Review of To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) by Kok Hoong F — 02 Sep 2012

Viewed on 5/7/04 (Mon).

I am surprised so much of the trial of a wronged black man is mentioned together with the film when it is about a third of the story. Also the movie is always seen as Gregory Peck's movie when it actually belongs to the two children of his Atticus Finch. And. I always see this movie as just another condemning racism when it is much more than that. No wonder it is a secondary school literature text and the trailer recommended the film to children. It is all about the coming-of-age of two children, the trial is part of it but there is also a Bogeyman nicknamed Boo (played by a very young Robert Duvall), a summer friend and a very close shave with murder. During the trial, there are even subtle mentions of incest rape and a white girl's repressed sexual urge.

I never really know how wrongly the film is being promoted these years until I see the making-of documentary which really explains the actual intentions of the book and film. At one and a half hour long (oh gosh, if add on to the film length, it is like watching Seven Samurai again), it not only interviews the key actors but also the residents of the author's hometown. With all respect, it is boring. The book is about the author's childhood but thankfully the movie streamlined into a elegantly-paced and sublimely acted children movie worth recommending to all young adults who are about to see the end of their innocence and the cruel dangers in adulthood.

Rating: A-.