Posted: 01/31/2012

To Kill a Mockingbird: 50th Anniversary Edition

(1962)

by Amber Burnham

Now available in a Blu-ray/DVD/Digital copy combo pack from Universal Home Entertainment.

In celebration of Universal Studios’ 100th Anniversary, the studio is re-releasing some of their most important films for the first time on beautifully restored Blu-rays. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) is appropriately one of the first titles in the year-long lineup to receive a loving restoration for its own 50th Anniversary. This 2-disc Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy combo pack boasts a stunning transfer of this classic film supported by a wealth of special features.

To Kill a Mockingbird is a subtle and beautiful film that tells the tale of a family in Alabama during the depression. While racial inequality is one of To Kill A Mockingbird’s key themes and the aspect of the story that first springs to mind when thinking about it, there are many other issues addressed. This complex tale also addresses issues of class difference, poverty, compassion, courage, gender roles, as well as the loss of innocence. With so many themes at work here, the movie could easily be bogged down and difficult to take in. This is not the case.

To Kill a Mockingbird moves in such a way that you are not always aware of the complex themes at work, but you will respond to them emotionally. And these themes develop naturally, as would they would in real life. This is no surprise since it is based on an event that happened in the childhood of the source novel’s author, Harper Lee. None of the social issues presented are thrown in your face, instead it is left for you to interpret the meanings. Although there are times when morals are indeed stated throughout the movie, they do not come off as overtly preachy but rather as examples of the movie’s subtle ability to allow you to observe the events from another person’s perspective.

Gregory Peck’s performance as lawyer Atticus Finch is just as beautiful, natural, and nuanced as the movie itself. No matter how many times I hear his closing monologue during the film’s rape trial of Tom Robinson, I find myself overwhelmed by emotions that can only be let out by tears. This is, in short, quintessential viewing.

The Blu-ray disc features a gorgeous HD restoration of the original 35mm film elements and a DTS-HD Master 5.1 audio mix free of pops and crackles. The video is pristine and meticulously restored with consideration to the grain of the original film stock. You can learn a lot about Universal’s restoration processes in the featurette “100 Years of Universal: Restoring the Classics.” However, you do learn watching it that the restoration of To Kill a Mockingbird included a slightly questionable averaging of the film grain during optical push-ins.

Along with the beautiful restoration from the original 35mm film, this edition of To Kill a Mockingbird has a multitude of great special features. Included in the special features are two feature-length documentaries entitled Fearful Symmetry and A Conversation with Gregory Peck. Fearful Symmetry talks with the cast and crew of To Kill a Mockingbird and how it was made. It also takes a look at the hometown of author Harper Lee which includes interviews from residents of the town. A Conversation with Gregory Peck is a look at the beloved actor using interviews, film clips, home movies, and much more. There is an interview with actress Mary Badham, Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird, on her experiences working with Gregory Peck.

Several speeches are included in the special features; the acceptance speech from the Academy Award for Best Actor, remarks from when Peck won the American Film Institute Lifetime Achievement Award, as well as excerpts from a speech given by Peck’s daughter when the Academy celebrated his life. Also included is a feature commentary by director Robert Mulligan and producer Alan Pakula, and a theatrical trailer.

Amber Burnham has a BA in Early Childhood Education from Kendall College. She is also a regular panelist on Kichicast, the all-girl, Chicago-based podcast devoted to anime, manga, and Japanese culture. You can listen to Kichicast at kichigi.com.

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