An Incredible Masterpiece!

Rating: 10/10 (29 August 2015)

To Kill A Mockingbird is a film that could very well be two films. It's a drama about growing up and coming of age during an era of civil rights unrest. But that civil rights unrest also is the subject of the second "film," a courtroom drama featuring a black man wrongfully convicted of a crime. This is a fantastic movie and one of the best movies to come out of the 1960's. But the racial themes underlying this film is still relevant today, and perhaps people should pay more attention to Gregory Peck's speech at the end of the movie regarding racism. There have never been more truer words spoken on film. I loved every aspect of the film from the very tense drama to the excellent black-and-white cinematography to the satisfying ending to the excellent score by Elmer Bernstein.
Robert Mulligan's film takes us to a Depression-era town where a poor lawyer named Atticus Finch lives with his two children, Jem and Scout. Finch is assigned to a case where this black man is convicted for the rape of a young woman. The town gets riled up about the case, and Atticus and his two kids may find themselves in danger.
It's funny because a film based off a beloved novel would gain more of a well-known cast. But the only star here is Gregory Peck and he does a wonderful job as Atticus Finch. I think that speech he delivers in the end gave him that Oscar. Mary Badham does a wonderful job as the young Scout, and I am disheartened that she stopped her acting career soon after this film's release, because she gave such a magnificent performance. Also, this film is Robert Duvall's first screen role and with limited screen time, his character as Boo Radley is another memorable character this movie offers.
Overall, To Kill A Mockingbird is one of the best films of the 1960's or even in the history of cinema. Not only is it an effective drama, it has racial themes that occurred during the height of the Civil Rights Movement. This is one of the films that actually put sympathy towards the movement during this time period. One of my favorite scenes involves Atticus standing guard against a mob in which Scout comes to his rescue. That was a very moving scene and one of the many memorable scenes in the film. A fantastic movie that is part of our history and one for every generation to see.
My Grade: A+