To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)

To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)

To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel by Harper Lee. Although it was written in 1960 it is set in the mid-1930s in the small town of Maycomb, Alabama. It is narrated by Scout Finch, a six-year-old tomboy who lives with her lawyer father Atticus and her ten-year-old brother Jem. During the novel Scout, Jem and their friend Dill try to make their reclusive neighbour Boo Radley leave his house. Boo has not been seen in Maycomb since he was a teenager.

Many residents of Maycomb are racists and during the novel Atticus is asked to defend Tom Robinson, a black man wrongly accused of raping a white woman. Atticus takes on the case even though everyone knows he has little hope of winning. The reader sees the trial develop through the childlike eyes of Scout, as gradually both she and her brother learn some valuable life lessons from their father about tolerance, empathy and understanding.

Scout Finch lives with her brother, Jem, and their widowed father, Atticus, in the sleepy Alabama town of Maycomb. Maycomb is suffering through the Great Depression, but Atticus is a prominent lawyer and the Finch family is reasonably well off in comparison to the rest of society. One summer, Jem and Scout befriend a boy named Dill, who has come to live in their neighborhood for the summer, and the trio acts out stories together. Eventually, Dill becomes fascinated with the spooky house on their street called the Radley Place. The house is owned by Mr. Nathan Radley, whose brother, Arthur (nicknamed Boo), has lived there for years without venturing outside.

Scout goes to school for the first time that fall and detests it. She and Jem find gifts apparently left for them in a knothole of a tree on the Radley property. Dill returns the following summer, and he, Scout, and Jem begin to act out the story of Boo Radley. Atticus puts a stop to their antics, urging the children to try to see life from another person’s perspective before making judgments. But, on Dill’s last night in Maycomb for the summer, the three sneak onto the Radley property, where Nathan Radley shoots at them. Jem loses his pants in the ensuing escape. When he returns for them, he finds them mended and hung over the fence. The next winter, Jem and Scout find more presents in the tree, presumably left by the mysterious Boo. Nathan Radley eventually plugs the knothole with cement. Shortly thereafter, a fire breaks out in another neighbor’s house, and during the fire someone slips a blanket on Scout’s shoulders as she watches the blaze. Convinced that Boo did it, Jem tells Atticus about the mended pants and the presents.

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To the consternation of Maycomb’s racist white community, Atticus agrees to defend a black man named Tom Robinson, who has been accused of raping a white woman. Because of Atticus’s decision, Jem and Scout are subjected to abuse from other children, even when they celebrate Christmas at the family compound on Finch’s Landing. Calpurnia, the Finches’ black cook, takes them to the local black church, where the warm and close-knit community largely embraces the children.

Atticus’s sister, Alexandra, comes to live with the Finches the next summer. Dill, who is supposed to live with his “new father” in another town, runs away and comes to Maycomb. Tom Robinson’s trial begins, and when the accused man is placed in the local jail, a mob gathers to lynch him. Atticus faces the mob down the night before the trial. Jem and Scout, who have sneaked out of the house, soon join him. Scout recognizes one of the men, and her polite questioning about his son shames him into dispersing the mob.

At the trial itself, the children sit in the “colored balcony” with the town’s black citizens. Atticus provides clear evidence that the accusers, Mayella Ewell and her father, Bob, are lying: in fact, Mayella propositioned Tom Robinson, was caught by her father, and then accused Tom of rape to cover her shame and guilt. Atticus provides impressive evidence that the marks on Mayella’s face are from wounds that her father inflicted; upon discovering her with Tom, he called her a whore and beat her. Yet, despite the significant evidence pointing to Tom’s innocence, the all-white jury convicts him. The innocent Tom later tries to escape from prison and is shot to death. In the aftermath of the trial, Jem’s faith in justice is badly shaken, and he lapses into despondency and doubt.

Despite the verdict, Bob Ewell feels that Atticus and the judge have made a fool out of him, and he vows revenge. He menaces Tom Robinson’s widow, tries to break into the judge’s house, and finally attacks Jem and Scout as they walk home from a Halloween party. Boo Radley intervenes, however, saving the children and stabbing Ewell fatally during the struggle. Boo carries the wounded Jem back to Atticus’s house, where the sheriff, in order to protect Boo, insists that Ewell tripped over a tree root and fell on his own knife. After sitting with Scout for a while, Boo disappears once more into the Radley house.

Later, Scout feels as though she can finally imagine what life is like for Boo. He has become a human being to her at last. With this realization, Scout embraces her father’s advice to practice sympathy and understanding and demonstrates that her experiences with hatred and prejudice will not sully her faith in human goodness.

To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel by Harper Lee published in 1960. Instantly successful, widely read in high schools and middle schools in the United States, it has become a classic of modern American literature, winning the Pulitzer Prize. The plot and characters are loosely based on Lee's observations of her family, her neighbors and an event that occurred near her hometown of Monroeville, Alabama, in 1936, when she was ten.

Despite dealing with the serious issues of rape and racial inequality, the novel is renowned for its warmth and humor. Atticus Finch, the narrator's father, has served as a moral hero for many readers and as a model of integrity for lawyers. The historian J. Crespino explains, "In the twentieth century, To Kill a Mockingbird is probably the most widely read book dealing with race in America, and its main character, Atticus Finch, the most enduring fictional image of racial heroism."^[1]

As a Southern Gothic and Bildungsroman novel, the primary themes of To Kill a Mockingbird involve racial injustice and the destruction of innocence. Scholars have noted that Lee also addresses issues of class, courage, compassion, and gender roles in the Deep South. The book is widely taught in schools in the United States with lessons that emphasize tolerance and decry prejudice. Despite its themes, To Kill a Mockingbird has been subject to campaigns for removal from public classrooms, often challenged for its use of racial epithets.

Reaction to the novel varied widely upon publication. Despite the number of copies sold and its widespread use in education, literary analysis of it is sparse. Author Mary McDonough Murphy, who collected individual impressions of To Kill a Mockingbird by several authors and public figures, calls the book "an astonishing phenomenon".^[2] In 2006, British librarians ranked the book ahead of the Bible as one "every adult should read before they die".^[3] It was adapted into an Academy Award-winning film in 1962 by director Robert Mulligan, with a screenplay by Horton Foote. Since 1990, a play based on the novel has been performed annually in Harper Lee's hometown.

To Kill a Mockingbird was Lee's only published book until Go Set a Watchman, an earlier draft of To Kill a Mockingbird, was published on July 14, 2015. Lee continued to respond to her work's impact until her death in February 2016, although she had refused any personal publicity for herself or the novel since 1964.

Scout Finch (Mary Badham), 6,and her older brother, Jem (Phillip Alford), live in sleepy Maycomb, Ala., spending much of their time with their friend Dill (John Megna) and spying on their reclusive and mysterious neighbor, Boo Radley (Robert Duvall). When Atticus (Gregory Peck), their widowed father and a respected lawyer, defends a black man named Tom Robinson (Brock Peters) against fabricated rape charges, the trial and tangent events expose the children to evils of racism and stereotyping.

"To Kill a Mockingbird" is a time capsule, preserving hopes and sentiments from a kinder, gentler, more naive America. It was released in December 1962, the last month of the last year of the complacency of the postwar years. The following November, John F. Kennedy would be assassinated. Nothing would ever be the same again -- not after the deaths of Martin Luther King, Robert Kennedy, Malcolm X, Medgar Evers, not after the war in Vietnam, certainly not after September 11, 2001. The most hopeful development during that period for America was the civil rights movement, which dealt a series of legal and moral blows to racism. But "To Kill a Mockingbird," set in Maycomb, Alabama, in 1932, uses the realities of its time only as a backdrop for the portrait of a brave white liberal.

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TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD QUOTES

Atticus Finch:	Heck? Atticus Finch. Someone's been after my children.
Jean Louise "Scout" Finch:	Mr Tate was right
Jean Louise "Scout" Finch:	Mr Tate was right.
Atticus Finch:	What do you mean ?
Atticus Finch:	What do you mean?
Jean Louise "Scout" Finch:	It would be sort of like shooting a mockingbird, wouldn't it ?

Narrator:	Atticus' would be there in Jem's room all night. And he'd be there when Jem waked up in the mornin'.
Bob Ewell:	You believe his word agin' ourn?

An astonishing motion picture by any standards, To Kill a Mockingbird only failed to win a Best Picture Oscar because it was in the running against Lawrence of Arabia. The minimalist might call this a "courtroom drama", but that would be selling the film short in so many areas: scope, tone, and thematic content, to name a few. Yes, To Kill a Mockingbird features a lengthy courtroom sequence, but, while that action may be at the heart of the film's storyline, it is only one of dozens of moments that, taken in concert, make this the film that it is.

The movie, made in 1962, is based on the 1960 semi-autobiographical novel by Harper Lee (the only book she would publish). Despite winning the Pulitzer Prize, To Kill a Mockingbird was not the focus of a studio bidding war because it lacked many of the "accepted" staples of successful motion pictures - there is no action, no love story, and the villain doesn't get a flashy comeuppance. Nevertheless, producer Alan Pakula and director Robert Mulligan were convinced that there was a great story to be told, and, when they shared their vision of the movie with Gregory Peck, Peck agreed to headline the cast. Horton Foote was initially reluctant to write the screenplay because he revered the novel and was afraid of not doing it justice - a concern easily dismissed as unfounded based upon the finished product.

While there are plenty of Civil Rights injustices to be found in the news headlines today, these are minimal compared to what was occurring when To Kill a Mockingbird went into production. The early '60s were a powder keg, with acts of bigotry and racial hatred peppering the evening news as the Civil Rights movement gained momentum. For a film as clear-eyed and unflinching as this one to arrive in theaters during such a turbulent period is nothing short of astounding. To Kill a Mockingbird confronts prejudice head-on, and illustrates that justice is not always color-blind. This is one instance when right does not triumph, and everyone in the audience is aware of it. Today, one wonders if a story like this could be told, or if the tide of political correctness and audience disinclination to appreciate anything with an downbeat resolution would force a change.

As uncertain as the political climate was during the '60s, it was even more volatile in the '30s, which is when To Kill a Mockingbird is set. The movie takes place in the small Alabama town of Maycomb over the span of a little more than a year, bounded by two summers. Atticus Finch (Gregory Peck) is an upright lawyer with unimpeachable ethics. If there were more attorneys like him, the Law could indeed be considered a noble profession. A widower, Atticus has the responsibility of caring for his two children - his 10 year-old son, Jem (Phillip Alford), and his six year-old daughter, Scout (Mary Badham). Jem and Scout are typical children, spending their time going to school and playing outside. And they have a weird fascination with the Radley house down the street, where the mysterious Boo Radley (Robert Duvall) lives. Boo is the local Bogeyman, a figure who never emerges from his house, but about whom a monstrous legend has developed. As with all such fearful tales, the stories about Boo equally frighten and attract Jem and Scout.

When Atticus takes the case of Tom Robinson (Brock Peters), a black man wrongfully accused of raping a white woman, some of the townsfolk turn against him, especially Bob Ewell (James Anderson), the racist father of the so-called victim. For Atticus, unlike many of the inhabitants of Maycomb, Tom's situation is about justice, not skin color. But the South is changing slowly, and there are far more men like Ewell, who see black men as frightening figures. Although Atticus presents a strong case that proves Tom's innocence, the charged man is nevertheless found guilty by a jury that is unwilling to take the word of a black man over that of a white one. Justice is not served, and a tragedy results.

To Kill a Mockingbird presents its story through the eyes of children, and one child in particular - Scout (who is the stand-in for writer Lee). Director Robert Mulligan is unwavering throughout the course of this movie to ensure that the point-of-view remains constant. The actions of all the characters are filtered through the eyes of Jem and Scout. We see Atticus as both a noble lawyer and a loving father. Bob Ewell is a monster. Tom Robinson is a tragic figure. And Boo Radley is the Bogeyman - the personification of mystery that hangs thick in the air on summer nights.

A collateral aspect of this approach allows the filmmakers to examine the difference between how children and adults perceive danger. During one scene, an angry mob advances upon Atticus as he stands watch outside the jail where Tom is being held. From an objective vantage point, this would be viewed as a highly unstable situation, yet Jem and Scout are unafraid. After all, Atticus is there and they are simply standing by his side. Nevertheless, in their encounters with Boo, limited though they may be, the children are frightened witless (even though, as we learn later, Boo is a gentle man, and one of his actions transforms him from Bogeyman to Savior in Scout's eyes).

For the most part, Mulligan's style is subdued. He avoids grandstanding and allows the emotional power of the story to work without overt manipulation. The strongest piece of evidence of this arises in the aftermath of the court scene. Atticus has lost, but has fought valiantly, and, as he gathers his paper and leaves the building, the black observers rise and silently salute him. There is no clapping and the music score does not intrusively demand that we understand that this is an important moment in what it says about justice and race relations.

One of To Kill a Mockingbird's strengths is the powerful sense of time and place it develops. Ironically, for a movie that so forcefully evokes a setting, this was not filmed on-location. Before To Kill a Mockingbird went into production, Mulligan and producer Alan Pakula took a team to Lee's hometown of Monroeville, but found it unsuitable for filming. Modernization had crowed out the quaintness of 30 years prior, rending the town unable to represent itself in the 1930s. So, Mulligan and Pakula had a "replica" of Monroeville constructed on a Universal Pictures backlot. The children's world - a simple street lined by several houses - is the result of movie-making magic. And, when Lee saw it, she commented upon how perfect the illusion was.

Russell Harlan's black-and-white cinematography is evocative, transporting us to the depression-era deep South. We don't just observe Maycomb from a distance. We feel it. We are there. The opening voiceover monologue establishes the time and place in a tangible manner that the film never loses. And the immediacy of the setting enhances the believability of the characters. It is with these words that To Kill a Mockingbird begins: "Maycomb was a tired old town, even in 1932, when I first knew it. Somehow, it was hotter then. Men's stiff collars wilted by nine in the morning. Ladies bathed before noon, after their three o'clock naps, and by nightfall were like soft teacakes with frosting from sweating and sweet talcum. The day was 24 hours long, but seemed longer. There's no hurry, for there's nowhere to go and nothing to buy, and no money to buy it with, although Maycomb county has recently been told that it had nothing to fear but fear itself. That summer, I was six years old." Those words alone cast a spell. Coupled with the images, they function as a time machine.

Two well-known names appear in the cast list of To Kill a Mockingbird. The "big" star is Gregory Peck, who, at the time, was in the prime of his career. During the previous three years, he had appeared in a number of high-profile productions, including How the West Was Won, Cape Fear, The Guns of Navarone, and On the Beach. For the role of Atticus, which earned him his only Best Actor Oscar, Peck toned down his approach and gave a contained performance that illustrated Atticus' control while hinting at his great passion for justice and his children.

The second easily recognized name belongs to Robert Duvall. In 1962, Duvall was an unknown. To Kill a Mockingbird was his first role, but his performances as the silent, sensitive Boo brought him to the notice of directors around Hollywood. For Duvall, the role is a challenge, since he is required to convey the essence of Boo through body language and expressions. And Duvall's screen time is limited. Boo is not seen until the end of the film, after Bob Ewell has attacked Scout and Jem. It is in defense of Boo (who saved his children) that Atticus is forced to set aside one of his most cherished principles.

Arguably, the two most important members of the cast are Mary Badham and Phillip Alford, who play Scout and Jem. Despite being non-professionals with no previous experience, these two are excellent and unaffected in their performances. There is none of the awkwardness that is often associated with younger actors (especially those who are being exposed for the first time to movie cameras). The film's success rests in large part upon their effectiveness and ability to identify with their characters.

To Kill a Mockingbird has only one human bad guy (considering, of course, that the pervasive bigotry infecting the South during the '30s is the chief villain) - the racist Bob Ewell, who is portrayed with chilling malevolence by James Anderson, an actor who lobbied for the job, claiming that he understood the character. By all accounts, Anderson had the reputation of being difficult to work with and did not always get along with his co-stars, but his performance speaks loudly. Regardless of how much of Ewell is in Anderson, it's a memorable example of acting. By contrast, Brock Peters plays Tom Robinson with a quiet nobility. The script demands that we never question Tom's innocence, and Peters ensures that this is the case.

To Kill a Mockingbird is a faithful adaptation of one of the 20th century's most important American works of literature. It is also a masterpiece in its own right. This is one of those rare productions where everything is in place - a superior script, a perfect cast, and a director who has a clear vision and achieves what he sets out to do. To Kill a Mockingbird is universally recognized as a classic, and the label is well deserved.

What is ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ About, Explained

The movie ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ is based on a novel of the same name written by American author Harper Lee. The novel is one of the most celebrated books of its time. It was written in the year 1960 and won the Pulitzer Prize the following year. It was also made into a movie the next year i.e. 1962. That is the only book ever written by Harper Lee and is still counted among the best books ever written. The film is more than decent adaptation of the novel. It is directed by Robert Mulligan and stars Gregory Peck in the lead role of Atticus Finch who is the protagonist of the movie. Mary Badham, who played Scout, was nominated for the Academy Award for best supporting actress making her the youngest actor ever to be nominated for an Academy Award at that time.

The Plot

The plot of the movie is completely based on the novel. The movie is set in the 1930s in a fictional town by the name of Maycomb in the state of Alabama. The inhabitants of the town are quite colorful and we get to see an array of characters. Jean Louise Finch who is nicknamed Scout is a six-year-old girl. Her older brother is Jeremy Atticus Finch and is often called as Jem. They live along with their widowed father Atticus Finch who is a lawyer and goes to work in his office at downtown. The kids stay at home and spend their time playing. The kids are taken care by their black caretaker Calpurnia. The kids are quite close to her. The plot primarily focuses on these three main characters, i.e. Scout, Jem, and their father Atticus.

The kids meet Dill Harris who is their neighbour’s son. They have fun playing together. The kids take quite a bit of interest in the secluded house where Boo (the name by which the kids call him) Radley leaves. It seems that Boo hasn’t left his home in years. Dill starts telling scary stuff about him. He tells Scout and Jem that Bob is mentally disabled and thus his father keeps him chained to the bed and beats him. He is around six feet tall and has yellow, rotten teeth. He catches squirrels and small birds and eats them.

Atticus Finch, the father of the kids, is a lawyer. He is quite an honest man who believes in equal justice for all. He is also quite kind-hearted and tries his best to help people get justice even if they don’t have any money to pay. This is quite evident from the fact when Scout sees her father accepting nuts as a payment for his services from a man named Mr. Cunnigham who didn’t have any money to pay. Atticus is also quite liberal in his attitude towards his kids. He lets them use his first name to address him. Though their dad is quite upright morally, the kids come to know of the horrors plaguing their social system through his work. They learn the harsh effects of racism. Through these experiences they learn and mature.

There easy going life is dealt a severe blow when the Town Judge asks Atticus to defend Tom Robinson who has been accused of raping a white girl named Mayella. Everything would have been normal but the problem is that Tom is a black man and any black man even accused of raping a white girl was not going to be taken lightly. But without thinking about what bystanders might say Atticus accepts the case. This makes everyone hostile towards him. But the repercussions of his decision doesn’t stop there. It affects his family too. The kids start getting bullied in the school, and the children start calling their dad names. When a kid calls Atticus a ‘ni***r lover’, Scout gets really angry and gets into a fight. But Atticus keeps a calm head and tells them that the reason he took the case was because he believes that everyone has the right to a fair trial. If he does not take the case of Tom then no one will and thus he will not get any justice that he deserves.

But people in the town doesn’t like Atticus’s involvement in the case and when Atticus is at the local prison where Tom is staying a mob shows up to kill Tom at any cost. Things might have become worse if Scout, her brother Jem and their friend Dill would not have decided to visit their father. Once there, Scout recognises Mr. Cunnigham in the crowd. Unaware of the purpose of the mob she tells him to say hello to his son who studies at the same school as her. Mr. Cunningham feels guilty and embarrassed and he along with the mob leaves the prison. Thus, unknowingly Scout ends up saving both her father and Tom.

Then we are treated to a series of courtroom scenes where we see Atticus try his best to present the facts to the case in front of the jury. These scenes are some of the most celebrated scenes of the movie. Here we get to understand what really happened at the Ewell household. What Mayella Ewell and her father Bob Ewell claims is that Tom raped Mayella and then beat her. But Tom presents a different version of the story. He says that he was asked by Mayella to help her with some work involving the making of a chifforobe. Once he was there, she started forcing herself on him despite him trying to shake her off. While this was going on Mayella’s father Bob Ewell arrives on the scene and sees her daughter trying to force herself on Tom . He gets angry and abuses his daughter. Tom gets really afraid and flees from the scene. Before leaving he sees Bib abusing and beating his daughter.

The plausibility of Tom’s version if the story is confirmed by Atticus by presenting certain facts about the case. One of the main facts was that Mayella seems to have been beaten by someone who uses their left hand extensively. But Atticus points out that Tom’s left hand is crippled. He also shows that Bob Ewell is left-handed and thus there is no doubt that he was the one who assaulted Mayella and not Tom. He also lets the jury know that a doctor has not examined Mayella for any signs of rape. He urges the jury to base their decision just facts and try to put their prejudice aside. But the all-white jury doesn’t budge even after compelling evidence provided by Atticus and end up declaring that Tom is guilty of raping Mayella. This was a severe blow to Atticus who had really thought that he had a chance to get Tom the justice he deserves. After the judgement, all white people get up and leave the courtroom but the blacks stay, and when Atticus started leaving the courtroom they stood up in respect to show him that they appreciate what he had done for them.

One of the main reasons for Atticus’s defeat was Tom’s sympathy towards Mayella. He told the jury that he felt sorry for her. This thing was exploited by the prosecutor who told the jury that he is trying to be a black man feeling sorry for a white woman. This kind of added to the already orthodox decision that the all-white jury had made. After the proceedings at the court finish Atticus goes home. But his life was only going to get harder. When he reached home he found Sheriff Tate, who informs Atticus that Tom Robinson was dead. While he was being escorted, Tom broke free and began to run. The police officer decided to shoot to injure him. But he ended up killing Tom. Sheriff Tate adds that Tom was behaving like a crazy man. After hearing the news of Tom’s death Atticus feels that it is his responsibility as Tom’s lawyer to let his wife know of his demise. He along with his son Jem goes to Tom’s house. There he breaks the news of her husband’s death. Outside Tom’s house, Bob Ewell asks Atticus to come out. Bob then spits on Atticus’s face. Atticus remains calm and wipes his face with his handkerchief. He then goes to his car and heads home.

Time flies by, and Autumn arrives. It’s Halloween time, and Scout and Jem’s school is holding a Halloween pageant at night. Scout dresses herself as a hard-shelled ham which was one of the products of her county. During the pageant Scout’s shoe and her dress is misplaced and thus she has to walk back home along with her brother wearing her ham costume. The costume makes it hard for her to walk and her vision is sort of impaired in the costume. Suddenly, a man starts chasing them. They start running Scout has difficulty in fleeing. She sees that Jem is knocked unconscious but when the man tries to attack Scout with his knife the costume protects her. Then another unidentified man comes to their rescue. Before running off Scout sees the second man carrying Jem to their house.

Scout runs to her home. There she is received by her dad who was really concerned about her. Scout sees that her brother is lying unconscious on the bed and a doctor his checking on him. She also sees an unknown man standing near Jem. Atticus introduces the stranger to her daughter as Arthur Radley. This was the same Arthur Radley whom they used to call Boo. Turns out that the second unidentified man who saves Scout and Jem was Arthur himself and the man who attacked them was none other than Bob Ewell who was father of Mayella Ewell and had accused Tom of raping his daughter. To get revenge on Atticus he decided to attack his kids but in the nick of time Arthur arrived and saved the kids.

Atticus assumes that it was Jem who killed Bob in self-defense. But Sheriff Tate tells that it was not Jem who killed Bob rather it was Arthur who killed him to save the kids. But then the Sheriff adds that it will be unwise to pull Arthur into the limelight and declare him as a Hero who saved the kids. So, he starts reciting an entirely different set of events which ends with Bob Ewell falling on his own knife and dying thus keeping Arthur completely away from the events. He says that let the dead bury the dead. This is where the film ends.

The Acting

Since the movie is very much driven by the characters, solid performances were required to make the movie relatable and entertaining. And the actors in the film do more than just playing their parts. They complete the film with their incredible performances. Gregory Peck is outstanding in his role as Atticus Finch. He is a method actor and we can clearly see him embody the character as he nails the southern accent. His courtroom scenes were really great and are still counted as one of his best works. Gregory even got the Academy Award for the best actor for his role. Robert Duvall portrays the character of Arthur Radley. It was his first big screen debut. Though brief he asserts his presence on the screen for whatever little time he is in a scene. The other actors were quite good at their job too, especially the child actors. Mary Badham as mentioned before got nominated for the Academy Award for the best supporting actress. The actor who portrays Tom Robinson is Brock Peters. His emotional courtroom scene is quite hard-hitting as he nails the character of a man who is doomed from the beginning.

The Ending

The ending of the novel draws a comparison between Arthur Radley and Tom Robinson both of whom had been shunned by the society. The movie ends on this note too. Arthur Radley is an eccentric individual who has become a recluse and has withdrawn himself from the society but Scout, her brother Jem, and their friend Dill brings him back to the society. Sheriff Tate thinks that it won’t be a good idea to bring Arthur in front of public eyes as he is a recluse rather he tells that he will tell a different series of events where Bob ends up falling on his own knife and dying. He says that let the dead bury the dead. This version of events might give the idea of divine justice where Bob gets punished for committing the sin. The sin to kill a Mockingbird. Here Tom Robinson represeants Mockingbird.

Final Word

To Kill a Mockingbird is almost a perfect film. The only issue I have with the film is that I found black characters weren’t given many dialogues. For example, when Atticus goes to Tom’s house to break the news of her husband’s death she doesn’t say anything. I guess this might be because the director is trying to show oppression of the blacks. But I would have liked to see a bit more dialogues delivered by them. I feel the film kind of shifts the tone from black oppression to the greatness of a white liberal. Personally, I would have liked it to be a bit more even toned.

Anyway, all said and done, the film deserves all the attention it got. It is one of those films that leaves you with feeling good about this world we live in. If you are into books, I would strongly suggest that you should read ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ before watching the film. It will be well worth your time.