To Kill A Mockingbird Audiobook
Part 1
Your next task is to write a film review for the 1962 film, 'To Kill A Mockingbird', starring Gregory Peck.
You can find a film study guide here, where you will also find guides to film language such as high and low-angle shots, close-ups, sound, mise en scene and editing. You can also find information about the film on the Internet Movie Database here.
Key points to remember about a film review are:
* Use the present tense (Scout sees.... The camera zooms in...)
* Put the film title in single quotation marks: 'To Kill A Mockingbird'
* Any words from the film or text should be in speech marks: A powerful moment in the film is when Atticus (Gregory Peck) says, "You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view - until you climb into his skin and walk around in it."
Mise-en-scene - The film is set in Monroeville, Alabama, a small southern American town. It is based on the 1961 novel 'To Kill A Mockingbird' by Harper Lee. Shot entirely in black and white on set, the film narrates the story from the perspective of a young girl, Jean Louise Finch (Scout). The film is shot from a child's point of view, which creates an effect of .......................
Plot - The story focuses on the experiences of Scout and her older brother, Jem, along with their friend, Dill. Scout and Jem are brought up be their father, Atticus, as their mother died when they were young. Their housekeeper, Calpurnia, also looks after the children. Much of the narrative features the children's view of a court case their father, a lawyer, is involved in. Atticus has been engaged to defend Tom Robinson, a black man who has been accused of attacking a white girl.
Good points (use some of these phrases)-
One of my favourite parts of the film is ............................
I particularly enjoyed the scene where ................................
One of the most powerful scenes is where .............................
The way the camera uses low angle shots to film Atticus from a child's point of view is effective because ................ It implies that ..........................
The quiet music and child's singing at the opening of the film creates an effect of .........................
The ripped-up drawing of the mockingbird of the film is symbolic because ..............................
Gregory Peck is effective in the role of Atticus because ............................................
Bad points (don't focus too much on these - after all, this is a classic Oscar-winning film!) -
I was disappointed that the film did not show ..................................
I found the section of the film where ............................ ineffective because ..............................
It was a shame that .................................
I would recommend this film to .......................... because.........................................
In conclusion, I found this film to be ............................................................... I would give it a star rating of .......................................................
TOP TIPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL REVIEW:
- Check your work and make sure you:
- write in paragraphs;
- check your punctuation carefully;
- vary your vocabulary - use a dictionary and thesaurus, and include some film language;
- use CONNECTIVES (however, whereas, finally....) to link your paragraphs and ideas.
WRITING FRAME FOR FILM REVIEW (for extra guidance)
1. Introduction: Give the title of the film, the name of the director and when and where it was made. What sort of audience is it aimed at and is it successful?
2. Setting/subject matter: Describe when and where the story takes place. Explain what the film is mainly about.
Describe the main character / narrator (Scout). Explain how the film is shot (e.g. in black and white, on a set rather than on location).
3. Summary of the plot: explain the story (but don't give away the ending!).
4. Good points - film technique: Use your notes to pick out some scenes from the film about the different characters and events. Explain how the techniques the director uses are successful.
5. Good points - personal opinion: What did you enjoy most about watching this film? If you had to choose a favourite part or character, what would it be and why? Would you recommend this film? If so, to whom?
6. Bad points - film technique: use your notes to pick out some parts of the film that you feel might not be so successful, especially for a young audience today. Explain why.
7. Bad points - personal opinion: What did you not enjoy about watching this film? If you had to choose a most unsuccessful part, what would it be and why?
8. Summary: In conclusion, what do you feel about the film overall and how has it influenced you and/or your understanding of the novel as a whole?
ESSAY QUESTIONS ON THE NOVEL 'TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD'
1. How does Harper Lee show Atticus to be a good parent?
Write about:
- what he does
- what he says to Jem and Scout
- how the writer makes you think of Atticus as a good parent.
Write about:
- what you think makes the episodes dramatic
- how the writer makes the episodes seem dramatic.
