Movie Review: To Kill A Mockingbird (TKAM)

Have you read the novel - To Kill a Mockingbird? If you haven't, go and grab one NOW, RIGHT NOW. It's a very nice story. It talks about racial segregation, how it was back in 1930's where there was a big-thick-yet-invisible wall between the blacks and whites. If you are not really into reading, then watch the movie. This movie I am talking about is based on the novel which is written by Harper Lee. She wrote this book in 1960s. She was born in 1926 in Monroeville, Alabama and has been awarded the Pulitzer Prize, two honorary degrees and various other literary and library awards. The book she wrote, To Kill a Mockingbird, has won Pulitzer Prize and has been sold over 30,000,000 copies!!

In this movie, there are few changes has been made. I think it might be hard for them to follow the real exact to what has written in the book. The director of the movie also might want to put some extra ideas rather than sticking to the original idea of the book. I believe so because I directed a play, Macbeth -- well, a play is almost the same with a drama -- and I did change some of the ideas in Macbeth simply because I'd prefer to have more creative ideas rather than following meticulously what's in the book, of course without changing any important part, and some of the things in Macbeth just need to be changed because it's just hard to act some scenes out. Anyway, the theme must stays the same. So does the movie, TKAM. It's not exactly the same but the idea is there - how strong the wall is built between the blacks and whites long before today.

It is a great movie. I almost let one of my tears rolls down my pinkish cheek (oops.. ^^). It is sad especially when Tom Robinson is charged guilty of raping Mayella just because he is black -- when everyone in the town knows that he is not guilty, knows that Mayella is just making up stories, knows that he is incapable of doing so, but still they have to put him in jail simply because he is BLACK. He has a family to take care of, but still they put him in jail. He is already so poor, still it didn't change their verdict. He then decides to run away when they are on their way to put him in jail, and they shot him dead. Sad, don't you think?

Why is the title 'To Kill a Mockingbird'? That's what we call as symbolism. It's a literature term to use a word, a phrase or a description, which represents a deeper meaning than the word itself. In this movie, Atticus Finch, a single father of two children, Jem and Scout, told his children to never kill a mockingbird. He said that it is a sin. Why? Because they didn't do anything that harm us. All they did is sing for us, made beautiful melodies for us. If you watch the movie -- or even better, to read the novel -- you will know that the mockingbird is a symbolism for the blacks, or to be specific, Tom Robinson. He did nothing but helped Mayella in any way possible. He is trying to be helpful but the society never wants to treat him nicely.

The movie teaches a lot about life. Just by watching it, I learn a lot about life compare to my own 19 years of experience. It teaches me about how unfair life can be -- yet you can still fight for it, and should never ever give up like Tom Robinson does. It teaches me how one decision can change one's whole life -- yet we have to be brave to make our own decision like when Atticus decides to fight for Tom Robinson. He knows that everyone in the town is disagree of his decision to stand up for Tom, but still he does it. See, it changes my opinion of life by just watching it for two hours. Worth my time. If you want the novel or the movie, you can always ask me. ^^

Lady Macbeth Character Analysis

Lady Macbeth is a very strong and important character in the play Macbeth since she started the tragedy in the play. She brings a great influence to Macbeth of killing King Duncan right after Macbeth told her the prophecies that was told to him by the 'weird sisters' (witches).

Since the beginning of the play, Lady Macbeth can be seen as someone who is very well respected. Even King Duncan himself calls her "honored hostess" and "fair and noble hostess". Not only she is respected by King Duncan because of she is the hostess but as King Duncan looks up to Macbeth for his great loyalty especially when he wins the great battle between Scotland and Norway, King Duncan also respects her as the wife of his noble general, Macbeth.

She is a very ambitious and persuasive character too. She persuades Macbeth to kill King Duncan and be the next king because she knows if Macbeth becomes the King of Scotland, then both of them will have the benefits. Even though she looks as if she is a cold-blooded woman as she is very ambitious, many of us overlooked the femininity inside her. She is actually fragile that she has to ask the evil spirits to "unsex" her so that she will be able to do the deed. Her fragility can also be seen through her soliloquy while waiting for Macbeth to kill the king, "had he [King Duncan] not resembled my father as he slept, I had done't".

Lady Macbeth can be very manipulative as well. The moment Macbeth comes back to his sense and refuses to "proceed no further in this business [kill King Duncan]", she quickly questions him of his manhood and his love to her. Her strong statement asking Macbeth to "screw your [Macbeth] courage to the sticking-place" gives Macbeth the strength again to kill King Duncan. She has successfully influenced him with just few words.

Other than that, Lady Macbeth can also be said as meticulous. She makes sure everything is according to the plan. After the assassination, Macbeth is so scared that he forgot to do exactly as planned but Lady Macbeth goes back to the crime scene and "gild the faces of the grooms withal for it must seem their guilt".

Quick-witted is also one of Lady Macbeth character. She thinks very quickly when Macbeth's guilt making him sees the ghost of Banquo in his party. Macbeth spins out of control and starts making his guests confused and horrified. Lady Macbeth quickly tells their guests that Macbeth "is often thus, and hath been from his youth".

Female is usually associated with a weak emotion control. So does Lady Macbeth. She couldn't bear with her guilt at last that she started sleep walking and in the end committed suicide.