colored balcony when the main floor had no available seats. On the stand, Mayella claims to invited Tom in to fix a chifforobe before he ‘took advantage of her’, leaving bruises on her neck and the right side of her head. Atticus believes the attacker to be left handed and points out it can’t have been Tom since his left hand had been lost of use after a farming accident when he was a child. With no medical evidence of her being raped, Finch suspects her father to be abusive. When Tom goes on the stand, he does back that she invited him in but she made the decision to kiss him first against his will. And by the time Bob appeared drunk, he fled before seeing him enraged and felt sorry for what would happen. With all being said, his attorney pleads for the jury to put aside prejudice to recognize who’s really innocent, but ultimately they find Robinson guilty. Out of respect to Finch, all black spectators rise when he leaves the courtroom. Atticus does hope for an appeal to happen, but his hopes would be crushed by the time he gets told Tom got shot trying to escape. When he breaks the news to the Robinson family, Bob appears uninvited. Having appeared before the trial to intimidate, he chooses to spit in the attorney’s face, but the latter chooses to wipe it off rather than fight him. By the time of autumn season, Jem & Scout would walk home following a Halloween paeagant, but things would take a shocking turn when they get attacked by Bob with a knife. He would knock the boy unconscious and break his arm, but would be stopped by an unseen figure in Socut’s eyes who is able to take her brother home. When Atticus calls for a doctor and Sheriff Heck Tate (Frank Overton), the latter reports to have found Ewell dead. As Scout comes home to tell her side of the story, her father introduces him to the rescuer, Boo. Realizing Boo was protecting the kids and there would be no good reason to prosecute him, Atticus and Tate agree to report Ewell fell on his knife. After the sheriff leaves does the film end with Scout walking Boo home while Atticus stays by his son’s side all night.  

THOUGHTS

When you grow up, you’re taught & educated the difference between right & wrong. In my experience, I did feel like this book and this picture were what established the embodiment of what the difference is. In a broader sense, Director Robert Mulligan and writer Horton Foote succeed in making a discussion on the common disparities in the criminal justice system, as well as the effects of racism. In tone, this is more of a tale of empathy because it is on display to see moral courage display physical strength. Through Gregory Peck’s Oscar winning performance, Atticus Finch is a protagonist to immortally love because he’s a man built on separating his personal conflict to have a clear conscience when doing right by others. The guy has the right to feel like a mess since he’s paid in firewood and produce when previously representing poor farmers. And with the loss of his wife, he’s lucky to have assist of his housekeeper Calpurnia (Estelle Evans) and neighbor Maudie Atkinson (Rosemary Murphy) when it came to taking care of his kids. This story may be in the perspective of said kids since Philip Alford tries his best in being just as principled as Jem and Mary Badham portrays Scout as the temperamental one who doesn’t seem to have a clear conscience until both have their innocence taken away from what their dad is part of. We may have followed the story from the kids’ perspective, but Atticus remains the center of the story because he’s the only one that knows exactly what to say & do to prove his point. His closing statement is a fantastic monologue for the ages because he’s not just speaking to the room, but to the whole world that prejudice doesn’t solve anything. All the blacks stood up for him specifically because he represented the unity they’ve been waiting to see for so long, hence not hating him for what happened to poor Tom. Robinson is indeed the victim here because no matter how honest Brock Peters portrays him, it wasn’t enough for him to be saved. You definitely would have valid hatred towards Mayella since Collin Wilcox shows that her fear clouded her judgement, which in turn peeled the layer of the real villain. At first, it would seem Bob Ewell would be all for show who wouldn’t truly act on villainy, that is until James Anderson has the character stoop so low in cruelty in targeting the kids just for their dad’s association to Tom. His death may have not wiped out the racism that was toxic to the town, but his tyranny was thankfully stopped by a gentle giant. Robert Duvall is only present until the very end when revealed as Boo Radley in his film debut and he succeeds in stealing our hearts in said given time. Despite being mistaken to be dangerous, his reclusiveness represented to protect those who deserved it, hence the relationship he would slowly build with the kids. The fact Scout is so moved of his actions as she walks him home proves the final message that you should never judge a book by the cover. With this experience plus Tim’s trial are what give her a clear conscience going forward, as she understood exactly what her dad has been fighting for, equality & integrity. In conclusion, To Kill a Mockingbird is not just the be all end all for courtroom dramas, but one of the best movies ever made for not holding back in the importance of justice that comes from honesty. If this is a way of life you hold dearly, see this now.

If you need support or want to talk about you or someone else has experienced abuse, please contact RAINN at Rainn.org or dial 1-800-656-4673