Based on Harper Lee's
novel of the same name, To Kill a Mockingbird is ranked the best courtroom
drama by the American Film Institute (AFI), and the protagonist Atticus Finch
(Gregory Peck) is ranked number 1 in AFI's 100 Years... 100 Heroes and Villains.
Now that said, you will need to see this movie to fully understand how the
movie took the book to which it was based and made a masterpiece for us to also
enjoy. That said, I have issues with the way the movie downplayed the racism
which was very prevalent in the book, and it also removed some characters and
over dramatized the courtroom drama.
This drama will both inspire you and teach you. It makes you feel all the warmth you’ve missed over the years of CGI technology. Adding to this movie is the cast of children, whose plain naivety makes the movie a lot better. The acting from the child actors is also one of the good things that made the movie stick to my memory.
Set in a time when being Black was a cause for concern, To Kill a Mockingbird tells the story of a man, Atticus Finch, and his kids during a 3-summer period. The story arc spans over 3 years, about how Atticus’ kids Jem (Philip Alford) and Scout (Mary Badham) go through each summer with heartwarming adventures.
Their story is wrapped around the case in which Atticus is defending a Black man who is being held on a rape charge.
Guilty or not, Atticus defends this man with all that he has in his kitty, even though at that time everyone saw it as him going against the norm. Atticus went all out to make sure that if this man was innocent as he says he is, he will do all that is within his power to get him off.
The movie’s screenplay is something you’ll be able to relate to, making the movie hit home in the first 10 minutes, you are hooked to see how things will end up, especially if you have not read the book. The directing was also top-notch, and it is worth commending.
Another issue with the movie for me is the character Boo, whose role in the book differs from that in the movie.
Philip Alford did not initially want to audition for the part. However, when his mother informed him that he would miss a half day of school, he immediately decided to go after all.
To say not to watch this movie is like telling you to skip breakfast.
This book is so simple,so lucid yet it touches your heart. Harper Lee won a Pulitzer for this one and she deserves it!!
ReplyDeleteThis book is set in early nineties in a small town in Mississippi. The protagonist is a small girl who leans about life. Scout is a small girl, who along with her brother Jem see the evil of racism. Their father , Atticus is a lawyer who defends an innocent black man. In the end the evil of racism sees the poor man being punished. Yet we see how the incident affects Scout and Jem and how Atticus teaches the entire world a lesson.