Moview Review: Dead Poets Society

In a strict and traditional boarding school English professor John Keating inspires his students to a love of poetry and to seize the day. The lives of every student and their family are forever changed by this event, some of them for the better and some for the worst. Painfully shy Todd Anderson has been sent to the school where his popular older brother was valedictorian. His room-mate, Neil, although exceedingly bright and popular, is very much under the thumb of his overbearing father. The two, along with their other friends, meet Professor Keating, their new English teacher, who tells them of the Dead Poets Society, and encourages them to go against the status quo. Each, in their own way, does this, and are changed for life.

Dead Poets Society
Release Date: 9 June 1989
Duration: 128 mins
Rating: 5/5 stars
Buy: Amazon (US) || Amazon (UK)

Review:

This movie is believed to be one of the best movies ever filmed and I have to agree with that. I usually get bored with social movies but this one captivated my interest and kept me going for the whole duration. Even when it finished I wanted it to keep telling us the characters’ stories.

The movie is located in a boarding school, it is actually in eastern USA but the environment and the presence of Scottish elements makes the watcher think it is located in Scotland. The scenery is amazing, it has vast fields covered in snow, dark and misty forests and a very mystical Indian cave. Also I liked the school building but I think that about every boarding school with neoclassical elements so I am not so objective XD

The acting is at least above average and some of the characters are just perfect. I especially liked Robin Williams as John Keating and Robert Sean Leonard as Neil Perry. But also the “bad guy” Dylan Kussman as Richard Cameron. The characters were awesome, I think every teacher, professor, sensei, shifu whatever you call it, should watch very carefully John Keating and try to be like him.

The plot of this movie is not very clear from the beginning, at least to me it wasn’t, because, I think, we are used to think that the main plot is about a character but in this movie it is not true. The “main character” here is the principle of free thinking and free will itself. The movie does follow the lives of the members of the dead poet society but at the end of the day the plot is all about freedom and that is what made it stand out for me. It shows both the greatness of what free thinking can achieve and the grief and horror that oppression can produce. Aside from that this movie made me start to enjoy poems, I know it sounds weak but it did, just like blues brothers made me love the old rock/blues music.

To sum up I have only one thing that I can say : “Oh captain, my captain !”.