A MEMORABLE MOCKINGBIRD

Rating: Null/10 (16 March 2003)

Since its publication in 1960, Harper Lee's novel TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD has attained the status of a classic work of American Literature , and rightfully so. Winner of the 1961 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction , it has become one of the most beloved books of all time ; indeed, one survey has claimed the book's popularity as being second only to The Bible ! However open to question those statistics are, there is no denying the charm and power of Ms. Lee's prose in telling a story of the Depression Era South ( fictional Maycomb, a "tired old town" in Alabama.) I first read the novel in the Spring of "63, just prior to seeing the film version which was soon opening at my home town's local movie theater. As an impressionable 14 year old, I was hooked by the book's Southern Gothic atmosphere, which seemed strangely alien to a middle class High School freshman living in upstate New York. As narrated in the first person by Jean Louise Finch (nickname Scout) , TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD is a remembrance of things past, at times humorous, often rueful and sometimes terrifying. It is also a memorial to Scout's father Atticus Finch, a middle aged trial lawyer who defends a local black man accused of raping a white woman. Scout's reminiscences cover alot of territory, and it is Harper Lee's special gift to be able to give the reader a succinct but substantial history of the Finch family tree, a short but important history of Maycomb County and its environs, and an evocative description of the Finch home and neighborhood surroundings. The novel's greatest achievement is giving voice to childhood joys and fears as delivered through the mind's eye of the older Scout , who sounds like a sophisticated, female variation of Huckleberry Finn ; older, wiser but possessing the charm, compassion and raillery of Twain's immortal character. And Lee's foray into Huck Finn territory is brilliantly displayed when Scout, her older brother Jem and friend Dill pursue the mystery of Boo Radley , a reclusive tenant who lives in the ramshackle house down the street. There's a bit of the Hardy Boys and Penrod on display here coupled with unnerving suspense, and a hint of the dangers that lurk just outside the imagined safe world of childhood. In adapting MOCKINGBIRD to the screen, veteran playwright Horton Foote was faced with the unenviable task of trying to preserve as closely as possible the outline of Lee's novel and to recreate as many memorable scenes and characters that had captivated an enormous reading public. This is usually a Herculean task, and right from the outset Foote started eliminating several characters and incidents in the book. Gone was Atticus's judgmental but well-meaning sister , Scout's Aunt Alexandra ; childhood friend Dill's Aunt Rachel was transformed into Aunt Stephanie , a more eccentric character to no doubt provide a little comic relief ; and Atticus's amiable brother Jack, an M.D. A striking sequence depicting a house fire was scratched, along with a memorable visit to Aunt Alexandra's house at Finch's Landing. What emerged on the screen was the basic story whittled down to it's most important elements : Atticus's decision to defend Tom Robinson , culminating in the trial itself ; and the childhood adventures of Scout, Jem and Dill and their obsession with the unseen Boo Radley. What is immediately obvious is that the film is not the book. There really is no substitute for Lee's indelible narrative. Scout's first person commentary is relegated to a few sparse musings, albeit expertly culled from the book. Since the narrative voice of Scout is basically missing, the movie is guided along by a more conventional story, and incidents that happen to and are observed by Scout (the great , often riotous classroom scenes) are mentioned as off stage happenings. However, the movie is a significant achievement and memorable in its own way. Producer Alan Pakula (who went on to become a topflight director), director Robert Mulligan and Mr. Foote have been faithful to the novel's essence. The screenplay includes the major plot points and retains as much of the original dialogue between characters as is possible in a film running a little over two hours. The stroke of genius in the production lies in the casting. Gregory Peck IS Atticus Finch. Not only does he fit the part like a glove ; he brings tremendous nuance to the role. It's a brilliant performance, one that speaks volumes even when the actor doesn't say a word. The inspiration continues in the roles of Atticus's children, superbly played by Philip Alford as Jem and Mary Badham as Scout. Badham's performance is particularly memorable. She beautifully captures Scout's tomboyish nature while exhibiting the tender qualities needed for her scenes with Atticus. Indeed, some of the movie's most unforgettable moments consist of father and daughter alone together. A scene where Atticus lets Scout handle his pocketwatch is indescribably moving, as is the subsequent bedtime dialogue between sister and brother concerning their deceased mother. As long as TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD stays rooted in the childrens' experience it remains a sublime entertainment. Unfortunately it hits a rough patch about halfway through when it comes to the trial scene, a crucial part of the story, but one the nearly undermines the steady filmic narrative that has gone before. In the novel Tom Robinson's trial is seen through Scout's literary eyes and ears. In the movie that voice is missing and we see Scout as part of the crowd in the balcony above, only when the camera decides to focus in that direction. As well acted as the trial sequence is, as beautifully as Gregory Peck conveys the earnestness and acuity of a smalltown defense attorney trying to save one man's life, the trial sequence stops the film dead in its tracks. Lasting a half hour in screen time , it is the film's one major caveat. And yet it is hard to figure what would have worked better. So much pertinent information is given here, the inherent prejudices of the townspeople , the underlying behavior of the witnesses on the stand : all crucial material. Once the trial ends the movie quickly gets back on its feet and as it draws towards its conclusion it becomes an unforgettable experience. One of the most beautifully lyrical and frightening scenes ever filmed is Scout and Jem's fateful nightime journey home through the woods. In a forest right out of Hansel and Gretel , the two children take their precarious steps in a moonlit shadowy landscape that rivals anything done by the great black and white cinematographers of the Silent Era. And then there is that magnificent ending, which I defy even the most hardened viewer not to feel a lump in the throat. When Mary Badham walks down that sidewalk for the last time on her way home,accompanied by composer Elmer Bernstein's haunting music score, you realize what kind of greatness motion pictures can achieve.