Both To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) and A Time to Kill (1996) reflect the messages and values of the times in which they were made through their themes of bigotry, justice, perspective, and moral courage. To Kill a Mockingbird reflects the Civil Rights Movement of the early 1960s through Atticus Finch's dignified and brave defense of Tom Robinson against racial prejudice and an unjust legal system. A Time to Kill reflects racial issues and a distrust of the legal system in the 1990s, alluding to the Rodney King beating and OJ Simpson trials, through its portrayal of circumventing and distorting justice due to bias. Both films use their Southern settings and narratives of racial injustice to

1. Section C revision – Part 2
This document provides a possible way to approach a particular
exam question; it includes quotes that would be useful to learn
and hyperlinks to build on your knowledge base. It’s important to
note that anything learned in this section could be useful for
other exam questions that come up in Section C
With reference to your chosen American films, compare the extent to which their messages and
values reflect the times in which they were made
On the surface To Kill a Mockingbird (Mulligan, 1962) and A Time To Kill (Schumacher, 1996)l, appear
to have similar messages and values, but due to the time difference with regard to when the films
were made the way in which the messages and values are understood by the audience can be said to
be very different.
They key way in which the messages and values of the films can be discussed is through the themes
that they share and the way in which these themes are communicated throughout the films. These
themes are bigotry, which can be said to cover racism, racial intolerance and racial inequality, justice
and the law, perspective, moral courage and ethics.
To Kill a Mocking bird was made in 1962 during the Civil Rights Movement, but the narrative time
period was the early 1930s, therefore the messages and values reflected in the film are poignant to
both eras. A Time To Kill was made in 1996 and the narrative period was 1995, I believe that the
messages and values in this film are a true reflection of that time period. What is key to both of
these films is that they were both set in the Deep South of America and more specifically in
neighbouring states. To Kill a Mockingbird was set in Alabama and A Time to Kill was set in
Mississippi, this contextual fact creates further similarities with regard to the messages and values
which are communicated, but also the time difference between the two films allows one to reflect
on the changing ideologies on the Deep South of America, with a history of deep seated racial
tensions and how that has been portrayed in these films. In the South… the legacy of
institutionalized racism, first in the form of slavery, then in that of segregation, confers to race
specific dimension [in both films] that cannot be ignored 1.
HOW AND TO WHAT EXTENT DOES TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD REFLECT THE MESSAGES AND VALUES
OF THE EARLY 1960S?
To Kill a Mockingbird was released in 1962 right in the middle of the Civil Rights Movement (1955 –
1968). The Civil Rights Movement was characterised by major campaigns of civil resistance serving
the purpose to outlaw racial discrimination and freedom from oppression by white Americans.2 So
even though the film was set in early 1930s America and reflected the issues of the narrative time
the messages and values also reflected the time the film was made.
During the Civil Rights Movement tens of thousands of people of all races risked not just their
standing in the community, but also their lives, in the hope of building a coalition for racial equality.
The Movement (as it came to be known) was peopled not only by courageous African-Americans, but
also by college students and religious leaders of many races. These activists employed the tactics of
legal challenges, civil protests (including sit-ins, marches, and freedom rides), and other initiatives in
their efforts to see that African-Americans received equal opportunity and protection in the United
States.3

2. Section C revision – Part 2
This ideology of the Civil Rights Movement can be said to be reflected in the messages and values of
To Kill a Mocking Bird the film has been described as a progressive, enlightened 60s message about
racial prejudice, violence, moral tolerance and dignified courage. 4 The main way is which the
messages and values are communicated are through the characters and in particular the main
protagonist, the character of Atticus Finch. His character and actions serves as a catalyst for the
changing messages and values that we see reflected in A Time To Kill, he uses his social standing
within the community and legal profession to fight against racial prejudice. Throughout the film he
teaches lessons of moral tolerance to his children ‘Scout’ and ‘Jem’ and he is always able to fight
with an air of dignified courage.
PROVIDE TEXTUAL EXAMPLES OF HOW THE FILM REFLECTS MESSAGES AND VALUES OF
THE EARLY 1960S (perhaps refer to the themes to help you – focus on bigotry, tolerance
and moral courage/bravery)
 Segregation in the courthouse
 Bob Ewell vs. Atticus and their confrontations
 Finding Tom guilty – the injustices of a the American legal system
 Lessons to Scout
 Atticus’s closing speech
 Atticus takes on Tom’s case even though he knows the town will be against him (Herculean
task - requires tremendous effort, strength) Atticus is brave to defend a black man in the
face of criticism and threats of violence. Atticus struggles on with case because he believes
that one day good will prevail over the evils of racism and racial equality will exist
 Facing the mob of men outside the jailhouse.
HOW AND TO WHAT EXTENT DOES A TIME TO KILL REFLECT THE MESSAGES AND VALUES OF THE
1990S?
In 1963, Martin Luther King described Mississippi as “a desert state sweltering with the heat of
injustice and oppression.” The sobering question suggested by the film is how much has Mississippi
really changed?
A Time To Kill, in much the same way as To Kill a Mockingbird has strong messages and values that
are linked to that of bigotry and fighting for justice, with this in mind it’s easy to see how the film
reflects current contextual issues of the time. A Time to Kill was indeed released four years after
an all-white jury acquitted the four LAPD police officers who assaulted the black driver Rodney King
in 1992 [which lead to the Los Angeles riots], and two years after a mostly black jury found O.J.
Simpson not guilty of the charges pressed against him during his criminal trial in 1994, while a mostly
white jury found him guilty during the civil trial.5Although these cases aren’t directly linked to the
narrative of A Time to Kill they are reflections of bias/ corrupt legal systems linked to an issue of
race, and this is key to the narrative of A Time To Kill.
Wilda L. White in her article ‘Imagine… Justice (Nov, 1997) states ‘The only relation people in this film
have to justice is circumventing and distorting it’ 6
PROVIDE TEXTUAL EXAMPLES OF HOW THE FILM REFLECTS MESSAGES AND VALUES OF
THE 1990s (perhaps refer to the themes to help you – focus on bigotry, Justice and the
Law and Ethics)

3. Section C revision – Part 2
CONCLUDE
You should have now shown your knowledge of contextual issues surrounding the films and
provided textual evidence from the films to show how their messages and values relate to those
textual issues. So now to end you need to look back at your evidence provide a statement that
compares and contrast the extent to which both films reflect messages and values of the time they
were made.
1
Burning Mississippi: Race, Fatherhood and the South in A Time To Kill (1996) by Helene Charlery
http://www.miranda-ejournal.eu/1/miranda/article.pdf?numero=5&id_article=Article_10-862
2
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African-American_Civil_Rights_Movement_(1955%E2%80%931968)
3
http://school.familyeducation.com/civil-rights/african-american-history/47045.html
4
http://www.filmsite.org/toki3.html
5
http://www.miranda-ejournal.eu/1/miranda/article.pdf?numero=5&id_article=Article_10-862
6
http://usf.usfca.edu/pj/articles/imagine_justice.htm