The Movie
Author Harper Lee only published one book, but who needs another when your debut is To Kill a Mockingbird? Her semi-autobiographical tale of growing up in the American South during The Great Depression is an ode to childhood innocence, until the ugliness of men intrudes. We're taught that to kill a mockingbird, to harm something that puts only good into the world, is a horrible sin. But that's exactly what young siblings Scout and Jem witness, even if they can't quite understand the hatred and anger in the adults' hearts.
The film is a brilliant adaptation, sensitively reshaped by screenwriter Horton Foote, tightly directed by Robert Mulligan and brilliantly cast from the top down. Gregory Peck stars in his Oscar-winning role of Atticus Finch, a kindhearted lawyer (not a typo) and the strong, compassionate father that every kid wishes he/she had. A single parent with a sincere respect for women, children, and African Americans, he's ahead of the curve in just about every way. So he might be the only hope for a black man who stands accused of raping a white girl. And when more violence erupts after the verdict, the brother and sister receive an unexpected savior.
The Picture
This new HD version of the 1.85:1, black-and-white To Kill a Mockingbird is the result of an outstanding restoration. The video is high-bitrate VC-1, hovering near the 30-megabit-per-second mark. The clarity of the image celebrates the nuances of grass and leaves and reveals the subtle differences in the actors' complexions. Pinstriped clothing, particularly in the big courtroom scene, is pleasingly stable, while shadow detail is exceptional throughout, with deep, inky blacks. I noted faint noise in some out-of-focus backgrounds or in particularly difficult areas of the frame.
A strange softness is introduced to the movie itself by the director's occasional use of optical push-ins, essentially a post-production zoom-in on the already-shot film. Even so, great care was made during the restoration to tweak the grain and make it look less distracting.
The Sound
The surrounds in the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix--re-channeled from mono--are used sparingly, but the soundfield does open up to allow Elmer Bernstein's emotional musical score to fill the room, the light notes of the piano floating all around us. The movie is dialogue-driven, and that dialogue even displays an appreciable echo outside the jailhouse, and the track is enlivened by some incidental effects: birds (mockingbirds?) chirping in the rears, plus a couple of sharp, resonant gunshots. No question, this is the best that I have ever heard this movie sound.
The Extras
Most of the bonus material here dates back to the two different DVD editions, and even the laserdisc, but it's all worth preserving. In addition to the audio commentary by director Robert Mulligan and producer Alan J. Pakula, there's Charles Kiselyak's wonderfully comprehensive 90-minute Fearful Symmetry documentary about the movie, from 1998.
The 98-minute "Conversation with Gregory Peck" is an intimate 1999 documentary about one of the greatest movie stars of all time, and the assortment of clips honoring him at various points in his long, illustrious career is counterbalanced by a 12-minute segment with actress Mary Badham (Scout)... largely discussing Mr. Peck. The image quality varies, but all began their home video lives in standard definition.
New here is a fascinating nine-minute featurette about the studio's centennial catalog restoration, which bodes quite well for the year ahead on Blu-ray. Exclusive to Blu is the new "U-Control" Bonus View option narrated by Peck offspring Cecilia and Anthony, with other participants plus photos. The disc is enhanced with the pocket BLU app for portable content and control on a handheld device, and with BD-Live internet connectivity.
Disc Two is a DVD of the movie with a subset of the above-mentioned features. Also included is a code for a downloadable Digital Copy of To Kill a Mockingbird for iTunes.
Final Thoughts
This exquisite, respectful 50th anniversary edition of one of our most beloved movies is a tribute to Universal's commitment to their esteemed catalog. Restored, enhanced, and viewable in three different formats, the To Kill a Mockingbird Blu-ray is highly recommended.
Product Details
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