In English, the Year 9s were recently tasked with writing a review. Review writing is one of the varied functional writing skills required at both National Curriculum and Cambridge Advanced level, and the following example, by Sara C., contains all the required features of both assessment formats. In her review of a film version of a book we recently studied in some detail, we can see the high standard of English our diligent students can attain – a level that would please teachers in the English national education system and the scrutineers of the Cambridge examining board.
The following features should be included in a well constructed review: main characters (and actors); genre; setting; direct address; rhetorical devices; pertinence; appropriate register; understanding of the story (no spoilers); adverbs; adjectives; subject specific language; opinion; four paragraph structure; accurate spelling; accurate punctuation; relative clauses; complex-compound sentences; clear concluding sentence; appropriate word order; correct verb forms; correct preposition usage; correct pronoun usage; -ing adjective; modals; consistent tenses
Sara’s work below is the fruit of her excellent attitude and output, which she has demonstrated on a daily basis.
To Kill a Mockingbird
Have you ever watched a movie of a book you had read, and said to yourself that it was exactly what you imagined? Have you ever felt that all the details perfectly resembled the picture framed in your mind throughout the entire novel? Well, this is the case for the film version of To Kill a Mockingbird. It is one of the best classics of American literature and is considered as a must-read for a younger audience, as it guides its way through life lessons and ultimately reaches a level of maturity and kindness that might be appealing for a young reader.
The movie is a remake of the original Southern Gothic book which was published in 1960, even though it is set in the 1930s in Maycomb, Alabama. The story revolves around the lives of Scout (Mary Badham) and Jem (Philip Alford) and the mysterious case of Tom Robinson (Brock Peters) and Mayella Ewell (Collin Wilcox Paxton) which their father Atticus Finch (Gregory Peck), a wise and respectful lawyer who is a role model as a parent for his children, tries to solve.
The film is extremely faithful to the book, in my opinion. The settings give the exact same homely vibe and the black and white colours make it look more serious and they address racism and prejudice. The only thing I would say that is not faithful to the book is the narration from Scout’s perspective, and some of the scenes where Scout is involved are also missing. Apart from that, I’d say the movie is also faithful to the book regarding the characters. The descriptions of the book are also reflected in the movie where we can see everyone and it is much easier to imagine them.
The effect that the movie had on me was that it was a really good film, but I’d rather read the book. Nevertheless the similarities between the two versions just stood out to me more which isn’t something I’d say for every book I read. The book is just different in the sense that it gives you a much more complete understanding of the story, and in a way you build the story yourself, putting together the bits and pieces. I like the book a little bit more than the movie because the life lessons are much more explicit and there are many more in the book than in the movie.
In conclusion, I enjoyed the movie very much because it is fun and takes you along on the adventures of the young siblings, Scout and Jem. It is a beautifully made movie. just as the book is beautifully written, so it is simply just a masterpiece and a work of art. It teaches you about racism and to what extent it could get to and makes you reflect on other important subjects such as courage and morality. I definitely recommend watching the movie after reading the book, but overall I believe the book is more outstanding.