After hearing nothing but critical acclaim for this film, and the book it was based on, I finally got to see it. I am quite amazed at how well done this film is, and how timeless the theme is. I haven't read the book, but I'm considering it, just to see if there are any details that were left out. The story is amazing and exceptionally told. As far as I know, the film is as close to the book as it could possibly be; some call it the most accurate book-to-film conversion ever. The plot is very good, it takes a timeless problem and presents it to us, through the innocent eyes of a naive child. The pace is very good; apart from The Godfather(the first one) and one or two other exceptions, this is the only drama where there was truly not one single moment that I found dull, boring or unimportant. Nothing seemed trivial in the film. The perspective that is forced upon us is that of a young child, naive and innocent. This is a brilliant idea, as the eyes of a child is without a doubt one of the most impressionable things in the world, and the film handles this perfectly. What really makes the film, apart from the brilliant and possibly unique perspective, is the fact that the children are likable, credible and charming. You couldn't help but like them; believe me, normally I really dislike children. I find them annoying, loud and egotistical. But with this film, I couldn't, for one second, muster up any tiny amount of aggression, or even annoyance. They come off as so likable, charming, and, most importantly, *real*. Almost every kid in any Hollywood movie is either a completely ridiculous stereotype/cliché of a brat, who does nothing but destroy things around him, or the exact opposite, a little angel. Everyone knows that no child is the latter all the time, and even I will admit that there probably doesn't exist too many children who are the first, either. In this film, the children are completely real. They are naive, innocent, they disobey what their father tells them, but ultimately, they obviously love and respect their father, and they never do anything, anything at all, with the intent to hurt or harm someone or something. That is what a child is; innocent. They do what they do because they do not know better. This film provides a perfect view into their world, or, rather, their perspective of it. The acting is excellent. The child actors exceed all expectations. I was amazed at how professional and convincing they were. The other actors all give great performances as well. The cinematography is excellent; once again, it gives a perfect perspective on what your surroundings look like when you're a child. The characters are well-written, credible and well-casted. The dialog was well-written. The script was excellent. A very memorable and beautiful film, should be viewed by almost anyone. I recommend this to anyone who likes dramas, and just about anyone who for one reason or another might enjoy this. Don't be scared off by it being over forty years old, or it being black and white; it's an excellent film, and just about anyone would enjoy it. Don't miss this perfect film. 10/10

While occasionally my reviews go on and on and on, this one simply doesn't need to be exhaustive, as so much has already been said about this film and it has received so many accolades. Most everyone knows that this film is a classic and it deserves a fine reputation--particularly for the fine acting and writing as well as its social impact.

Peck plays a small town lawyer who has been assigned to defend a Black man who has been accused of raping a White woman--a pretty tough subject for an American film of the era. The defense of this man and the town's prejudice is all seen through the eyes his children--making this film an excellent one to show children, though its appeal is universal (unless you are an avowed racist, I guess).

Peck was one of the greatest actors of his age and perhaps apart from 12 O'CLOCK HIGH and possibly the underrated BIG COUNTRY, this was his greatest film role. See this and see him at his best.

To start with, the book is absolutely wonderful with great characters and a moving story. To Kill a Mockingbird is one of the best adaptations of a book, it is not only faithful to the source material but it almost improves on it. Do I have any criticisms? Not really, other than to say that the film is a tad overlong for my liking. But it is a brilliant film, with a beautifully crafted story that still maintains the emotional punch of the book about a lawyer in the Deep South and the effect of the rape trial on his children. The film is beautifully shot, the whole film is incredible to watch, and the score is sensitive. The script is effective and sticks closely to the book, and the direction from Robert Mulligan is very impressive. The acting is really good, I have read that Henry Fonda would have been better for Atticus Finch, although Fonda was a great actor, Gregory Peck does give a superb and career-best performance in this film. And he is very well supported by an excellent Robert Duvall as disturbed Boo Radley, while Mary Badham and Phillip Alford are very well-cast as the children. Overall, a wonderful and faithful adaptation and just an excellent film really. 9.5/10 Bethany Cox