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To Kill a Mockingbird (Collector's Edition)Rating:
Release Date: 02 January, 2002 Retail Price: $19.98 Sorry, this product is not currently available. Cast: Complete Cast (11 total) |
To Kill a Mockingbird (Collector's Edition) Reviews
An American Classic book and film.
To Kill a Mockingbird is certainly destined to be a classic of both American literature and American film-making, if it is not already. I would like to first discuss the novel from which the film was adapted. Then I will discuss the award winning film which can be obtained on DVD. Finally I will discuss the continued question about this work, which is whether it is a book for children or adults.
Harper Lee's novel continues to stimulate debate. Whereas the debate was about morality and racial relationships when the novel was written, the debate of late is centered on whether Harper Lee wrote a book for adults written through the eyes of a child or whether her intention was to write a book for children/young adults. I know I read the book when I was in the eighth grade and found it to be wonderful.But maybe it was fantastic because I was 14 years old and the moral clarity and wise heroism of Atticus Finch seems very right to my adolescent sense of justice. The re-claiming of Bo Radley back into the world of the living also gives a message about rejection, acceptance, reclaiming the lost, and affection. The novel is full of wonderful experience and moral commentary as presented through the eyes of a 7 year old tom-boy, a technique Mark Twain used in many of his novels. Twain recommended this style in fact pointing out that the hypocracy and odd motives of adults can be commented upon through nieve eyes with a sense of wonder and delightful humor.
The film, which captures poor rural Alabama perfectly, also was fantastic. Gegory Peck was outstanding, as were all the actors. The screen play is penetrating and tight, never letting the characters become cute country hicks. The black and white format with austere depression era sets compliments the actions, turning a residential street in a poor Alabama town into a microcosm of the world of good, bad, and misunderstood forces.
But is it for children or adults? Flannery O'Connor, the great writer, said that it amazed her that most adult readers didn't realize it was a children's book. This debate is re-introduced in the recent film "Capote" where a New York literary character asks Nelle Harper Lee at a cocktail party about the 'children's book' she had written and published. After a recent reviewing of the book and film, I find that the work actually has vast appeal to children, young adults, and adults. I don't mean this to be avoidance of answering the question, but the work has multiple levels of depth and moral instruction relevant to any age. The criticism that it is a children's book is usually based on the lack of moral ambiguity in the strong forceful wise character of Atticus Finch. However, he is surrounded by adults with quivering morality, including the county sherrif and a town full of persuadable white establishment. It may in fact be very realistic to portray a character with clear moral bearings such as Atticus Finch, since such persons do in fact live in reality and I have been lucky enough in my life to know many such fine persons and I personally aspire to such moral character and strength. I don't think this makes me childlike for I recognize character is long in developing,often tested, and always remains an unfinished work of art within us. This is the appeal of the adult reader/viewer for this classic work of American literature and film-making for in the end it calls upon all of us, child or adult, to aspire to our own strength of character and courage for the sake of justice.
Review of DVD To Kill a Mockingbird
The Legacy Series Edition of To Kill a Mockingbird is an excellent DVD set. In addition to the classic movie (which we never tire of), the special features are very interesting, including interviews with "Scout" (Mary Badham), and "Atticus Finch". It is easy to understand why Gregory Peck is so revered and respected as an actor.
To Kill a Mockingbird is an enduring classic, a moral lesson, as well as an entertaining story. We highly recommend this DVD set.
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