Jacobi and I were talking after class about what struck us about the trial in the film (which is almost word for word taken from the novel—Horton Foote knew when not to mess with something pretty close to perfect). As he said in class about Mayella, Jacobi talked about how little he felt for her in the film. I said I felt even more for her from the film. I think Brock Peters and Colin Wilcox give the best performances in the film; certainly they give the most gut-wrenching. They're small roles but they make them memorable—and complicated.
Enough of me. So...
1. Your thoughts on the trial scene? Was it what you saw in your head when you read it in the novel? If so, how? If not–or if parts of it were and parts of it weren't—what did correspond to what you saw in your mind and what didn't? What did watching the trial make you think and/or feel?
2. Look at the pictures above the clip: what do they tell you about Mayella and Tom, both separately and as two connected by the trial? Try to not repeat what others have said—add to what others write.
3. Calpurnia as played by Estelle Evans:
The television writers Joshua Brand and John Falsey wondered themselves what Calpurnia's life was like. They created a series in 1991—I'll Fly Away—that gave us a Southern lawyer with three children and a black housekeeper in the late 1950s as a vehicle to explore the unexplored life of a Calpurnia-like character.
So: a slightly different question. Think of a moment in the film which features Calpurnia. In her mind and/or in her voice, what do you think she's thinking—and feeling?
Again: 200-300 words. Yani: write more than you did last night.
Harper Lee and Mary Badham:
I thought that the trial scene was really interesting. I was really excited for this scene in the movie and it definitely exceeded my expectations. I was very impressed with the performance of Bob and Mayella Ewell found myself leaning in when there were parts with tension. One thing that I was thought was super interesting was the way that Mayella’s character was played. I definitely agree with John that her character is childlike; you can see it by the way she is dressed, the way she sits on the chair, and the way she screams when she doesn’t get her way. When I was reading this scene, I did imagine Mayella to victimize herself (obviously) but I thought it was a very interesting choice that the filmmakers and actress made to portray Mayella in this way. It’s quite clever.
ReplyDeleteIf you simply compare Mayella and Tom’s posture while sitting on the chair, you can see that Mayella’s hands are behind her back, as if she is a 6 year old sitting on a chair. Her body language does not come off as confident and I don’t think that Mayella purposefully does this to gain sympathy of the jury; you can tell this is just who she is. On the other hand, if you look at Tom, you can see that he is standing a little taller. Even by the way he talks in the movie, you can tell that he is proper and confident and actively trying to do the best he can. Also, while Tom is talking, you can see how Mayella’s head hangs as if she is a child who feels guilty and even when she is told to take a good look at Tom, she can’t even make eye contact.
There is a moment where Calpurnia is standing outside waiting for Atticus to arrive so that he can drop her home, and she is staring at Jem. Jem doesn’t seem to be connected with this moment; he seems to be thinking about something else. Calpurnia gives him a soft smile and a kind look, and I think she might be thinking how good of a boy Jem is. By this time, they would have already gone to the black Church with Calpurnia, so maybe Calpurnia feels that Jem is a good child, no matter how much trouble he causes her. It’s as if Calpurnia is his mother smiling down on him and appreciating him. It’s a brief moment, but it reveals a bit of Calpurnia’s character.
1. I thought that the trial scene was as powerful, if not more powerful in the movie as compared to the book. I feel like the trial in the book portrays Atticus crueller and more unjust towards Mayella, whereas in the movie it seems as though he is just doing his grim job. I also feel that the movie makes it clear that no one wants to be there, or is comfortable at all. Atticus stays stiff, and in Tom’s case, we can clearly see just how close he is to losing it–I can’t imagine trying to keep my composure in that situation. Another thing that I didn’t understand in the book at first: when Tom says that he’s felt sorry for Mayella. For some reason, that never crossed my mind while reading, but it is so clear to the audience when he realizes his “mistake.” You can see the fear in his body language, and he realizes that he’s done for.
ReplyDelete2. Mayella looks ready to bolt, like a rabbit caught in a trap. I think this is indicative of her unfamiliarity with formal scenes and crowds, as well as the fact that we know she is lying about her predicament. (Even though she has no other option) Tom is relaxed and seems to have no issues with telling his truth to the court–he swore to do so. I find this somewhat ironic, considering that Tom has his family, and his life, at stake¬–he literally has everything to lose. This shows Tom’s calm demeanor, and we can garner that he has seen his fair share of southern horrors.
3. First of all, I thought it was striking that the scene with Cal’s church was taken out. This sets up the relationship with Reverend Sykes and the children, and also adds some time with Cal. In the film, I would say she feels ashamed that Scout is critical of Walter and his habits. Cal knows what kind of struggle Walter faces, and even though Scout is young and has not developed class consciences, this is a big learning moment for scout and I think that Cal wants to drive the point home¬–she is the closest Scout has for a mother.
I thought the trial scene was more rushed than the book and than I envisioned. Atticus didn't emphasize the question about calling the doctor as much in the film which I thought was interesting. The film did a good job representing each of the witnesses and where they fell in the trial, especially Mayella. She seemed very distressed and confused while answering the questions, and it was obvious that she was putting Bob on edge. In my opinion, Mayella's testimony was unconvincing because of the indecisiveness and constant changes she made about what she was saying.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Zoya about Tom looking a lot more confident with himself than Mayella. She looks and sounds very timid in the chair while Tom knows exactly what he is saying. I also realized that during Mayella's testimony, she makes little to no eye contact with anyone, specifically with Tom. Even when she points accusingly, she continues to look at the ground. I could tell just by the tone of voice that Tom was being as honest as possible, and Mayella couldn't keep her story straight.
The moment with Calpurnia that sticks out to me was when she was gathering the children inside when the rabid dog first appeared. She seemed to have a kind of motherly instinct and she looked like she was protecting her own children. I'm sure Cal does in some part consider Scout and Jem as hers, and I really saw that show through here. This is one of the scenes that shows the trust that the children and Atticus have in Calpurnia, and she is always putting the children's safety first.
I imagined the trial scene in the book to be a little longer than the scene in the movie. I felt like the Mayella of the book was more confused in a quiet, less expressive sort of way. Almost as if she didn’t know what was happening. From the movie I got more of a sense that Mayella was very conflicted and was struggling immensely and fairly overtly with her predicament. I also expected Tom’s character to be nervous, but not as shaky and frightened as Brock Peters in the movie. This being said, I think both actors still portrayed their characters well, and I did feel the strong emotions coming from each.
ReplyDeleteLike most people have said before me, Mayella looks frightened. I think that she’s obviously and rightfully scared of the people around her, her father, and even Atticus. She acts as though she’s trying to hide in the chair. However, I disagree with the statements that Tom is confident. Like Kiran said, Tom has “seen his fair share of southern horrors”. This type of situation, namely the racism and utter powerlessness for black people isn’t totally new to Tom. Thus, dealing with these situations isn’t totally alien. I think Tom also realizes that any eye-catching behavior, like overt confidence or fear, won’t help his case with the jury. Instead he must move to be polite and as normal as possible.
One moment that struck me with Calpurnia was the scene where Atticus asked her to stay for the night. She immediately said yes, which obviously means she cares a great deal for the Finch family. However, after Atticus turned away Calpurnia looked almost sad. Part of her wants to help Atticus’ children, but another part of her just wants to go home, be with her own family, and sleep. When she later put the cup on the shelf, I felt from her a kind of tired, reluctant acceptance.
The trial scene is somewhat what I expected. The novel had given me the impression that Mayella is much less genuinely scared than she appears in the film. I, unfortunately, found myself having an inkling of sympathy for her, especially during the scene where she tries to run out of the courtroom. It looks like she is running from both the courtroom and her father, but the onlookers return her “safely” back into her father’s arms, which I find really sad.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Zoya about Mayella looking very childlike during the trial. I think she is genuinely intimidated and scared by the court, but I think the submissive, cowering posture is also somewhat purposeful in making her appear more feminine and helpless so that the court will rule in her favor (maybe it’s subconscious?) Some people said that Tom looks more confident than Mayella and I agree and disagree at the same time. I think that the level of confidence may come from his good moral standing, but I also think his posture is just kind of casual, and I think that he may be that casual because he knows that as a black man he has no chance of winning, so he may as well go out with some dignity. Also, it was almost as if we were looking through the eyes of a jury member during some of Tom’s scene. The camera was angled so that it appeared that Tom was kind of surrounded and trapped by the white jury. When watching Mayella’s testimony, we were looking more from the perspective of the audience, which felt mostly sympathy for her from what I could tell from audience reactions.
Calpurnia’s character in the film is so disappointing to me. She is so much more submissive has almost none of the flare we see in the novel; she is much more the typical domestic worker we see in films. The scene where she watches Jem is pretty touching and shows most of the limited depth portrayed in Calpurnia. To me, she is thinking something along the lines of: “Poor child, afraid of shadows, but that’s the least of his fears. He doesn’t know what’s to come, but his father isn’t the only one who’s in this mess now.”
The trial scene is the one scene that stuck with me most from the first time I watched the movie. The separation in the courtroom was striking, the african americans plus Jem, Dill, and Scout in the balcony area, and all of the white people flooding the floor of the courtroom. The children seemed oblivious to the separation, they just saw Reverend Sykes and followed him to the balcony. To me this portrayed the innocence of the kids. I thought it was interesting that Jem didn't leave the trial in the movie, I thought that was a pretty integral part of the book and would've liked to see it. I kept waiting. Watching the trial made me more frustrated because I know how it's going to turn out, even though all of the evidence points to Tom being innocent.
ReplyDeleteTom has a strong, calm presence, he's being honest and he knows that's all he can do. Mayella on the other hand is very shifty and won’t make eye contact with the lawyers and especially Tom. Not being able to look someone in the eye is a well known sign of guilt. But of course Mayella was exhibiting all of the signs of guilt and nothings going to come of it.
I liked the dinner scene with Walter Cunningham, I enjoyed seeing him put syrup all over his dinner. When Scout rudely comments on this, Cal brings her into the kitchen to talk to her. This scolding gives us a glimpse into the relationship between Cal and the kids. Their mother died when Scout was 2 so, Cal has been integral in raising them. When Cal spanks Scout to set her straight you can tell it comes from a place of Cal just wanting Scout to learn how to behave in these situations. Cal went about it in a way that seemed kinder than Aunt Alexandra would’ve done. I think Cal is thinking it's her responsibility to ensure Scout knows how to behave like a woman, because she has no women in her immediate family to set the example.
1. This feel feels extremely rushed compared to the novel, which I understand is necessary, but I don’t feel nearly as invested. When the kids sat down with Reverend Sykes, it feels really out of place. These characters have never met before in the film. The context of the scene with Calpurnia isn’t there. The actually testimonies also felt faster and less emotional. I agree with Jacobi. I felt less sympathy for Mayella in the film than I did reading about her. We hardly have the context of the Ewell’s struggle or their status in Maycomb thus far in the film.
ReplyDelete2. Tom sits confidently. Neutrally. He sits as though he can’t display any emotion on his face for fear it would be misinterpreted as fake, or perhaps malicious. Mayella, on the other hand, sits like a child caught in a lie (which she very nearly is). She’s ready to escape, to run away and never stop running. Of course, Tom is as well, but for him to portray that in his facial expressions or in his posture would imply guilt, so he remains nearly motionless.
3. I had trouble thinking of any moments with Calpurnia at all. I noticed in my viewing that she hardly shows up beyond the scene where she disciplines Scout and various moments standing in the background. I would like to think that her mind is focused on something—anything—other than the Finch family. Whether it be her own family (although I’m not sure they even exist in this world), or perhaps the trial. To me, she has a cynical view toward Tom Robinson’s situation. She’s wise enough to know how things will end before they’ve even started, and she’s upset that this is how the Finch children will be introduced to the nature of the real world. I believe she feels that part of her role is as a protector of the Finch children’s innocence, and with this trial she knows that their innocence will be lost.
1, I liked the trial scene a great deal, but some subtle things varied from how they played out in my mind. Firstly, Atticus felt far more accusatory and hostile towards Mayella from the beginning of the trial in the movie and I felt as if that was something that developed more gradually in the book. Another thing that stuck out to me was Tom’s arm. When I pictured his arm in my head in the book it was a grizzled, gnawed up stump, but in the film it was simply an arm that he did not use. I cannot blame the filmmakers for making that decision but it did take me out of the movie a little bit. I thought that Tom’s testimony was extremely well done and I remember thinking as I watched it that the crying was totally organic and made sense in the scene even though I had not pictured it in my mind.
ReplyDelete2, I think that their positioning in the film as they both served as witnesses was intentionally similar. I feel as if they both look uneasy, Tom because he knows that no matter what the truth may be there is a high chance of his conviction, and Mayella because she has to lie to all these people under threat of being beaten all while being cross-examined by Atticus. Mayella seems to shift herself more and appears guilty of lying, while Tom is more rigid and sure of himself. His story is straight from the beginning of the scene, but he is clearly being forced into a deferential role with all the white people around him, making it difficult for him to defend or explain himself.
3, The moment that stuck with me most about Calpurnia from the film so far is her talking to Scout in the kitchen. I felt as if though throughout that scene she was speaking not as herself, but as a representative for the way things are done. She appears to have this knowledge she is bestowing upon Scout about how to treat company ground into her head. It appears almost second nature to her and a convention that must be obeyed without question, or their society itself may collapse. I have thoroughly enjoyed her performance so far and despite her meager amount of lines and development I think the actress who plays her has done a great job at bringing nuance to the character.
1. The trial scene really stands out in comparison to the rest of the film. The endearing soundtrack completely vanishes, and the audience is immersed into the packed courtroom. I felt really claustrophobic and hot while watching the trial( though the sweat coming from characters was most likely nervousness than heat). Something else I noticed was Tom and Mayella’s actors were considerably older than I expected. It didn’t take away from the scene though, as much of the book dialogue was added to the moment. Having a theatrical rendition of Atticus’s evidence ( Mr. Ewell’s left hand, Tom’s instinctual catch with the right hand, etc.) really worked!
ReplyDeleteOne can examine the credibility of people through their body language. Mayella is sitting upright and disconnected from the chair. She avoided eye contact and couldn’t speak very coherently. As a defense mechanism, she added bursts of emotion to stir sympathetic feelings for her. In direct contrast is Tom. He has a present but firm sitting pose, speaks much more coherent, and doesn’t specifically avoid eye contact. It is clear who is conveying their real truth.
I was surprised the Black church scene was excluded from the film, and I feel Calpurnia has limited screen time. When she sparks Scout, it did surprise me, but not really after a while. Cal was a critical part of the Finch household; Atticus looks past skin color and recognizes her role as an authority figure for his children. I feel Cal was very uncomfortable at first with being so intimate and relatively informal with the Finch family, but overtime she became used to it. She earned her place in the house. So, I believe Cal in fact thought nothing after spanking Scout, save for hoping she’s nicer to the Cunningham boy.
The trail scene was pretty much what I pictured. It’s more difficult for me to know what I actually thought it would look like because I’ve seen the movie before, but it’s a pretty good scene. I always imagined it to be longer, though. I feel like the cut a lot of things out. One thing that I was shocked the cut out was the part when Tom said that “what her daddy do to her don’t count”. I thought that was a very important part of the trial yet is was cut out. I liked the trial scene better in the book personally.
ReplyDeleteMayella seemed very deceitful the whole time. I liked her a lot better in the book. She seemed more sure of herself and less annoying, but in the movie she was very very annoying to me. It was harder to have sympathy for her. As for Tom, it was very easy to sympathize with him. I could tell that he was telling the truth. He wasn’t trying to get out of anything.
I think the part where she was asked to stay the night was really interesting. I’m not sure if she would have felt comfortable saying no to Atticus or not, but I feel like he might have let her. To me, it seemed she knew that Atticus was going to help Tom Robinson. There was some understand there, in my opinion.
I thought the trial scene was pretty well done and I particularly liked the portrayal of heck tate and Bob Ewell in this scene. I thought they both were very accurate to waht I imagined and it didnt seem over the top or dramatisized. I found Mayella’s portrayal to be a little less convincing. It just seemed a litteraly over the top how abruptly she would change her mand and how fast her emotions would flip. I just dont know it that aspect of the trial was believable. Overall, the scene made me feel the injustice being done against Tom Robinson as it was meant to portary.
ReplyDeleteI defientely agree with Andrew in the sense that they are both uncomfortable in different ways. As I talked about in my last question, Mayella has a very sparatic and anxious presence that is countereted by a more grounded and emotional presenence that Tom gives off. While Tom is confident in his facts, we also see that he is deeply disturbed and hurt by the course of actions which lets us now he is genuine. Mayella, on the other hand, is neither confident or emotional as it seems for the right reasons. She seems to purely show stress and fight or flight instincts as she is lying in fear to protect herself.
One moment that stuck out to me was in Today’s reading when Atticus asks if Calpurnia can say the night. Just the tone and speed of the reponse shows how much she would do for these children and this family. The assurance in her voice and the strong, motherly presence she gives off are two things I think this scene show really well.
I didn’t love the trial scene. I think the novel had so much more depth and details that the movie skipped out on and I found myself missing those. I think the movie is the more child friendly version of the book because they leave out lots of the hard to read parts. I would have liked Toms testimony to remain consistent because I think it helps speak to Mayella’s past and why she is how she is. I think the closeup angles were supposed to make the viewer uncomfortable, but because I already knew how uncomfortable it could have been or how it actually went in the book, it didn’t really have that effect on me. I also think the scene of Dill crying and realizing the injustice is very important and is completely missed in the movie.
ReplyDelete2. I think Tom just looked a lot more comfortable than Mayella. Mayella was always second guessing herself and tripping over her words, but Tom was very steady in everything he did. Mayella almost seems guilty just by the way she constantly goes back on her words and avoids questions. Tom, although seeming scared, knows his story well.
3. Honestly there are so few scenes were we actually see Calpurnia, or she says anything that it’s hard for me to recall one. I think the one scene with Calpurnia that really stayed with me the most was the scene where Atticus asked if she could spend the night and she answered pretty immediately without hesitation. In the book, we talked a little bit about how she has children at home that she takes care of after work, but this movie completely ignores that aspect of her life. To me, she seemed mostly concerned about Tom’s well being because I get the impression she knows where Atticus is off to, but the storyline completely ignores that fact that she has a family of her own.
If I could describe the courtroom scene in one word, it would be “grueling,” which is why I thought that the trial scene was done well in a lot of ways. Like I described in some scenes from the last blog, Robert Mulligan was able to stretch out tense scenes to feel like they lasted forever. When Atticus questions Mayella, the stress felt throughout the audience reflected that of the courtroom viewers, especially when no one was talking and the only noise came from people shifting uncomfortably in their seats. This uncomfort felt in both the characters and people watching To Kill a Mockingbird was what made the moment so striking, and speaks to the unfairness of the underlying situation between Mayella, Bob, and Tom.
ReplyDeleteI see Mayella as a wounded dog, which sounds harsher than I intended, but also holds many truths. For example, he has been through trauma in her life; her father physically, probably sexually, and perhaps emotionally abuses her and she has grown up knowing that she is nothing and will never have anything unless she fights for her survival. We see this “wounded dog” behavior in her actions in the courtroom when she fiercely defends herself from Atticus. Mayella even sits defensively; she is curled into herself and her whole body is tense. This body language pretty clearly indicates fear of her surroundings, which likely stems from fear of her father and for her reputation. There also seems to be some other kind of fear in this moment as well, or maybe something closer to guilt or even shame, especially when she can’t even look at Tom when asked to identify him. Mayella is able to play it off to the jury as something other than guilt, but I think that the audience is supposed to glean from this that she feels too guilty to look at him. Tom’s posture is used to show that he is respectable because the audience is supposed to like him or at least have sympathy for him. His posture- sitting up straight but relaxed, and looking people in the eye is something we are all taught to do growing up because it is seen as a positive thing in our culture, versus Mayella’s shiftiness and hunched posture, which are a clear negative. This positive image of this man on trial for something he did not do makes the scenario all the more desolate, which was intended by Lee and Mulligan.
Of course, the lack of time given to Calpurnia on screen is disappointing, but I really liked the moment where she gives Jem a long, thoughtful look before ruffling his hair. This scene highlights Cal’s maternal relationship with the kids, and specifically Jem. Previously in the film, we only really see her bustling around in the kitchen or in the background of the kids and this moment is an example of Cal’s humanity. I feel like in this moment Cal’s emotions are bittersweet; part of her is probably a bit sad to see Jem’s loss of innocence, especially through an experience like Tom’s trial, and part of her is likely happy that he is growing up to be a thoughtful and empathetic adolescent.
I thought the trial was very intense, more so than I imagined in my head. There is something about seeing a scene that makes it so much more real to me. There were some moments, like int Atticus’s closing speech where I imagined him to be more passionate in my head but in the movie he kept relatively calm. There is also on part that they left out that I feel is very important: the shot where Tom Robinson tries to balance his left hand on the Bible and it keeps sliding off. In the movie they just show him being sworn in with exclusively his right hand.
ReplyDeleteThe shots are framed very differently and I believe it is to show how the two people are being judged separately. They are both telling to sides of the same story, but in the picture of Mayella we see more open space,there are really only for people in focus, and there is something about the way that is staged that shows that people give her a certain amount of respect. Her body language is frantic almost showing that she doesn’t feel like she needs to check herself in any way. In the picture of Tom Robinson there are many people crowded in, everyone’s bodies are more slouched, and he is the only one sitting up straight. This captures the imbalance of power; Tom has to be sitting perfectly and keeping his emotions in check, there is no way he could have shouted like Mayella did, while trying to convince a jury that shows him almost no respect.
In the paragraph you posted you talk some about the time right before Atticus was going to drive her home and she just looks at Jem for about ten second and that is what I am going to talk about. This look was one that was very motherly. I feel like Calpurnia was thinking of what Jem is going through, witnessing this trial and all, and trying to imagine what it would be like if you could conserve the idyllic view he has of her town. She obviously loves him and helped raise him, so it only makes sense for her to be concerned about his mental stature.
So far I really like the trial scene and how the filmmakers and producers planned it out. One thing that i didn't expect was how full the courtroom was. I know the whole town was there but didn't expect that many people but I also liked how the camera would pan back and forth between the judge, Atticus, Tom, Mayella, and Bob. Another thing I liked was when the camera focused on Jem and Scout in the colored section of the courtroom. Something I was surprised about was Mayella, I was expecting her to look in a bit rougher condition, she didn't have any bruises or anything. This made me feel not as much sympathy for her.
ReplyDeleteTom is very strong and well put together I guess you could say compared to mayella. He seems much more confident up there than Mayella. Mayella and her family live behind the town dump, although that is not shown in the movie, she and her father are portrayed that way. Mayella lacks social intervention and contact and that is very clear because she is very unconfident and childish when she presents herself in front of the court.
A scene i wish was in the film is when Calpurnia goes to the court in search for jem and scout. I wish this was put in because this seemed to be a very powerful scene in the book. A scene in the movie with Calpurnia that stood out to me was when Atticus was taking her home and it was a very silent car ride or thats what was shown, I wish we could’ve had some interaction between Atticus and her. This I feel would give the viewer more of a background behind her and the relationship with Atticus.
I liked the trail scene a lot, I imagined something like that in my head but it was different to see the person who is being questioned in a chair in the middle of the room like that. The acting done by Mayella was spot in for me, the faces and reactions was what I saw in the book. Something I think it lacked was the scene where they show Tom trying to keep his left hand up, this would have been very good to show before the questioning, making the statement if his injury more powerful.
ReplyDeleteIn the photos it shows the difference in who is telling the truth. Tom is sitting up right making eye contact with everyone letting people know he is telling the truth. His hands are in front of him showing that he isn’t being arrested yet. Mayella on the other hand in the photo looks as if she is handcuffed. Her hands are being her back and she is looking down. Mayella can’t lie well and her actions don’t help her, she is doing everything a guilty person would typically do.
I seem to know Calpurnia more than what someone would think because of her time on screen. She is clearly a mother figure to the family and helps out a lot, she is respected enough that she is allowed to hit her bosses children. She has filled a role that is missing. Calpurnia is doing this as a job but she makes a connection with the family. I see this when Jem and Scout are running and rushing to get ready for school. Scout is shy to come out and Calpurnia helps her. Scout comes to the table and eats after Calpurnia comforts and tells her she looks nice in the dress. When the kids are done eating they run out the door and Calpurnia has a big smile on her face. I clearly see the joy jump from the kids to her.
I thought the trial scene in the movie was a lot different than in the book. Personally, I liked the one in the book more. I felt like the judge in the book was a more bold character and I felt as though he was a little too timid in the movie. The main difference was the way I saw Mayella. I thought the Mayella in the book was more subtle and believable. In the movie, she is a bit wild. The way she flops on some of the questions during the film and the way she was screaming with the camera right in her face made her less believable. It was a more emotional testimony than it was in the book and I got more of a sense of just how damaged Mayella was as a person. But ultimately, she seemed less credible.
ReplyDeleteI actually disagree with many people have said about the way Tom and Mayella were sitting. I agree with the observations of others when it comes to Mayella. She clearly looks like a caged animal who would rather be anywhere else. Now, other people said Tom was clam and strong. They thought he was put together. I disagree. Perhaps next to a person like Mayella, he would seem that way. But in my opinion, Tom is stiff and rigid. He has his head locked in place and looking anywhere that’s not the all white jury. We saw him very uncomfortable during the direct and cross examination and he even burst into tears towards the end.
Calpurnia was a little underdeveloped in this movie. There are a few intriguing moments that let us glimpse into who Cal is as a character. For me it was the moment she scolded Scout when Walter was over for dinner. The fact that she lay a hand on Scout was interesting given her social status and the extremity of her position regarding how to properly treat guests is strange. For someone who is very submissive and tied to this family, to preach forgiveness and kindness to guests says a lot about Cal and her values.
In my head, it went about as presented in the movie, but more dramatic which is kind of ironic. The movie made Bob Ewell seem less disrespectful,guilty, and rowdy which I think took away a bit from the development of the readers dislike towards him. Mayella also seemed a lot more hush-hush in the movie, more like she had something to hide which may have bend necessary due to the lack of explanation that a book can give. The other man who questioned Tom also seemed more rude in the book. Watching the trial over again kind of just made me angry, very deeply angry, that the jury decided to go against the law and vote against Tom just because he was black. It is so clear that he did absolutely nothing wrong yet they stick to their prejudices in fear of disrupting the roots of society in that time.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what most others have said about Mayella looking childlike while Tom looks steadfast and confident. Their postures display this because Mayella is curled over with her hand behind her back and shoulders slumped, while Tom holds is head high and sits up tall. He knows he has nothing to hide, therefore he looks like he is innocent. Mayella looks guilty. You can also see from their physique how someone would automatically assume that Tom took advantage of Mayella. Mayella is smaller and more fragile looking, so it would be hard to picture her harassing a strong broad man like Tom. I think this partly went into the juries votes because they couldn’t believe a small white woman would ever do such a think or even be capable.
The scene with Calpurnia that stuck with me was the scene with the rabid dog. Cal immediately rushed the kids inside and called Atticus. It was a very motherly moment as she out Jem and Scout before herself. It made me wonder if she has the same motherly bond with her own children, or since she spends more time with Jem and Scout, so they almost replace her own kids?
1. I think that the trial scene was very similar to what I had pictured in my head while reading the novel. Although there were a few differences, specifically the appearance of Mayella. I remember that the book mentioned that Mayella noticeably tried to keep herself clean (especially in comparison to the other Ewells) but for some reason, it might be the lack of description as to the Ewell’s living conditions, she almost seemed too clean. I’m not quite sure that makes sense but without the explanation that we get in the book of their daily struggles I found it harder to find sympathy for Mayella. Having said that, I thought that her speech about the jury and the ‘fancy’ people being cowards was even more powerful in the film. The way she said it, to me it wasn’t about Tom at all and possibly about how no one has the guts to help her in her situation with her abusive father (though it seems to me that many knew what was going on).
ReplyDelete2. These pictures show that both Tom and Mayella appear trapped in their own way. Mayella looks incredibly uncomfortable while on the witness stand and is probably dealing with slight guilt for lying and also the fear of her father who’s sitting pretty much in front of her. She’s having trouble containing her emotions and they get the best of her at times throughout the trial. On the other hand, Tom is leaning back because he has no other options other than to sit there and tell the truth. He is trying his best to remain calm and not express the fear and sadness he’s feeling so as to make it clear he’s telling the truth. But, when Atticus has to push him to continue his story (even though it won’t go down well with the white portion of the crowd) and how trapped he truly feels in that moment is revealed by his emotions.
3. In the scene where Calpurnia is looking at Jem on the porch before Atticus drives her home, Calpurnia seems to be saying a lot without a single word. She looks worried about Jem and is possibly realizing that the racist feelings of some in Maycomb are so deep rooted that they would consider hurting or intimidating innocent children. And based on her correcting Scout’s behavior toward Walter Cunningham, Calpurnia feels responsible for these children and close to them as well.
1. The trial scene is always interesting for me. I've read the book and seen the film several times and I feel very different when reading versus watching this scene. When I'm reading the book I usually have some empathy for her. I think it's because I can't see her face and so I find it harder to make a connection with her. I don't like her either way, but for some reason my feelings are more mild when I read it. When I watch the film, I tend to feel much stronger. It's not really anger, it's more like I'm disgusted with her. It's because when you see her face you can so clearly tell that she's lying! And she keeps changing her answers and it makes me so mad that this wouldn't really mean much to many people on the jury because she's white. She's lying and knows she's going to get away with it just because she's white and I feel like seeing that in screen versus reading it makes it seem a little more real.
ReplyDelete2. Mayella's body language really shows how uncomfortable she is. She looks like she would rather be anywhere else than in that chair. She also won't even look Tom in the eye and I think that says a lot about what she's doing. The fact that she can't even look him in the eye makes her seem even more guilty and I feel like if she were to look at him, she would break down. She just seems really weak throughout the trial and I honestly don't blame her. I don't agree with what she's done at all, but I can't even imagine the amount of chaos in her life and what's going on in her head. I think Tom seems calmer. I don't think he seems any more put together, but he doesn't lash out. I think a lot of this has to do with him respecting the court room and trying not to make his situation worse, but you can still tell he's unsettled. You can see it in his face more than his body. He's clenching his jaw and talking very clearly. It's so obvious that he's telling the truth too because of how little hesitation he has before answering the questions he's being asked. He's also talking with his chest up and he's speaking out directly to Atticus.
3. I think a big moment is when Atticus tells Cal that she's going to need to stay the night with the kids because he's going to be at the jail with Tom. It's a really short scene but when Atticus tells her this, it seems clear that she understands what's going on. He doesn't tell her that he's going to sit with and protect Tom, but she seems to already know what he means. I think it's really powerful because it shows just how real this was.
The trial scene was actually what that I expected it to be. Tom Robinson's emotional display was portrayed in a heartbreakingly beautiful manner. What surprised me the most was how over the top Mayella Ewell's testimony was. From reading the book, my notion was that Mayella would act as quiet as a mouse the whole time and act really shy, but what she ended up being a really confusing victim who could not get her story straight. She would never win outstanding witness in mock trial. What I did not like about the trial scene was that they never showed transition scenes such as the picnic with Dolphus Raymond or when Dill runs out in tears. This is a common theme throughout the movie because of how concentrated they made it. It is also sad that they did not show the prosecution berating Tom Robinson because I think that would have brought an intensity that the trial was missing.
ReplyDeleteMy opinion of Mayella became ten times worse after watching this movie. She just seems really shady and does not come off as a victim at all. The book allowed the reader to see Mayella's life and develop empathy or sympathy for her. The condensed movie does not do a good job at portraying this emotional depth. The picture of Tom Robinson shows him as a calm man who is under control. This is a total contrast to Mayella's photo because she is portrayed as always out of control.
As John mentioned, Calpurnia takes on a undeniably maternal role when she drags Scout into the kitchen in order to chastise her for her bad behavior towards Walter Cunningham's actions. I can only imagine what she is thinking, but it must be something along the lines of 'I need to discipline this child for her own good. When she grows up, she needs to be a lady and Atticus is obviously not teaching her how to be one'. Calpurnia is the only consistent female figure in Scout's life, besides Mrs. Maudie, that ever teaches her lessons on how to be a good person.
It’s difficult to say whether or not I pictured this scene the way it is since I’ve seen it before so long ago. I do think this scene in the film represents the trial from the novel perfectly. It’s calm, and yet I’m on the edge of my seat the whole time. I think the acting is very well done and that the actors and actresses portray the characters in the book exactly the way I’d imagine they would from the novel. This scene pushed me further away from Mayella and Ewells, and invested me much further in Tom Robinson and Atticus.
ReplyDeleteThis scene does a good job of clearly separating Mayella and Tom, but also representing how forced Mayella’s testimony is. Brock Peters does a great job portraying Tom as quiet and respectful. It’s imperative that Tom be seen as very accepting of the social position he is in. he doesn’t agree or enjoy it, but recognizes that there is nothing he could do about it, and anything he did do would get him into trouble. Peters represents that through Tom excelently. Up until Mayella’s testimony, we don’t see her. We’ve only heard about her. I think this clear manipulation by her father represents how naive she is. It represents how the years of abuse by her father really affects her.
I feel the same way as Jordan in the fact that I had to read other peoples comments just to make sure I wasn’t forgetting a big Cal moment because I could only thing of two myself. I hate how little she is involved in the movie so far and the submissive, domestic worker that Estelle Evans portrays is much less interesting than Cal’s role in the novel. Not that I think Evan’s performance is disappointing, just that the choice to not include her or give her much of a life in the film is upsetting. If i had to pick one scene it would be when she scolds Scout. I think thi is the only scene where Cal’s black identity really comes out in her harsher tone and the fact that she hit scout on her way out. I think she is thinking how unnecessary it is for scout to be judging walter the way she is, and relating back to the struggle of growing up and being poor, thinking about the little things that most don’t appreciate.
The trial scene was almost exactly what I had imagined when reading the book. The scene was so well done for so many reasons. It was really cool to see how true this scene and much of the movie is to the book. However, one thing that was different for me as I think it was for a lot of people is that I felt differently about Mayella in the book than in the movie. I can't place whether I felt better or worse for her in the movie, but she was definitely more standoffish. Reading the book, I imagined her to be more unsure of herself and her story, and less defensive than what was shown in the movie. In the film, she reminded me of a cornered wild animal. You could tell she was absolutely terrified and her performance overall was really stunning. Though it was not exactly what I had imagined from the book, this scene in the movie was by far one of the most memorable.
ReplyDeleteThose pictures to me show that both Mayella and Tom are terrified to be where they are but in two very different ways and I think it reflects on their very different backgrounds. Mayella is loud and defensive in her testimony because she doesn't have to worry about what people think about her; she is white and doesn't have to worry about the racism and hatred Tom Robinson would receive in her place. Her family is the lowest of the white people in Maycomb and so they don't have a reputation to uphold. Tom on the other hand, has to walk on eggshells in his every day life and especially since the accusation was brought against him. He isn't able to defend himself publicly in the same way that Mayella would be able to.
One moment that stuck out to me was when Cal lectured Scout about how guests should be treated with respect when Walter Cunningham is at their house. I think it was a really motherly moment for Cal but not in the way one would normally think. Scout and Jem don't have a mother and I think Calpurnia fills that role for them. She teaches them a lot of important lessons and I think she's a big part of who Scout and Jem become. In this moment with Scout in the kitchen, Cal may be scolding her but she really just wants to see Scout grow up to be a good person and to be prepared for the world they live in. Calpurnia is very tough on them but ultimately it is because she loves them and treats them like her own.
1. I thought that the trial scene was very well executed. In fact, I believe that is was similar to the scene that I visualized in my mind. This was exemplified in the shot composition that was utilized for both Tom and Mayella’s confessions. Both respective monologues began with a medium shot and slowly trucked while also cutting in between reaction shots of the prosecutor, Atticus, and the general audience of the court. I also remember talking to John about (thanks for the shoutout, by the way) the way that Tom and Mayella were depicted as cramped and uncomfortable by a series of extremely close shots. Moreover, I think that I should mention that I still could not feel sympathy for Mayella, simply because of the many visual nuances (lack of eye contact, interrupting her own sentences, etc.) that suggested a well-known truth: Mayella was lying under oath.
ReplyDelete2. From these images alone, I feel a stronger sense of fear generated from Tom. The way the picture is framed makes Tom look unfairly surrounded by a sea of white spectators. Conversely, Mayella’s picture shows her from the same distance from the camera; the only difference is that she has a comfortable amount of space around her. While both characters may be feeling trapped, I honestly believe that this two pictures show how much of a social advantage that Mayella has over Tom.
3. While Calpurnia’s lack of backstory did not take away from the main narrative presented in the film, I still would have liked to see a glimpse of her life. I happen to believe that the Finches’ visit to Calpurnia’s church was an important and impactful moment that would have added more depth to Calpurnia, Jem, and Scout’s character. My preferences aside, however, one of Calpurnia’s moments in the film that stuck with me came from Atticus asking her to stay with Jem and Scout while he guarded Tom at the jail. Atticus never said why he was leaving: but, as he asked Calpurnia, a look of fear and bleakness flashed across her face. It seemed as if she knew the position that Tom was in and that, no matter how hard Atticus tried, Tom could never really be saved.
1. I feel like the book portrayed the trial rather than the movie. When I was reading the book, I was way more engaged in the text. It was very much a page turner. However with the movie, it felt a lot less intense. Certain details from the book were missing like when Tom Robinson kept trying to put his hand on the Bible but couldn’t due to the limpness of his arm. It is details like those that really drive the message in. The trial scene just felt incomplete, but it is a movie with limited time so I do take that into account. However, it just didn’t grip me the way the book did.
ReplyDelete2. Mayella looks very nervous based on the fact that she sitting on her hands. Her bad reputation is even more on the line, so I can imagine the stress she is under. However, the picture that really interests me. The pose that Tom is in very calm and dull. This picture represents his view on this entire trial. He believes his testimony won’t even matter to jury because it is a white woman’s word against his, a black man. So what’s the point? That in my opinion is powerful, that we can tell his entire view based on one snippet of his demeanor.
3. During the scene where Atticus is taking Calpurnia home and she is looking at Jem, I feel like she is thinking of him as her own child. She works day in and day out for this family. She has formed a bond with these kids. Maybe it’s the first time she has really felt connected Jem outside of her work. She is busy a lot of the time and now is fully thinking of him as one of her own.
1. The trail scene was pretty similar to how I imagined it. In my head I thought of Atticus and Tom being on the other side of the courtroom but that doesn’t mean much. I think the main difference for me was the commentary from the children in the book. The chapter certainly took on a more objective stance, but we would still be able to read what Scout was thinking or hear some of their dialogue which made the scene feel much more personal on the page.
ReplyDelete2. So I don’t have time to read through all 25 responses so I’m going to hope nobody else mentioned this. It’s been studied in films and video games that the direction a character moves or faces actually has a different physiological effect on the viewer depending on the direction. Like have you ever noticed in the old classic 2D video games the character always moves to the right? I believe it’s due to the fact we read from left to right which makes us think of time as going to the right which means whenever we see a character moving or facing the right we associate more beneficial qualities to them as we subconsciously think of them as moving forward or progressing. In films this means the good guys usually face towards the right and the bad guys face towards the left. So when I look at these two images juxtaposed next to each other I immediately think of how Tom appears to be looking forward, whereas Manella looks trapped against a wall. Basically the direction they each look subconsciously makes us (or at least me) assign more beneficial qualities to Tom and more negative qualities to Mayella. Now I have no idea if the filmmakers actually did this on purpose but it has been researched in studies of films and is a reoccurring phenomenon (Alfred Hitchcock did this purposeful direction a lot in his films).
3. I honestly couldn’t name a single memorable moment with Calpurnia until I read through a couple people’s responses. Looking back on some of those I think the image that stuck with me is how quickly and passionately she rushed to the phone to call Atticus when the rapid dog was spotted. She obviously cared a lot and it made her seem more like a part of the family if that makes sense.
1. The trial scene seemed to be very much the way I had pictured it in my head. I hadn't quite envisioned Mayella's speech so frustrating and weak as it was in the film, which I appreciated a lot. I enjoyed Mayella a lot more in the film than the book. I could see the cogs turning in her head and it felt like what she didn't say rather than say is what told the actual story of what happened.
ReplyDelete2. The difference between Mayella's angle and Tom's is clear. In the still of Tom, the jury, judge and others are all crowded around him. He is surrounded by all of these people being bombarded with questions and false accusations. It shows him being trapped by all of these white men, which corresponds to his current situation. What I get from Tom's still is that there is no way out of his conviction. Mayella's still pictures her with a lot more space and room to breathe. This shows the difference in respect between individuals, and Mayella is offered much more respect than Tom. It feels like the court room is talking down to Tom (except when Atticus talks to him) but talking to Mayella like she is more valid and important.
3. When Calpurnia is saying goodbye to Jem and she ruffles his hair I get a very motherly feeling from her. The way she treats Jem and Scout is very much like a mother, so it would be natural to have that kind of attachment to the children. I think in that moment she was feeling love for Jem.
The trial scene wasn’t exactly what I had pictured of when I read the novel. Mostly because I thought of most of the characters would look different than they did. But also, I think when both Mayella and Tom were being questioned, they had a lot more intense emotions that I thought they would. They both had these long, close up shots that had them yelling or being more confident and intense in their answers. This is something that I didn’t really imagine in the reading, I also think part of it could be the film being more dramatic for the sake of making it a more “hollywood” film.
ReplyDeleteI think that obviously yes, Mayella’s hands are being her back showing her defenseless demeanor. In contrast, Tom is sitting up straight and seems more confident. But I also think a really important contrast is between Mayella and Tom’s questioning versus Bob Ewell’s. Both of them went up to the stand terrified and needing to fight hard for the truth.Because for Tom, his life was on the line and for mayella, she is terrified of her father and of not telling the truth. But Bob, went up and took it very nonchalantly, even laughing when he left the stand.
Honestly, it was very hard to think of scenes that feature Calpurnia. Even if she is in a few scenes, her character is hardly developed whatsoever. I can remember distinctly her scene at the dinner with Scout. She yells at her to come in and she scolds her for being rude to Walter. But this scene to me didn’t show the depth of Calpurnia as a person in the Finch family or the importance of her in Scout and Jem’s life at all. It’s difficult to figure out what she is thinking when we mostly just have character context from the novel.
1. The film made it very clear that Mayella was not telling the truth. Her nervousness was visible and she was switching up her answers. The film does an amazing job of showing how masterful Atticus really is. It has a really nice flow between witnesses and its nice to have a visual of Atticus’s body language as he patiently breaks down the story’s of Mayella and Bob Ewell. Peck does a really amazing job as Atticus and shines in the trial
ReplyDelete2. Tom looks like a man who is telling the truth. He is proud, confident, and empowered by Atticus’s support. However, I fear that this may not serve him well. His confidence and proudness would be a positive if not for the fact that he is black. I think looking at the expressions of the witness’s behind him and also the reaction when he said he felt pity for Ewell, his confidence is actually hurting him. Mayella looks destroyed. In tears with her hands behind her back, defenseless. Atticus is standing over her, exerting his dominance over her with difficult questions she is struggling to answer, where when he questions Tom he is turned away, gaging the reaction of the jury, and clearly has confidence in Tom’s testimony. Even though this picture supports the notion that Mayella is being “victim shamed,” my reaction from Atticus’s questioning is that she was not. He was very respectful, and quite honestly could have shamed her for being an aggressor in the situation.
3. When Atticus asks to stay the night, I remember there was this unspoken understanding of why she had to stay the night. I feel like Atticus and Cal have this relationship where they really understand each other and the positions they are both in and try to empower each other which is really cool. Cal understood that Atticus was going out to protect a black man from lynching, and she needed to stay the night and look after the kids so he could do that. I think the relationship between Cal and Atticus is interesting and it would have been cool if the movie explored it more.
The trial scene was pretty similar to what I imagined when I was reading the novel. The separation of the white and black people in the movie felt really powerful and it was clear that despite that fact that they lived in the same town, they couldn’t have more different lives. One major difference between the court scenes in the movie and book was the omission of Jen saying “We got him,” when Atticus pointed out that Tom Robinson couldn’t have beat up Mayella because whoever had done it did it with their left hand and Tom Robinson’s left arm was rendered useless after it was caught in a cotton gin when he was a child. I don’t think the omission was particularly impactful though
ReplyDeleteThe pictures of Tom and Mayella accentuate the lack of power that Tom has over his own fate. He was clearly very nervous, especially when it came time to tell the court that Mayell had kissed him. Mayella didn’t appear confident at all, suggesting that she either wasn’t sure that the court would believe her story over Tom’s simply based on the fact that she’s white or that she was feeling conflicted about the morality of her actions.
I also noticed that there was a distinct lack of development when it came to Calpurnia’s character. One scene that stuck out to me was when Atticus asked her if she was able to watch over Jem and Scout during the night. It appeared to me that she didn’t really want to but she was loyal to Atticus and his children because of how well he had treated her over the years.