I have nothing to complain about on the film's technical side, especially the most recent DVD release. The sound is great, the black & white picture is crisp, nothing distracting about the editing. And up until the courtroom monologue by Atticus Finch, I was loving this movie.
The plea: before ruling for/against the defendent, consider the evidence... and get into his skin and walk around in it.
Sounds wonderful. Makes grown men teary-eyed and hug their children. But it's bunk! At least in this context, it is. True, you can understand someone's point of view better if you understand their circumstances, but what does that have to do with the outcome of the trial? This type of thinking is why OJ Simpson is a free man, and not on death row! Black jurors looked at each other and said, "hell yes, we've walked in black men's shoes -- and they're always running from evil white men." It's a disgrace.
I would have been SO much more satisfied with To Kill A Mockingbird if Atticus had gone the trusty Matlock route... Jury, there is zero physical evidence to support this alleged crime. You've heard testimony that the accuser had a naughty desire. There is circumstancial evidence that ******* lifted his hand against the accuser because of this. If you convict my client, the only reason could be your fear and/or hatred of a black man.
As a side, the Boo Radley plot line was excellent. Can't think of any improvement on that.