Alright! Today I’m reviewing the 1962 cinema classic To Kill A Mockingbird, based on Harper Lee’s acclaimed novel of the same name. It’s a gripping tale of the lawyer Atticus Finch and his quest to clear rape charges from Tom Robinson, a black man, while in Alabama during the 1930s. Atticus’s plight is seen through the eyes of his six-year-old children, giving the commentary on social injustice a healthy sprinkling of childlike wonder.
The first and greatest thing everyone takes away from the film is how great Gregory Peck is as Atticus Finch. Atticus represents key societal values - truth, tolerance, and a belief in a peaceful resolution to conflicts. Gregory Peck encapsulates all of these values, becoming the face of progressiveness. It’s rare that I bestow this description, but just hearing him talk captures your attention.
His court scenes likewise follow suit, enrapturing and capturing the subtle suaveness of a man engrossed in his work. His proclamations and defense are broad and well-spoken, and his voice has a soothing quality to it that makes it interesting to watch ten minutes of court jargon. His syntax and rhythm are also mesmerizing, slowly building to become louder and louder until all else is forgotten.
Above all else, I love the themes of the movie. I love that it’s not afraid to go to the dark places and capture the feeling that the original novel invokes, sometimes doing it better and often being more than on par. These themes of racial injustice and the day-to-day everymen that can become a mob continue to resonate. The film is just as relevant now as it was when it came out 60 years ago before Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream or Malcolm X had a ballot or a bullet.
To Kill A Mockingbird is a fantastic film not only because Gregory Peck is absolutely fantastic in it, but also because of the unfortunately ever relevant topics that the source material covers and the innocence with which they’re framed.
Overall, I give To Kill A Mockingbird a 10/10. “Gregory Peck’s calm and powerful performance emulates an already powerful source material.”
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