Evaluation of to Kill a Mockingbird

The grown up Scout, narrates her retrospective story of one life changing summer, as seen through her eyes, as a six-year-old tomboy. Scout (Mary Badham), her brother Jem, and their summer time friend, Dill, spend their days gallivanting through town, playing with tires as toys, telling exaggerated stories, and challenging each other to approach the dilapidated and gloomy house of the neighborhood “bogeyman”, a recluse named Boo Radley (Robert Duval), who was rumored to be a vicious and scary creature. The focus on Boo is quickly overshadowed when Scouts widowed Father, lawyer Atticus Finch (Gregory Peck), takes the insurmountable case, of a black man accused of raping a white woman. In a time before desegregation was even a thought, black people were viewed as despicable and disposable. Atticus, however, whose integrity and character is rare, wholeheartedly attended to the case despite the wide spread racism of that time. Incorporating a sentimental and thought provoking plot, combined with exceptional cinematography and award winning performances, To Kill A Mockingbird, is a timeless story of character, prejudice, and a coming of age.

Based on the classic novel, by Harper Lee, To Kill A Mockingbird, is set in a small Alabama town in the 1930's. This complicated and sophisticated story is presented simply; a mesmerizing feature is the ability of the grown up Scout to narrate the film as an adult looking back while simultaneously displaying the view of the world through the innocence of a child. Controversial subject matter such as racism, judgment, and injustice are themes throughout the film, the harsh reality of these elements are softened by the incorruptibility of Scout. Although the movie does not express outright what the children think and feel the unique set up allows you to look upward at each situation. Seeing it through the eyes of a child grants you the ability to understand their perspective. Some critics, however, say this is the one flaw