Scout and Jem are attacked

Cinematography

The camera work, or cinematography, of this film helps the audience to see things from Scout's perspective. The camera shots and angles represent what Scout sees and understands, rather than what her father, Atticus, or any of the other adults see and understand. It's all about Scout's experiences throughout this particular time in her life and the Tom Robinson rape trial.

One of the best examples of this actually comes after the trial, towards the end of the film. A man named Bob Ewell, whom Atticus accused during the trial, holds a grudge and is seeking revenge. He attempts to exact his revenge by attacking Scout and Jem one night as they're walking home from a school play that Scout participated in. To better embody Scout’s limited perspective, the camera stays focused on her for the most part throughout the scene. The audience is denied the closure of seeing the attacker or the man who comes to save the children right away. This helps viewers to relate to Scout because she also does not get a good look at either of the men involved in the fighting.

Atticus cross-examines Mayella

(Court Room Snippet)

Sound

There is a large portion of this movie that does not have an accompanying soundtrack. The most noticable and important of these scenes is the court room scene. This is the part of the movie where the actual trial takes place. Scout, her brother Jem, and their friend Dill sneak into the court room to watch their father defend a black man, Tom Robinson. This whole scene is just over half an hour. That's thirty minutes of screen time without any soundtrack playing underneath it. It's surprisingly easy to miss because all the focus is on the trial and it's a very high-strung scene.

The lack of any extra sounds, leaving behind only the natural sounds of the scene, helps to immerse the audience in the moment. It feels more realistic and brings a new dimension to watching this film. This puts the audience in the same situation as Scout watching from the audience of the court room. They get the same sights and sounds that she does, helping them to get a better feel for how she's experiencing this whole ordeal. The audience remains unbiased by any background music, which often tells people what they should be feeling about a particular scene in a movie. Just like Scout, the viewers are left to form their own opinions about the trial and who is or isn't guilty.