tesscat

I can't remember where exactly I heard it first, but some time during my years of working on a B.A. in English one of my teachers said that one of the most beautiful things there is is a "story well told." This movie, and book, clearly demonstrate that. The scenery, the music, the acting and the narration all work together to create a powerfully moving force. It is well worth watching more than once.

How often are we forced to endure the uninsightful changes that are made to American classics in the process of turning them into feature films? The 1939 version of this movie is a prime example. It, very simply, was not the story that Steinbeck wrote. The changes that were made were too sweeping to be seen as anything other than some ego thinking that Steinbeck could be improved upon.

Now, anyone who is truly familiar with Steinbeck knows that this is just not true. Gary Sinise has proven this familiarity. I have rarely had the pleasure of watching a movie that stayed so completely true to the original text. Not only does this movie not add or subtract from the book, the characters themselves are almost exactly how I had pictured them when I read this story for the first time.

If you are looking for overblown sex and violence, for spectacular special effects, or for unbelievable demonstrations raw physical strength, move on. This movie will not interest you in the slightest. However, if you are looking for a story of true love and true courage, if you are looking for a movie whose beauty stems from a raw sense of humanity, then find yourself a quiet place, where you won't be interrupted and watch this. You won't be let down.

While Harper Lee's drinking problems most likely played a large role in why none of her other works were successful, To Kill a Mockingbird stands as testimony to the fact that she was a great American talent. How this movie could ever rate anything below a 10 is beyond me, although I do know that everyone has their own taste.

The casting was perfection. I cannot imagine anyone other than Gregory Peck playing Atticus Finch. The role of Scout was also done extremely well.

The message of the story is timeless, and in fact, perhaps more important today than ever before. Some sad aspect of human nature causes us to reject what we don't understand as being dangerous. The worst part about it is that we live such complicated lives that those we reject are often, not only harmless, but simple, gentle creatures. I content that there are two mockingbirds in this story. The persecution of a black man and the persecution of an emotionally disturbed white man stand side by side, not only as the persecuted, but in many ways as the pure of heart. To kill a mockingbird is a crime because it offers only the beauty of its "simple" song. This movie does an outstanding job of portraying what happens when we attack what is simple.