Friday, June 22, 2012

The Great Scenes # 34: To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)

Directed by Robert Mulligan

The film version of Harper Lee's classic novel is also a classic film. This scene is probably the reason why Gregory Peck is considered one of the best film actors of all time. It's an electrifying, impassioned speech which makes doubly frustrating that the all-white male jury still came up with that verdict in a subsequent scene. I do think this speech played a little role in the civil rights movement, even just a little bit.

4 comments:

Adam said...

I remember seeing the movie in school, so good

Mark said...

That was an amazing speech. It would be impressive if it did help the civil rights movement too. I imagine a fair amount of literature and movies did, some probably held it back as well though.

msmariah said...

They just don't make movies like this anymore. Incredible, incredible film.

Brigid Daull Brockway said...

It's even more amazing considering that a huge swath of the movie-viewing public back then would have been deeply offended by such racially tolerant rhetoric.