To Kill a Mockingbird

On September 11, 2010, I had the opportunity to view To Kill A Mockingbird, starring Gregory Peck. As a winner of three Academy Awards and the ranking of 34 on the American Film Institute’s top 100 Films of All Time list, To Kill a Mockingbird is certainly a great classic that continues to change many viewer’s perspective on racial issues.

To Kill a Mockingbird is based on Harper Lee’s novel of the same name. Its exploration of racism set in the 1930s mirrors the issues of the Civil Rights movement that were occurring during at the time of the film’s release in 1962. It movingly shows how little had changed since the 1930s and exposed more of the deeply rooted problems of the South during the 1960s. With the Civil Rights movement in full force, African Americans began protesting inequalities through freedom rides on the bus systems in 1961. By 1962, court orders were used to admit African Americans to Universities that had previously blocked them from admission. These events and others like them led up to what could be called one of the most intense social changes of the twentieth century. The fact that To Kill a Mockingbird was released during the Civil Rights movements gives power to an already powerful story and allowed viewers to easily connect the film to aspects of their own lives.

To Kill a Mockingbird uses many techniques to convey the message of racial tolerance to the viewer. One such technique is the use of opposite archetypal characters—specifically Atticus Finch and Bob Ewell. Atticus constantly does the right thing. He has integrity and stands up for what he believes in. Even though many people in the town are against him, Atticus continues to legally represent Tom Robinson, an African American. Bob, on the other hand, constantly lies and sneaks around to protect himself. He seeks to shift his own blame onto Tom Robinson because he is an African American. The juxtaposition of these two characters and particularly how they treat the African Americans in the story places an additional dimension of emphasis on the issue of racism. This black and white relationship betweenAtticus and Bob keeps the audience true to a moral compass and gives them a person to model themselves after.

Another way To Kill a Mockingbird added completeness to the exploration of racial injustice is through symbolism. One such symbol is the mockingbird. Although not explicitly shown, Atticus and Scout often make mention the tragedy of killing a mockingbird—something that is innocent and beautiful. The mockingbird in the story is symbolic of Tom Robinson, who is innocent of the crime of rape. Killing him represents the death of innocence caused by racism in their town. This symbol underscores the more obvious themes in the film and makes them stand out on an even more poignant level.

I loved this film. I remember reading the book in 9th grade with a student teacher and having an awful experience because she was an awful teacher. However, after watching the movie I remembered how beautifully the themes in the book are treated and how important they are to everyday life. It really made me think about our own society today and the issues of racism that we still harbor. It is sad that we still show racial intolerance after so many terrible events in our history. I also loved Gregory Peck’s performance as Atticus. I have scarcely been so moved by a speech in a movie as I was during Atticus speech in the courtroom. He raises so many interesting issues that are still applicable today. Films like To Kill a Mockingbird continue to remind us of everyone’s humanity and teach us to be more racially aware.

To Kill a Mockingbird has stood the test of time as one of our nation’s all time greatest films. Its relevance to social issues during its release up until today makes it a timeless classic that has changed my perspective on how we treat others.