One of the all-time
great achievements in 20th century literature is also a defining masterpiece of
the American cinema. All works of art are meant to inspire. Too few in popular
entertainment these days do and even fewer still have that ability to remain
fresh and relevant in both their warmth and sincerity some fifty years after
they first made their debut. Robert Mulligan's lyrical production of To Kill A Mockingbird (1962) retains
its former glory as a ghost flower of bygone film making perennially renewed by
the im-‘Peck’-able performance of its star. To see it once is to remember it
forever. Gregory Peck’s Atticus Finch is more than a rock steady exemplar of
the graceful man in all his waning flourish. It is a finely
wrought portrait of humanity at its finest. Horton Foote's screenplay exhibits
a timeless appeal that is understated and faithful to Harper Lee’s poetic novel,
but it is Peck who makes the printed word live on in our hearts. If movies are
meant to reflect our most intimate hopes and desires for the human race, then To Kill A Mockingbird retains in its
ability to ask ourselves to strive to be better people.
Peck’s
undaunted lawyer is bound by duty to the law. Yet he is determined by an
intuitive code of ethics that dictates every fiber of his conscience, remaining
the moral compass of the story. The character of Atticus Finch will forever be
synonymous with the actor’s name, perhaps because the man and his filmic alter
ego parallel in perpetuity that persona of ‘integrity personified’. There is a
greatness to author Harper Lee's southern attorney, heroic in all his
understated eloquence, magnificently given life through Peck's equally
magnanimous characterization. His Atticus Finch is the human race's greatest
champion and its most humble servant.
From its
unconventional main title sequence, celebrating the lost recesses of a child’s
imagination, to the quiet rectitude with which Peck transforms a seemingly soft
spoken gentleman into the very pillar of masculine veracity, there is much to
admire throughout To Kill A Mockingbird.
Henry Bumstead's superb production design and Russell Harlan's evocative
cinematography capture the essence and flavor of the decaying south. Elmer
Bernstein's score embarks as the seemingly random notes of a child's meandering
hum, miraculously transformed into the epitome a truly memorable American life.
Based on the
novel my Harper Lee, the film tells the story of a small town lawyer, Atticus
Finch (Peck) and his unassuming determination to exonerate black man, Tom
Robinson (Brook Peters) from the false accusation of raping a white farm girl,
Mayella Violet Ewell (Collin Wilcox). The girl's racist father, Bob (James
Anderson) is exploiting the case to mask his own abuse of his daughter. The
story diverges from this public scandal into an intimate snapshot of propriety
and hypocrisies. In this secondary narrative that parallels the central themes
of tolerance and equality, Atticus’ children Jem (Philip Alfort) and Jean Louise
'Scout' (Mary Badham) share an unjustifiable fear and mistrust of mentally
challenged neighborhood boy, Arthur 'Boo' Radley (Robert Duvall).
Both stories
are seen entirely through the children’s eyes; their curiosities peaked at
discovering tiny presents left for them inside a hollow tree by Boo, their
hearts and minds forever changed by Atticus' involvement in this controversial
case that will ultimately stir a newfound admiration and respect for their
father. Eventually Scout’s prejudice toward Boo gives way to kindly
understanding – a lesson learned the hard way after both she and Jem are rescued
by Boo from imminent harm.
The very best
American movies all possess a great affinity for solid story telling coupled
with outstanding performances. But To
Kill A Mockingbird is more than just a good story or a great performance.
It is perhaps the single most unvarnished and honest social critique to
effectively capture a moment in time, exemplifying the impact that strength
true character can have on an entire town. On every level then, To Kill A Mockingbird is a class act. Small
wonder that in a recent AFI poll of screen heroes Peck's Atticus Finch
continues to top out at #1. Throughout filming, Gregory Peck referred to a
pocket watch to keep his character on time. The watch was a studio prop.
However, after Harper Lee saw the rough cut of the film she gave Peck a time
piece belonging to her late father on which she had based the character of Atticus
Finch, explaining to the actor that his performance so completely reminded her
of him that at some point she could almost believe he was her father. As an
actor, Peck could have been paid no finer a compliment.
Most fitting,
Universal Home Video has chosen a Blu-ray release of To Kill A Mockingbird to kick off its 100th anniversary in film
making. However, I am not entirely certain the results are what I expected to
see. True enough, this transfer exhibits a pristine B&W rendering with none
of the digitized shortcomings of previously issued DVDs. Edge enhancement is
gone. So is pixelization. But the real concern here is film grain. Where is it?
The image appears to have been excessively scrubbed. In a restoration
featurette included on this disc the experts explain that the pans and zooms in
the film were done optically - meaning not in camera but in the actual editing
of the film (blowing up the image), resulting in an obvious and occasionally
distracting increase of film grain. The restorationists have therefore
attempted to minimize the grain to provide us with a smooth rendering on
Blu-ray. But when is smooth, too smooth?
To Kill A Mockingbird has always
looked a tad soft to me on home video and this Blu-ray is no exception. Fine
details are present, but not nearly as defined as I expected them to be.
Contrast levels are solid and the gray scale looks marvelous. As I say, I'm
still not entirely certain this is the best the film might have looked on
Blu-ray. I suspect too much DNR has resulted in a more waxen than necessary
visual characteristic. The new DTS audio really adds kick to Elmer Bernstein's
score. Dialogue continues to sound strident and thin, but hey - this is a
re-purposing of a vintage mono track. Due diligence has been paid in preserving
it and that's about all that can be expected. So, good news here.
Not so much
good news however in the way all of the many extra features have been handled.
Virtually all are in 480i and look generally terrible. The worst of the lot is
Fearful Symmetry - the glowing and exceptionally comprehensive documentary on
the making of the film. Shot in an aspect ratio of 1:85:1, this exceptional
piece has not even been enhanced for widescreen TVs - for shame! Extras also
include Gregory Peck’s rather lackluster Oscar acceptance speech. Peck redeems
himself some thirty years later giving a superb oration at the AFI’s Life Time Achievement Award ceremony
that unequivocally proves why he’s a true rarity in Hollywood; a gentleman
first and actor second.
Next up is
Cecilia Peck’s loving (if slightly rambling) tribute to her late father, given
during an honorary Academy dinner. Then there is Mary Badham’s glowing and
respectful reminiscence of working with Peck on the film. Finally, we get 'Conversations with Gregory Peck' - a
thorough and comprehensive tribute to the lecture series Peck gave in the late
1980s, chocked full of memorable appearances and backstage interviews.
I would have really liked to highly
recommended this disc because I love the film so much. And truly, this new
1080p transfer easily bests anything we've seen on home video before. But
Universal's lack of attention to preserving the extras in their best possible
presentation is, frankly, inexcusable. I've grown somewhat sullen over the years
about studios simply slapping out extra features just to say that they have
them without giving them their proper due. Parting thoughts: To Kill A Mockingbird is being released in two competing editions:
one a disc only offering, the other in booklet form. Both are identical in
their disc content. Personally, I can't see why anyone would spend eleven
dollars more for a 44 page booklet that is basically a cut and paste job of
photos and press junket materials.
FILM RATING (out of 5 - 5 being the best)
5+
VIDEO/AUDIO
3.5 (for feature) 1 (for extras)
EXTRAS
4.5
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