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Revisiting “To Kill a Mockingbird” (1962)

This was originally scheduled to go out last month but alas, time apparently does not stand still while you are trying to get on with the business of your life. In any regard, this post is the latest entry in my continuing look at some the classics that Universal Studios has given the cinematic world in its landmark 100 years.

Today I will be taking a quick look at To Kill a Mockingbird, the moving adaptation of Harper Lee’s novel. Before I get into particulars, let me state for the record: I have not read the source material; I have made at least two wholehearted efforts to do so, but given my history of not completing novels, it should not be entirely surprising. Also, I have not seen the film is quite a while so my recollection of the finer details of the plot should not be heavily relied upon.

For those who have not seen this film in the 50 years since its initial release, it has become a stalwart representation of American cinema at its very best, often appearing on several “all time” lists.

Adapted for the screen by noted playwright and all around wordsmith Horton Foote, and with memorable performance by one Gregory Peck (as Atticus Finch – AWESOME name BTW), the film is seen through the eyes of his daughter Scout, played by Mary Badham and son Jem (portrayed by Phlip Alford). Atticus is a lawyer in the fictional Maycomb, Alabama, who is tasked with defending an innocent black man, Tom Robinson (Brock Peters); Tom has been accused of raping a young white woman. The ensuing trial shatters the wide-eyed naivety of Scout and Jem, who for the first time, are seeing the ugly side of humanity in the form racial prejudice and injustice.

I almost find it hard to put into words Peck’s performance in this film, mainly because I find it hard to summarize a characterization of a man whose morality is unflappable in face of all that surround him. He is a Superman for the Everyman, I guess. In fact all the players (including Robert Duvall in his film debut) resonate with an authenticity and sincerity that draw you in and keep you captivated throughout the story.

Again director Robert Mulligan proves that he was quite masterful at telling the “small-town American story” with a lovely, sentimental heart.

 

That’s me done: have you seen this film? What did you think about it?

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Revisiting “Frankenstein” (1931)

IT’S ALIVE!!!

IT’S ALIVE!!!

For my latest entry where I cover the Universal 100th series, I am going to take a look at a film where (finally!) I have read at least one of the sources upon which the story is based.  Although known primarily by its Gothic novel by Mary Shelley, the film is actually based on the stage play written by Peggy Webling. This is similar to the film (and earlier ILC entry) Dracula.

For those unfamiliar with the story, I suggest you read the story. Dr. Frankenstein (portrayed in this film by Colin Clive), is obsessed with reanimation, the recreation of life. In order to achieve this, he and his assistant Fritz (Dwight Frye) harvest body parts, all in the hope of creating life through electricity. Unbeknownst to them, one of the parts they have collected (the brain) comes from a criminally psychotic man. You can guess where this is leading …

For me the most moving and touching scene is when The Monster (Boris Karloff) is on the run and he starts playing with the little girl. In fact this scene leads into probably the most iconic scene of them all – the marching of the townspeople hell-bent on revenge tragedy involving the village girl, when the townspeople are in pursuit. It is a sequence which has remained with me all these years later.

If I were to choose between the two monster movies (Dracula or Frankenstein), I would say that this is by some measure my preferred film.

Check out this original trailer for the movie:

Along with a couple of my favorite scenes:

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Revisiting “Jaws” (1975)

I decided to save this selection from the “Universal 100th” for the time around the summer blockbuster season. For, we are told, it is the film (Jaws) that CREATED the summer blockbuster. I think this passage found in “the Wikipedia” just about sums it up as best as possible:

Generally well received by critics, Jaws became the highest-grossing film in history at the time. It won several awards for its soundtrack and editing, and it is often cited as one of the greatest films of all time … Jaws was pivotal in establishing the modern Hollywood business model, which revolves around blockbuster action and adventure pictures with simple “high-concept” premises that are released in the summer at thousands of theaters and supported by heavy advertising.

Source: Wikipedia

As for the movie itself and my reaction to it,  let’s just say it took me a while to be able to sit down and watch this one through. This film may be singlehandedly be responsible for my avoiding beaches and the like for the greater part of my childhood and team years.

From a visual perspective and when compared to present-day effects-laden spectacles, one could argue that the film’s bark is worse than its bite. But of course they are wrong; there is something happening here that is WAY beyond visual effect. The imminent threat that is mostly not there is the most frightening and affecting aspect of the film . I would even go as far as to say that you do not even need to see the shark, as evidenced by the opening sequence, where we see a young skinny dipper being pulled under water.

Based on the best-selling novel by Peter Benchley, Jaws is set in the fictional town of Amity where, after the aforementioned attack, Police Chief Brody (Roy Scheider) wants to close the beach. But seeing as it is the peak tourist season, he is forced to go along with keeping the beach open and suppressing the true nature of the attack.

After a second person is attacked and killed by a shark on the beach, Amity draws the attention of marine biologist Hooper (Richard Dreyfus) and “shark bounty hunter” Quint (Robert Shaw). And the battle of men versus beast begins …

My favorite scene? When Quint (Shaw) recounts the tale of the USS Indianapolis (a real-life WWII incident). The fact that this is actually happened adds even more dramatic tension and fear to what we see onscreen.

Based on the evidence of this film, one can easily say that in the subsequent 37 years since its initial release, we have been offered up, for the most part (there are notable exceptions, of course), increasingly inferior and lackluster blockbusters. Nothing beats the original.

On a related note: can you believe that Steven Spielberg was only twenty-seven years young when he co-wrote and directed this feature? WOW!

Let me know your thoughts on the film below.

OTHER TRIVIA

According to filmsite.org, the plot for both the novel and the film were taken from several sources including:

  • Herman Melville’s 1851 Moby Dick, about a search for a monstrous sea creature (a great white whale) by a determined Captain Ahab
  • Ibsen’s 1882 classic play An Enemy of the People
  • the exploits of diver Peter Gimbel’s shark expedition recounted in the documentary film Blue Water, White Death (1971)
  • Peter Matthiessen’s 1971 non-fiction book Blue Meridian: The Search for the Great White Shark
  • two great 50s horror films: The Creature From the Black Lagoon (1954) and The Monster That Challenged the World (1957)
  • a real-life incident on the New Jersey shore in the summer of 1916 that claimed five lives over the course of two weeks

Source: filmsite.org

 

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