A MUST see Classic!!

Rating: 9/10 (9 December 2014)

Simply put, To Kill a Mockingbird is one of the best racial and discriminatory based movies in the industry. I'm amazed how the movie forced me to empathize with black people who were being discriminated against. There were multiple times during the movie that I felt a deep sorrow and anguish towards an individual. One of my favorite scenes, and arguably the most compelling scene of the movie took place when Atticus Finch was exiting the courtroom. When court was adjourned, out of respect, all the black people remained in the courtroom and stood up as Atticus Finch exited the courtroom. The appreciation and gratitude that was demonstrated by the black people towards a white man that fought for them was stunning and packed full of emotions.
To Kill a Mockingbird was produced in 1960 by Alan J. Pakula. The director, Robert Mulligan, faced an overwhelming task of transforming the famous novel into a film. The film's success was due in large part of the spectacular job that Pakula and Mulligan did with developing the roles played by the characters. There were three children that played major roles in this film; Jem was played by Philip Alford, Mary Badham as Scout, and John Megna played the role of Dill. I learned that all three of these youngsters had minimal experience in the acting business. I would have never known this to be true; the director did an amazing job of filming the scenes with the children. It was as if the director allowed them to be natural opposed to acting from a script.
One of the main characters was Atticus Finch, played by Gregory Peck. Atticus is an attorney in the film, and represents the black man accused of raping a girl. In the film Atticus is a man of integrity and is highly respected in every aspect of his life. He is highly regarded as a professional, father figure, and is well respected in the community. Another main character is played by Brock Peters; he plays the role of Tom Robinson, a black man who is falsely accused of raping a white girl. Tom faces the death penalty if he is found guilty of rape. Even if he isn't found guilty, I felt that he was going to be killed either way. This message hit home with me, I could relate to the power and hopelessness that prejudice can have on someone.
When Atticus Finch makes the decision to lawfully represent a minority in Tom Robinson, I knew immediately the type of person Atticus was. A white man representing a black man in the deep south of Alabama during the 1930's was unheard of. It took someone with courage, dignity, and compassion to stand up and do the right thing; Atticus Finch was the perfect man for the job.
There was not a better man that could have represented a minority during this time period. The courtroom proceedings will have you sitting on the edge of your seat. Atticus Finch does not disappoint as he uses a strategy to unveil Tom Robinson's innocence. The children make a surprise, yet sneaky court appearance to watch Atticus represent a minority. The children sit in the balcony with all of the black folks; this was a marvelous way that the director uses to demonstrate the children's innocence towards racism. The director's main idea in doing this is to demonstrate that racism is a learned idea and attitude that is developed based on ones' surroundings.
The way the movie is filmed allows an individual to feel as if they are in the movie themselves. The acting presented in the film is very natural, and is aided by the simple film angles that are used. From the humanized characters, to the simplistic film angles, the director does a great job in making To Kill a Mockingbird a personable film. This personal down home feel allows viewers to indulge themselves into the movie. This indulgence makes it near impossible for the viewer not to relate and sympathize with the black community. The one scene that demonstrates this best for me was the scene when the white man spits in Atticus' face for representing Tom Robinson. I was so indulged in the film, I literally felt that the white man spat in my face. I felt the disgust and the hurt that Atticus must have been feeling. Faced with a tremendous amount of disrespect, Atticus was true to his character, and was the better man in turning and walking away. Even though Atticus was a white man he could now directly relate to how the black community felt.
I cannot recommend To Kill a Mockingbird enough. While children in their innocence may not be able to sympathize with the movie, this is a great movie for young adults and adults alike. The film represents humanity and equality at its' greatest. The character of Atticus Finch alone is an adequate reason to watch this film. If you want to learn about true character, dignity, humbleness, and respect, just watch the character of Atticus Finch and be prepared to be blown away. I have a feeling that this film will be a classic for many years to come, and will remind Americans of their past time and how far society has come.