Just one of those films.

There are certain films I'll never, ever tire of; Before Sunrise, Casablanca, and High Fidelity to name but a few. I came to To Kill A Mockingbird relatively late - I never studied it in school, so didn't read the book until I was 17. After reading it three or four times since, I'd hazard to say it's my favourite book; the characters, the story, and Harper Lee's timeless writing make it something you can go back to again and again, without it ever losing its impact.

The 1963 film version of the book is of the same breed; filmed in black and white, it depicts the American South of Lee's childhood and story beautifully. Gregory Peck's performance as Atticus Finch is one of the greatest, perfectly capturing the grace and morality of the character and the child actors who play Jem, Scout and Dil are wonderful, bringing pathos and brightness to the screen.When thinking of To Kill A Mockingbird, most people think of the story as a court-room drama, which it is; the moment when Tom Robinson admits to pitying the white woman he is wrongly accused of raping is one of the most painful. But it's also about a summer of playing games and growing up, for both the children and the society around them. The final scene, where Jem and Scout finally meet Boo Radley, is tender and human, miles away from their vision of years of obsession and dreaming.

It's just one of those films.