Robert Mulligan - To Kill a Mockingbird (1962), 4/10

To Kill a Mockingbird is a decent novel and its film adaptation follows suit. Gregory Peck embodies the greatness of Atticus Finch’s character, and the children act remarkably well, yet Mulligan does little to build upon the themes of the novel, using practically none of the potential unique to the visual medium. Not only does the film squander its potential, but it falls prey to all of the shortcomings of the literature it portrays, potentially even more so. The contemporary criticism of the novel’s white savior and its very limited, narrow portrayals of women and black characters is impossible to ignore, especially with the film’s additional focus on the trial of Tom Robinson, a character who exists in order to reflect Atticus’ heroism and provide what amounts to cheap tears. Like the novel, the story redeems itself with a shred of historical complexity after Tom’s death, but again the film does very little to explore the potential left lingering in the book. Apart from literally transitioning from page to screen, the film To Kill a Mockingbird is un uncreative and unimaginative interpretation of an overpraised novel. It will continue to persist due to great acting performances, particularly Peck’s, and the novel’s power as a cultural influencer during the early sixties.