To Kill a Mockingbird movie review

This summer my sister and I both read To Kill a Mockingbird.  Our favorite genres tend to differ from each other, but this was a book we both enjoyed.  Afterwards, we watched the classic 1962 adaptation, a first for us both.

The story is told from the perspective of Scout Finch and her brother Jem, whose blissful, surreal childhoods are interrupted by a controversial court case.  The accused is Tom Robinson, a black man alleged to have raped a white girl; the lawyer defending Tom is Scout and Jem's father, Atticus.  Atticus's personal convictions about race and justice make the Finches' hometown of Maycomb uncomfortable, setting the family against many of their neighbors.  Those who agree with him wish him well, but are reluctant to speak out.  As the trial approaches, public hostility grows, and Atticus must decide how far he will risk their threats to keep on fighting for Tom's life, and his own unpopular beliefs.

The movie is beautifully filmed and scripted.  It combines the old black-and-white film style with 60s "artsy" cinematography, which I think fits the story's mood well.  Modern color cinematography could be used to excellent effect in a remake - but then, you wouldn't have the original casting.  I really liked Mary Badham as Scout and John Megna as her friend Dill.  Brock Peters' portrayal of Tom Robinson was really moving, and, as others have said, Gregory Peck is Atticus Finch.  One of my favorite actors from old-school Hollywood, Peck is good at playing angelic characters with a certain credibility and humble dignity.  Under the glasses and "everyman" clothes, he looked the part of Atticus, too.

By Dominic Sherony [CC-BY-SA-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

This adaptation really tries to stay close to the book.  While the script is accurate enough, it suffers from the two-hour time constraint.  Some of the scenes, such as the classic "mad dog" scene, are too short to convey their complete psychological importance.  Minor scenes like the visit to Calpurnia's church - indeed, most of Calpurnia's scenes - were not included, which is especially unfortunate since she was one of my favorite characters.  The book takes you on a rich reading experience; you really get inside Scout's head, and Maycomb, with all its quirks and gray characters, grows up out of the pages, a complex character in itself.  I think that understanding Maycomb is essential to understanding the story, so it could be argued that a two-hour adaptation falls short from the start. 

Still, To Kill a Mockingbird is a worthy classic film with the book's fundamental storyline and message, so it gets 5 out of 5 stars.  I will definitely rewatch it in the future, and being more distanced from the book will no doubt help me appreciate the film even more.