TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD (1962)

Title: TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

Year of Release: 1962

Director: Robert Mulligan

Genre: Drama

Synopsis: A lawyer in 1930s Alabama takes on the case of a black man accused of raping a white woman.

Within a film history context: Movies which have a lawyer protagonist have been present in cinema for many years since the silent screen. One of the first documented films was Allan Dwan's THE COUNTY CHAIRMAN (1914). In this, a tug of war between two men occurs, one of them being a lawyer, with past incidents such as business and romantic rivalries rearing their head. More domestic in its outlook was ALWAYS IN THE WAY (1915). Starring Mary Miles Minter, it  was concerned with a young girl neglected by her father, a lawyer, who remarries after the death of his wife, the stepmother viewing the stepdaughter as an unnecessary obstacle. Frank Lloyd's A TALE OF TWO CITIES (1917) set in 1790s France, showed how a lawyer saved an aristocrat, who, incidentally, was married to his great love. In a similar vein to ALWAYS IN THE WAY, HOUSE OF CARDS (1917), directed by Alice Guy, revolved around a young protagonist. A young girl is feeling abandoned emotionally by her parents, her father being a lawyer, and runs away with a young man. Moralistic in nature was Harry Revier's THE GRAIN OF DUST (1918). Here an innocent young woman is loved by a young lawyer who schemes to get closer to her, but his machinations cause her torment. As with the 1910s, the 1920s silent era was also a time of varied depictions of lawyers in cinema.

CAUSE FOR DIVORCE (1923), directed by Hugh Dierker, was about romantic entanglements in a family. The daughter of a man, married to a lawyer, falls for a smooth man who is up to no good. Somewhat more comic in its intentions was Robert Leonard's CHEAPER TO MARRY (1925). This film focused on two lawyers in a firm, and how one partner tries to convince the other to stay away from his mistress so that he can have her instead. A darker view of lawyers could be found in SUPER SPEED (1925), directed by Albert Rogell. This time around, the lawyer is trying to take advantage of someone else's invention, but, the protagonist will not allow him to do so. Inventive in its naughtiness was E. Mason Hooper's GETTING GERTIE'S GARTER (1927). Again, the indiscretions of a lawyer's private life are in view, with a garter causing untold anguish for him, with comic results. Signs of the changing times were explored in DON'T MARRY (1928), a comedy helmed by James Tinling. In this film, a liberated flapper has her eye on a young lawyer, who has antiquated views of women, and disguises herself as another woman, with the intention of making him realize modern women are better than Victorian women. As evidenced by the above films, the majority were comic in nature, but still said much to audiences of the time.

The 1930s featured a plethora of lawyer-themed films. D.W. Griffith's ABRAHAM LINCOLN (1930), was a biographical account of the American president, statesman and lawyer. THE NAUGHTY FLIRT (1930), directed by Edward F. Cline, was a comedy of a young woman who has a thing for a handsome lawyer. More dramatic was Frank Lloyd's THE RIGHT OF WAY (1931). Starring Conrad Nagel as an uppity lawyer whose life takes an unexpected turn, suspected of something he did not do, events conspire for him to face his trespasses and correct these. A more sympathetic view of lawyers can be found in THREE WHO LOVED (1931), directed by George Archainbaud. In this film, a committed young man studying to be a lawyer finds himself in both romantic, and legal trouble. More domestic in inclination was Clarence Brown's A FREE SOUL (1931). With Norma Shearer in the lead role, it focused on a lawyer whose daughter falls for his gambler client. Matters were of an entirely different nature in DRIFTING SOULS (1932), directed by Louis King. Here, a female lawyer provided the drama, with a young woman seeking to fund her father's medical operation, and becoming involved with an assortment of shady characters. Things were more heated in Richard Thorpe's CROSS-EXAMINATION (1932), with H.B. Warner as an attorney seeking the truth about a boy charged with patricide. 1932's LAWYER MAN, directed by William Dieterle, followed the private life of a lawyer, his professional career, and romantic escapades. Marital infidelity was given a workout in William Wyler's COUNCELLOR AT LAW (1933), with John Barrymore as a lawyer cuckolded by wife Doris Kenyon. This is just a small sample of the many films with lawyers in the lead role in the 1930s, a decade which seemed to feature innumerable lawyer protagonists.

In the 1940s, many star vehicles, as in the other decades, were developed to showcase the lawyer theme for audiences. 1940's REMEMBER THE NIGHT, directed by Mitchell Leisen, starred Fred McMurray and Barbara Stanwyck in one of their teamings as a lawyer and his shoplifter client, and the love that develops between them. Nick Grinde's CONVICTED WOMAN (1940) had a female lawyer defending a woman against the charge of theft, with many unexpected twists and turns. TEXAS TERRORS (1940), directed by George Sherman, was slightly different from prior lawyer films. In this movie, which had a western theme, a lawyer seeks retaliation on the person who caused the death of his parents. Films about real-life lawyers appeared rarely on screen, with Frank Borzage's THE VANISHING VIRGINIAN (1942) the exception. This films followed the life of Robert Yancey, a Virginian district attorney, and was a change of pace for the genre. For A STRANGER IN TOWN (1943), directed by Roy Rowland, matters were of a different nature. With this film, an attorney battles corrupt people seeking to become mayor, but finding assistance from an unlikely source. D. Ross Lederman's DANGEROUS BUSINESS (1946) was a drama with comic asides. A male and a female lawyer create a partnership, and take on the case of a man who believes he has been framed for an act he did not commit. Things took a comical turn with CROSS MY HEART (1946), directed by John Berry. With Betty Hutton in the lead role, it was about a woman who tries to elevate her husband's business reputation with a lie - about a crime she had no part in. Alfred Hitchcock's more serious THE PARADINE CASE (1947) showed how a married lawyer falls for the woman he is defending, and the fallout in his marriage. One of the best examples of lawyer films arrived at the end of the decade. ADAM'S RIB (1949), directed by George Cukor, was a sprightly showcase for Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn as married lawyers on opposite sides of the legal fence, displaying their rivalry in all arenas for the audience to understand. 

The 1950s began with a more serious portrayal of lawyers than in the 1940s, in keeping in line with post-war pessimism in cinema. Anthony Mann's SIDE STREET (1950) was about a young man who becomes involved with a untoward lawyer, leading to harmful repercussions for him. In a much more light-hearted vein, THE BIG HANGOVER (1950), directed by Norman Krasna, has a law graduate trying his best to conceal his weakness; a reaction to the smell of alcohol. An underhanded lawyer, something previous films had investigated, was the focus of Henry Levin's TWO OF A KIND (1951). In this production, a lawyer machinates with another man to lay stake to the fortune of a wealthy man. In an alternate vein, finding one's strength is the crux of THE PEOPLE AGAINST O'HARA (1951), helmed by John Sturges. With Spencer Tracy in the lead, it followed an attorney returning to the legal fold to defend his neighbour's son. More heart-stopping was Don Siegel's COUNT THE HOURS! (1953). Here a lawyer takes on the case of two married ranch workers accused of murder, but they are innocent of the crime. DOUBLE JEOPARDY (1955), directed by R.G. Springsteen, was more action-oriented in flavour, but still had its dramatic moments. In this instance, a lawyer defends his amour's father, who is accused of killing a man who was blackmailing him. One of the most famous films with a legal theme was Alfred Hitchcock's WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION (1957). A man accused of murder is defended by his British lawyer, with many of the typical comic, and dramatic touches that were symbolic of Mr Hitchcock's filmmaking style. One of the most profitable courtroom dramas was ANATOMY OF A MURDER (1959), directed by Otto Preminger. With James Stewart in the pivotal role of lawyer Paul Biegler, it was about his defense of a man accused of killing the man who raped his wife, but matters were not as simple as first thought in this film. TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, while concerned with a lawyer and both his business, and personal lives, had the intricate storylines of many of the above examples, but diverted from previous films in certain areas.

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, based upon the novel of the same name by Harper Lee, is a film that intimately depicts the family life of its protagonist, lawyer Atticus Finch, and the effect that his occupation has on his children, particularly his daughter Scout. Never before had a film taken the time to establish the lawyer lead character in such detail, likewise for his children, and the supporting characters who populate the movie. The film is balanced in the spotlight it shines on the adult characters, but also, on the younger characters. It is as if the viewer knows the characters, and what they are going through, in a thorough manner. It is easy for the spectator to feel an affinity for, and closeness to, the characters because of this.

The movie was also notable for the number of elements and themes that it explores in an exhaustive fashion, such as family, loyalty, racism, ignorance, childhood games, and coming of age. It was equitable in this respect, with all of these ringing true, never being out of place. The film's piece de resistance, being the trial of a black man suspected of raping a white woman, is probably the most moving, incisive, tragic courtroom scene ever presented to audiences. Lacking the melodrama that can sometimes make courtroom scenes risible to viewers, it is as if a true event is unfolding in real time for the spectator, and this is largely emblematic of TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD in its documentary-style approach.

Overview: Robert Mulligan was the director of twenty motion pictures over thirty-three years, with many years spent in television. His movies are stories with a sympathetic edge, making audiences comprehend what makes characters tick in an intensive manner. After spending several years working in television, Mr Mulligan made his directorial debut with FEAR STRIKES OUT (1957). The story of real-life baseball player Jimmy Piersall, it was notable for starring Anthony Perkins in his third movie role. After a few more years in television, Mr Mulligan made THE RAT RACE (1960). It was a comedy-drama with Tony Curtis and Debbie Reynolds as a musician who arrives in New York, and falls for a dancer. In a similar but more dramatic vein was one of his most famous pictures, LOVE WITH THE PROPER STRANGER (1963). Natalie Wood and Steve McQueen were, respectively, a department store assistant and a musician, with Miss Wood falling pregnant to Mr Queen's character. More great films followed in the years after for Mr Mulligan. BABY THE RAIN MUST FALL (1965) was a melodrama about a footloose man just out of jail, and trying to make it up to his wife and young daughter. Fine work from both Lee Remick and Steve McQueen as the lead actors, it was a memorable and moody piece of cinema, shot in stark black and white. 

Continuing with realistic stories and situations, 1967 marked the release of UP THE DOWN STAIRCASE. Featuring Sandy Dennis as a school teacher in a New York high school, it was hailed for its lead performance and its authenticity. Four years after this film, one of Mr Mulligan's most commercially successful movies was released, SUMMER OF '42 (1971). The sensitive recollections of a young man who falls in love with a married woman in the early 1940s, it is remembered for its performances, and the evocation of a time and place which Mr Mulligan delicately expressed on screen. Moving forward into the late 1970s, Mr Mulligan helmed BLOODBROTHERS (1978). A drama with Richard Gere as an Italian-American in the shadow of his older brother, attempting to carve his own niche in life, it was an actor's picture also starring Paul Sorvino and Tony Lo Bianco in major roles. Another distinctive film in his collection was SAME TIME, NEXT YEAR (1978). Taking CLOSE ENCOUNTER to a different level, it was about a married man and a married woman who embark on an affair, and meet at the same time every year when they first began their liaison. A touching observation of feelings and middle-aged angst, it provided great roles for Alan Alda and Ellen Burstyn as the couple in question. TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD shared the sensibilities of Mr Mulligan's other films, whereby the viewer gains an intimate knowledge of the characters and their psychology, but added its own original touches.

It is the well-crafted story of lawyer Atticus Finch, and his young family in the Alabama of the 1930s, and how Atticus takes on the case of a black man accused of raping a white woman. Mr Mulligan takes his time with establishing the story and the characters who inhabit its world, making the viewer feel for them, and know them on a deep level. We understand what makes Atticus and his children tick, likewise for the peripheral characters who appear within the film's running time. While this works to a large degree, the first half of the movie is a little slow in retrospect, with some scenes taking too much screen time that could have been eliminated or shortened, tightening the film as a whole. Possibly this was done to make the first half more of a starting point for the characters and their situations, but it does hurt the film's impact slightly. This is the film's only downside, as the remainder of the elements are executed in an excellent manner.

The second part of the film, beginning with the court case, is where the pieces start to fall into place, and where it really finds its footing. It seems as if the first part was a warm up for the second half, but what a second half it is. The courtroom scene, working back and forth from lawyer to defendant, lawyer to witnesses, is breathtaking in its execution. The writing and acting meld together in such a cohesive, emotive manner in these sequences, that one forgets that they are watching a film, and it invites belief in the proceedings. Mr Mulligan is also to be credited for his balanced view of racial relations in the film. Both sides of the equation are presented to audiences to consider, without showing favour for one or the other in an impartial manner. The movie is one that elicits varied feelings in the spectator which would certainly lead to discussion of racial relations and identity. In looking at the film as a whole, though, and whatever its faults, it can be said that TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD is a genuine and rewarding film experience that reflects well of its director, and his humanistic view of life.

Acting: The acting in TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD is one of its strongest assets. In the lead role of Atticus Finch, Gregory Peck was in his finest hour in this film. A character of strength, determination, fearlessness, courage and empathy, Mr Peck is the glue that holds the film together, his presence assuring the film of its success. A handsome actor whose serious nature made him suitable for films with a deeper view of humanity, Mr Peck is in his element as Atticus. As his daughter Scout, Mary Badham was a revelation of a child actress. Going toe to toe with Mr Peck in all their scenes together, it is as if she was really his offspring, and they were also matched in terms of her being his conscience. Miss Badham is featured in some of the most moving scenes ever filmed by a child actress, so affecting is her acting that one forgets that she is acting; she is Scout. There are three other performers whose work in the film deserve recognition.

Brock Peters, as Tom Robinson, the man accused of rape by Mayella Ewell, provides some of the most soul-stirring work in TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD. Seeing Mr Peters on the witness stand, cracking under the pressure of an intense trial, is something that would wring tears out of even the most hardened of viewers. Mr Peters, quite simply put, is brilliant in these sequences. Also excellent in the film is Collin Wilcox Paxton as Mayella Ewell, the young woman who put Tom Robinson in this predicament. Miss Paxton does well as the impulsive, unjust, confused young woman, the viewer able to read her feelings from her face and body language. The final acting part of note is James Anderson as Bon Ewell, Mayella's rough, racist father. Playing a character with such villainous intent can sometimes make a part one-note, but Mr Anderson makes the character understandable, even if he can be thoroughly repellent at times.

Soundtrack: Elmer Bernstein's excellent instrumental soundtrack adds a thoughtful, solemn touch to the movie. Used appropriately in all respects, and especially during the quieter segments, it heightens the suspense when necessary, but, on the other hand, creates a warm, inspirational aura.

Mise-en-scene: The locations and sets in TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD are exceptional, painting a vivid picture of life in the 1930s South for viewers. The film's sense of milieu is peerless, positioning the characters in this with realistic backdrops that are authentic to the eye. It is as if this small town really could have existed in real life, with sets such as the Finch family home the standout. The courtroom is also notable, providing a clear view of the actors and the proceedings for the audience in these pivotal scenes. Also deserving unreserved praise is the film's photography. Russell Harlan's cinematography is just perfect, especially the scenes set during the evening, with shadows and darkness adding a haunting atmosphere to the action. This is one of many post-1960s films in which black and white works exceedingly well to capture past times, and highlight serious content, such as HUD (1963) and THE LAST PICTURE SHOW (1971).

Award-worthy performances in my opinion: Gregory Peck, Mary Badham, Brock Peters, Collin Wilcox Paxton, James Anderson.

Suitability for young viewers: Parental discretion advised. Adult themes, low-level violence.

Overall Grade: B

Link: IMDB Page

Trailer