The American Classic

Rating: 9/10 (3 January 2013)

Up in Canada, To Kill A Mockingbird was our novel studied in the eighth grade. I don't remember too much about Grade 8 now, and even less about the book, except that it was dreadfully boring for a 13-year old: I was too preoccupied by Lord of the Flies. Not even the movie could gather my interest.
I'm a bit older now and a lot more educated, so it was time to really take in this treasured film. And wow, what a difference a few years makes. This film, extraordinarily faithful to the source, grabs the atmosphere and setting of the film and spells it out on screen. TKAM is a wonderful story of adult issues through a child's eyes, under the watchful eye of moral hero Atticus Finch.
In just over two hours the effects of the Depression in the South is seen, as well as the lingering racism and prejudice of the Civil War, the vivid imagination of children and the effect a strong parent can have on children. The themes have very positive stances: this is no Grapes of Wrath. The film is family-friendly except for several contextual uses of the N- word.
Though it is a positive film, it is not an easy viewing. Like any great example of any medium, To Kill A Mockingbird is dense and not extremely easy to follow, due in part to its age and content- there's virtually no "action" and the one true scene of physical conflict is weak compared to the rest of the film. Another way to say it is that if you have a meeting with a film buff and you want to appear smart but haven't seen many classic films, don't start with this one.
I remember seeing the AFI's Heroes and Villains list and being a little put off by Atticus' place... but I can't now. He's a model parent and an inspiration to all- he has integrity and a calm persona, never letting his temper flare. Peck's voice is so assuring, and he just looks like an upstanding citizen who knows that kids are kids and that it's more important to go with what you believe is right than what others would try to make you do.
Seeing To Kill A Mockingbird is to read the book- a slow but expansive look at a slice of time through young eyes. It's a shame this came out in the same year as Lawrence of Arabia- one year either way and it may have received the awards to place it physically in the halls of time, if not our hearts. 9.3/10