To Kill A Mocking Bird - An Analysis of the Courtroom scene

Media Coursework: To Kill A Mockingbird

‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ is Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize winning novel which director Robert Mulligan transformed into a major award winning motion picture. Reviewers praised the movie and many believe Mulligan did an outstanding job in capturing the heart of the spectacular novel in a film which ranks twenty-fifth in a list of American cinema’s most celebrated movies. One reviewer made this statement about the movie: “What emerges from this evocative, exquisitely filmed drama is a pure distillation of the themes of Harper Lee’s enduring novel, a showcase for some of the finest American acting ever assembled in one film, a rare quality of humanitarian artistry.”

In this quote, the film’s target to communicate the themes of the novel is shown to have been achieved. The film managed to convey the central message in Harper Lee’s novel. The trial of Tom Robinson is at the very heart of the novel. Similarly, it is also at the heart of Mulligan’s film, making it the main focus of the two. The drama surrounding the trial leads most of the novel and this is also the case in Mulligan’s film. The essence of the drama conveyed in the book is matched with dramatic acting in the motion picture.

Robert Mulligan displays the excitement and central issues of the trial by using a number of camera angles and techniques. For example, before the trial starts, Harper Lee gives the reader a sense that the whole town is moving to one place, the courtroom, and so Mulligan has the audience watching everyone from one side of the road. With this technique you can see Jem, Scout and Dill looking anxious, while, at the same time, you would be watching groups of people walking by next to cars and wagons, all heading in the same direction occasionally covering up our view of the children. Up to this point we have only seen single cars. After this there is a long shot of the three of them and then the camera begins panning, following Jem jumping up and running along with the people heading in the direction of the court. You see him running off into the distance and then the view dissolves into the children arriving and sitting in the courtroom, this is so the audience does not have to see and irrelevant journey. In Harper Lee’s novel you really get the sense that the court is packed full of people, and so, in Mulligan’s movie a long shot is used showing many people walking into the court giving you the impression that the court is very full.

Scout does not think that they should be going to the trial and a medium shot is used to give the audience a sense the children should not be there as they enter with Reverend Sykes. The long shot used when the children are entering and sitting in the court highlights the obvious separation between white people and black people. When the three children enter onto the balcony to watch the trial, a long shot is also used to show that the balcony only contains black people and so the audience then gains an even stronger impression of the separation between the two groups of people. Immediately Mulligan is able to convey the biased attitude Tom will receive during the trial. As the viewer we can also see that the other people in the court have no hope for Tom as they know that in Maycomb County you only get a fair trial if you are white. In the novel, Harper Lee displays this ‘no hope’ attitude by describing the looks on people’s faces and the confidence Bob Ewell possesses in the lead up to the trial.

After this when the trial begins the viewer gets the feeling that they are on the balcony with Jem, Scout, Dill and the black people, by use of a high angled shot. This enables the audience to get a sense that they are very much involved with the movie and not feeling like they are in a separate world. We see Tom Robinson enter the courtroom under guard and in the background you can see the jury sitting down. This displays the seriousness of the trial in Maycomb. The camera angle then changes to the jury’s point of view showing Tom Robinson’s chains being removed while having a view of Atticus. We gain a new perspective of Tom at this point. There is a mid shot of Mayella and Bob Ewell; both are looking very serious and both looking as if the whole world is against them. Their facial expressions in the shot are exactly what you would expect they would be like while reading the novel. Heck Tate is shown sitting down looking nervous, he is the first to give his testimony and so this is why he is shown at this point. Just before Heck testifies, a low angle shot is used showing Tom and the balcony behind him which gives us the context of him and his people, the people who support him. There is then a shot of the whole court showing everybody rising for the judge; we then know the court is in session.

The camera shows the audience a close up of Jem and Reverend Sykes, Jem looking serious and Reverend Sykes looking very nervous. This conveys the drama of the book as we realise from the medium close up of the two at the beginning of Heck’s testimony, they both have their brows furrowed, looking confused and concerned. As the audience we then observe Heck Tate from Jem’s point of view, once again this is used to enable the viewer to watch things from the children’s and black people’s viewpoint, thus escaping the prejudice of the white people’s perspective. The angle then changes to focus on Atticus while he is questioning Heck which stresses to us that this is important. Atticus asks Heck which eye was bruised on Mayella and he answers with “Her right eye, Mr Finch”. Atticus sits and then, from the expression of his face, we know he is thinking carefully about the answer Heck gave him, it makes the viewer think about the question and answer too. Atticus then rises out of his seat and asks Heck Tate again which eye was bruised and he gives the same answer. All of this re-questioning is to emphasise the answer to the audience, you see the jury and judge in this shot both looking puzzled yet intrigued. The viewer then sees Atticus walk in front of the jury and we notice the judge deep in thought. Atticus sits down, and so the audience is then captured in deep thought wondering why there are such puzzling questions coming from Atticus. We get most of the drama conveyed by the expressions on the faces of the characters. However, as we see, Atticus was making a key point.

From this point in the courtroom scene, we see a number of strong performances, particularly from those giving testimonies in the trial as they are needed to play very challenging and demanding roles. Mulligan, the film’s director, described the courtroom scene as the most difficult to do, partly because it was so dependent on these powerful performances and it took two to three weeks to shoot. In Harper Lee’s novel, the trial is the focus of the drama of the novel and this is exactly the same case in the film. James Anderson, who plays Bob Ewell, conveyed Bob’s prejudice using expressions in his face and by having an arrogant look about him and he uses this to communicate a racist attitude.

Before Bob delivers his testimony, we notice that he is sat down with a look of arrogance on his face and this shows his whole attitude towards the trial and also towards Tom. The audience then watch Bob summoned to testify, and we see him swagger to go and take the oath. Between these two shots of Bob the viewer observes Jem looking intent, which shows Jem is really bothered about which way this trial will go. Bob sits down, looking relaxed when he begins; his testimony has a story-like feel which suggests that it has been rehearsed before the trial just to make sure he can get it right. We begin to watch this from the white people’s point of view in the courtroom yet we can still see Atticus .There is a medium shot of Bob with his eyes narrowed and his face full of intense feeling which tells us that this is one of the most dramatic points of his testimony. There is then a mixture of anger and hate in his whole body and he uses his left arm for a pointing stab at Tom, all the while shaking with the intensity of his emotion as he makes the statement: “I seen him with my Mayella”. Everybody in the courtroom reacts yet Atticus does not seem to believe it is true. It is made clear it is not true when there is a shot of Mayella biting her lip making her look extremely nervous. We then see a shot of Atticus, his eyes showing that he knows that what Bob is saying, is just lies.

The viewer gets a very strong sense of Bob’s arrogance when he rises out of the chair straight after testifying, and he obviously does not know what happens in court. When he is walking back to his seat, he bumps into Atticus. This tells us that Bob does not care where he is going and after this incident, Bob laughs arrogantly, he does not care about anything or anyone. Through this the viewer begins to find that Bob believes he is too important, and we also get this idea from the fact that he does not apologize after walking into Atticus. When Atticus begins to question Bob, Bob begins to smile confidently as if he can take anything Atticus throws at him. During the questions, Bob is lolling in his chair and his body language suggests he is not going to take anything Atticus asks him seriously. Bob is like this up until the point where Atticus asks him to write his own name, he says it is to see if he can read and write. Bob is given a piece of paper and a pen and begins to write his name. The camera focuses on his hand and we notice that he is writing awkwardly. It is also clear to see he is left handed and when he was asked to write he did not look happy, it seemed like Bob channelled all his hatred and venom into his face. There is a shot of the people on the balcony and they all look like they know that whatever Atticus is doing is important. The audience then want to pick up on why it is important and it makes us wonder what Atticus is doing to Bob and why, though the fact that he is left handed makes him the likely candidate for hitting Mayella’s right eye.

It is clear that the actors’ characters had to seem realistic to them as Collin Wilcox, who plays Mayella in the film, said for her that it was important that Mayella’s hair was obviously not clean in the film, as there would not have been time or opportunity in her life to have washed it regularly. This is one of the main ways, however small, that Collin tried to convey the drama of Mayella’s life from the novel to the film. Before Mayella is called for her testimony we can definitely see that she is apprehensive, and we gain a more powerful idea of how nervous she is as she walks timidly and uncertainly to the stand. When taking the oath, Mayella only nods to show she is acknowledging the words. Just before Mayella begins her testimony, there is a shot of Tom taking a slow, deep breath – he knows that what will come next will be difficult, the viewer sees Jem and Reverend Sykes looking intent just before the testimony begins, so once again as it does begin it is seen from the view point of the balcony first of all. Mayella begins her testimony and we can tell she is clearly scared as she is speaking in a halting fashion. To show Mayella’s full emotion, there is a mid-shot of her and it is clear she is trying to remember what she is meant to say next. When she is asked if her father has ever beaten her, there is a slight suggestion in her face that this has actually happened especially when she pauses, looking unsure, however we then see her father as if from Mayella’s point of view. Mayella answers the question by saying “Ma pa’s never touched a hair on my head in all my life.” This is obviously over exaggerated which suggests to us that it is clearly not true.

Mayella is then asked directly if Tom hit her. This question catches her off guard and so she does not know what to say, which tells us that this question was one that was not rehearsed. Mayella says that she does not recollect if he hit her, and this discredits her story highly as Heck Tate said she was badly beaten up around the face. We now begin to notice what Collin Wilcox described as bizarre head movements as she begins to look around anxiously for a way out. We also get a feel for what the actress also said about Mayella seeming like a trapped animal. Mayella then contradicts herself by saying that she was hit by Tom – she clearly remembers being hit was part of the rehearsed story. She is asked to identify Tom, and so, instead of looking at Tom, she just points which shows us she is guilty. Atticus demonstrates that Tom cannot use his left hand. When we see that Mayella is shocked we know this is important and that Tom could obviously not have inflicted her wounds. We then connect Tom’s lack of usage in his left arm with Mayella’s father’s left handedness, and the audience knows Mayella makes this connection also, so the rehearsed story has fallen apart. Mayella realises that she cannot escape and so she lashes out verbally, like a cornered animal, at everyone, including the jury. The camera zooms in onto her face and Mayella makes her desperate appeal to the white people in the courtroom. The appeal is to gut-level racism: ‘I’m white, you’re white, you should therefore support me.’ Her statement conveys the sheer racism of the court system. She finally does escape simply by running back to the bench where she was sitting.

Before Tom testifies the audience sees a shot of Atticus and Tom as they look at each other. Atticus is checking to see if he is ready to testify and we know Tom isn’t looking forward to it as he looks very uncomfortable. For the first time, the viewer is shown both sides of the balcony with everyone on each side looking extremely interested. Tom begins his testimony and the first part of it agrees with what Mayella said, which proves there was some truth in Mayella’s words. This does not last long though; soon Tom’s testimony becomes clearly different to Mayella’s. Tom describes how he went to do jobs lots of times, as he was asked to do lots of jobs by Mayella. When Atticus asks Tom to talk about the day of the rape, we are shown a shot from the jury’s perspective and then there is a long pause before Tom answers. This conveys that this is obviously a painful memory for him to talk about, which we know he would rather not talk about

We finally come to the hardest part of the story where he explains that when he was stood on a chair, Mayella grabbed Tom round the legs. The camera zooms in onto Tom’s face as we continue onto the hardest part of the story. The audience realises this is stressful for Tom as the camera shows he is perspiring freely on his forehead. When Atticus asks Tom what happened next, Tom knows that he will have to talk about Mayella kissing him and we know he clearly does not want to. Atticus asks Tom if he will tell the truth. There is a shot of Mayella biting her lip and looking intent and we get an understanding that this is a build up for a dramatic event. Tom begins to look wherever he can as long as it is not at Atticus and the viewer then realises that Tom is trying to avoid the moment. Tom’s brow furrows and he begins to talk as if he is in pain when talking about how Mayella kissed him. The pain is not physical pain, but emotional as it is so difficult for him to talk about this moment. Tears begin to form in his eyes and it becomes clear that he is certainly in emotional distress. When Tom speaks of Bob’s return to the house and him seeing them both together, he begins to cry and his chin starts to tremble. Tom is then asked directly if he raped Mayella. His denial is full of emotion and you then notice tears running down his cheeks. His final denial conveys serious emotion as his whole face starts shaking with the intensity of his feelings.

As Mr Gilmore begins his questioning, there is a shot of him and the jury which subtly explains they share his prejudice point of view. Mr Gilmore then asks Tom, “Did all this work out of sheer goodness, boy?” This is said in a very patronising manner, and we begin to understand that Mr Gilmore is playing to the jury as he looks at them trying to find a way to show Tom is guilty. This then provokes Tom’s honest answer: “I felt right sorry for her,” which shows Tom’s pure kindness; however, ironically this seals his fate. The camera then cuts to a medium shot of Atticus – the look in his eyes shows that he knows he has lost the case because of how the jury will react to the response Tom gave. Mr Gilmore stands next to Tom and repeats Tom’s reply twice, louder the second time and we then understand he is going in for the kill. Mr Gilmore knows he can finish him off. There is a low angle shot of Mr Gilmore showing he is in the place of power. It ends with a final shot of Tom looking as though he has realised he has been very foolish as feeling sorry for a white woman as a black man was unacceptable in the prejudice jury’s eyes.

After Tom finishes his testimony, the shot then dissolves into a shot of the courtroom as a whole, leaving the image of Tom looking very uncomfortable fresh in the viewer’s mind. We then see the judge nod at Atticus who indicates that he is ready to begin. Atticus’ final speech is one of the most powerful parts of the novel and the film. This scene was certainly important in winning the film the number one position in courtroom drama; however the film took this award by using skilful camera shots as well as the powerful impact of Gregory Peck’s rhetorical powers of speech and stunning acting. The audience sees a medium shot of Atticus from the jury’s point of view setting us, the viewer, in the place of the jury. We will judge what he says which gives a strong sense that he is trying to influence us. Atticus begins to play with a pocket watch in his hands, copying a mannerism of Harper Lee’s father. This begins in the earlier part of the speech yet it carries on throughout. Gregory Peck uses this mannerism as Harper Lee’s father was a lawyer who thoroughly influenced the creation of Atticus, and so he felt it added to the authenticity of his portrayal of Atticus. Atticus begins to make the very strong point that the prosecution’s case relies solely on Bob and Mayella’s testimony and he then moves on to describe why they cannot be trusted for several reasons. Whatever thoughts the viewer had about Bob and Mayella have now either changed or have been emphasised. Gregory Peck uses pause for emphasis especially acting out the ‘left hand’ situation which simply makes it clear to the audience that Tom is innocent. The courtroom becomes silent and you then hear a car horn outside to show that the courtroom is quiet, full of tension and also to make it all seem believable. When Atticus walks across to Bob and Mayella, he explains his pity for her and stands right in front of her as he explains that his pity however does not allow him to let Tom lose his life. It seems this is said, not just to Mayella, but to everyone, in the hope of influencing people’s racist attitudes.
Atticus turns to the jury and when explaining why Mayella did this, he uses the word guilt three times, the final one the strongest with great emphasis because this is when he explains that guilt was why Mayella did the whole thing, why she wants to get rid of Tom. When he walks and stands next to Tom it is important at this point to notice that Mayella and Bob are still in the shot. This is done deliberately making the viewer constantly aware of them. The audience sees Atticus turn back to the jury and he explains how she kissed a black man: “Something unspeakable in our society,” are the words he says, saying each word in a broad tone which brings out the words not only in the jury’s minds but in ours. When talking about this there is a shot of Tom reminding you he is young and attractive making it clear it would be worse to kiss Mayella than to kiss Tom.

This is when one of the most essential points on prejudice comes in as peck again uses pause and emphasis as he says: “The evil assumption that all Negroes lie…” This is now where he uses the most expansive gesture of the speech to emphasise that Tom should not lose his life just because he feels sorry for a white woman. Gregory Peck stretches out his arms to highlight that this is Atticus’ strong appeal for them to treat Tom equally and to believe him. He uses the words, with great feeling, “In the name of God, do your duty.” Throughout the whole speech Peck remains serious and it is clear he is passionate and believes in everything he says. With that in mind, he still keeps a rein on his emotions so the jury, and everyone else, can concentrate on what is said. At times we even get the feeling that there is a sense of restrained anger at the injustice of Tom’s treatment. Straight after the shot of Atticus, there is a shot of Reverend Sykes and Jem looking so proud of Atticus standing for the truth. Atticus’ final words are seen spoken from the view of those on the balcony. He is leaning over to the jury as much as possible to add maximum impact.

The court scene closes with the jury’s verdict and the reactions of the people both black and white. At the end of the scene, Atticus returns to his chair and sits down in exhaustion. It has obviously taken a lot of energy and will out of him to perform his final speech. The audience sees a long shot of the courtroom which dissolves into a shot of the people returning to the court. It is now night time showing that time has passed. A medium shot of the balcony shows Dill asleep while Reverend Sykes is fanning himself with his hat, and Jem is leaning on his elbow waiting for the verdict. This one shot gives a lull in the intensity which, as the viewer knows, cannot be sustained for long, however there is still high tension waiting for the verdict. We see everybody in the courthouse deep in discussion and note that Jem feels positive that the jury will believe Atticus as they have been absent for two hours. When Jem asks Reverend Sykes if he agrees, his facial expression says no. As the audience, we want to know who will be right.

From the balcony view point we watch the jury return and Atticus looks as though he is prepared for the worst outcome possible. Tom returns to the courthouse, looking concerned, followed by the judge. We know it is now time to continue onto the verdict as everyone rises. The reality of the film is conveyed by two people in the down stairs section arriving late as well as the run-through of procedures of a normal courtroom. Tom rises to face the jury spokesman who also stands. A shot of the balcony is shown; Tom is there as a black man. Everyone sat on the balcony is awaiting the verdict, looking interested. When the word “Guilty” is said, everyone freezes in their chairs. Even though Atticus has just been defeated, he shows no change in his expression as if he knew the decision that was coming. A medium shot of the white people show them talking, some nodding in the agreement of the final verdict. It is a terrible moment for Jem – we know this when we see a close up of him looking distraught as he buries his head in his hands showing us that it is clear it is a major shock for him. The viewer notices Scout looking confused and upset, she does not seem full of understanding of the event and her facial expression conveys this excellently. When the judge tells everyone the trial is over and leaves the court, he pauses before slamming the door, confirming he is upset even though he has to have an unbiased opinion. He wanted a fair trial which is why he appointed Atticus the job of defending Tom because he knew he was fully capable of doing a good job as well as the fact that he holds no prejudice ideas. When everyone begins to leave there is a close up of Jem shaking his head showing that he cannot believe how Tom was found guilty. Tom is beaten, he looks a mess as his facial expression and body language suggests despair and anger. Atticus begins to walk with Tom, trying to console and reassure him that he expected this would happen, but it is not over yet. Tom continues to look in despair at Atticus as if not listening to his words.

Serious music begins to play which creates a negative mood within the courtroom which is now empty except for the black people on the balcony and Atticus. He begins to slowly collect his papers and is shown as a solitary figure. A cut to Reverend Sykes looking at Atticus shows him sad but also looking in admiration at Atticus. He is the only white man who has stood up and fought for them. When the shot returns to Atticus it shows him standing alone in court, a place for justice. This is a symbolic image of him standing alone for truth, integrity and justice. Atticus is unaware that as he walks down the centre of the court the people on the balcony, on after another, slowly begin to rise to their feet in complete silence in tribute to what Atticus has done. Scout, who is unaware of what is happening, is informed by Reverend Sykes who says with deep emotion and respect, “Stand up, your father’s passing.” Finally, Atticus walks silently out showing the trial is at an end.

To conclude, I believe I speak for everyone who has seen both the motion picture and read the novel ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’, when I say that the drama was excellently conveyed from the book to the film. As we have seen the film has an outstanding reputation in American film in general and in courtroom drama in particular, ranking number one in AFI’s list of courtroom films. This proves that not only did the actors play their parts exceptionally well, but, the camera angles and skills used also aided in conveying drama from the novel. We have seen how the careful sequencing of shots and action leads viewers to identify with both the children’s and black people’s perspective of the trial which allows the drama to build powerfully. Having considered the courtroom scene of the film in detail, we gained great understanding of why it is so highly rated. As viewers, we gain a powerful insight into the central issues of the trial through the skilful use and full range of camera angles, shots and their effects. Through this, the courtroom tensions and different audience perspectives are portrayed, as well as the characters’ motivations. All of the main actors perform powerfully, convincingly and at times making their performances riveting which is positively the heart of the scene’s success. These performances allow us to experience the emotion, reality and drama of the trial; we are not detached, but involved.

Together all these different elements combine to enable the courtroom scene of the film ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ to effectively convey the drama of the trial of Tom Robinson in the novel.