Dead Poets Society Movie Review

"Carpie Diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary."

This quote is probably the most famous line from Touch Stone's 1989 classic, Dead Poets Society. Starring the semi-newcomer Ethan Hawke, and the talented Robin Williams as the English professor everyone wants to have at least once during their education career, Dead Poets Society takes place at an all boys Catholic boarding school in the 1950s. The story focuses on a group of boys and their experience with their new English teacher, Professor Keating. 

This film is excellent; a bit overrated but excellent all the same. The story is wonderful, the direction is exemplary, the characters are magnificent, and the score and visuals are absolutely gorgeous. I have a love for boarding school stories which makes me a bit bias toward this story but hey, we are all biased in one way or another. I can't quite comprehend my attachment to this particular trope. Perhaps it is the idea of being overnight like being away at camp that excites me...after all, my years going away to overnight camp are some of the best memories of my teenage years. There always seems to be a foreign yet wonderful aspect to boarding school stories that makes them so fantastical to me and bring back my own memories from staying at camp overnight. The film also carries a very novel quality to it which is illustrated through all aspects of the film from the reflective score to the colorful personalities dubbed to each character.

A topic widely debated about this film is the issue of the main character. Many believe it is Neal or Professor Keating, but many also believe it is Todd. I would have to agree with the latter. While all of the characters are set up with conflict, it is Todd who sheds his cocoon and turns into a butterfly. Okay, all cheesy metaphors aside, Todd starts out as a shy young man who is weighted down by the expectations set forth by his older brother. While I can't relate to the older sibling aspect of Todd, I can relate to his shyness and his desire to take his teacher seriously. I too would have been like Todd and I forged a connection with him right away. But while Todd shows the most growth, the other characters grow too within the confines of their story. Too often movies will create side characters that only exist to push the plot forward and they become generic caricatures. This is why Dead Poets is so novel. It shows Knox trying to get the girl and it shows Neal struggling to defy his father in a healthy way and it shows Professor Keating struggling against conformity; but in the end it all comes back to Todd who is shown in the film's film shot. The characters are not simple and the film

Todd in the final shot of the film

doesn't set it up that way which in itself is revolutionary. In most films, if the character isn't a main one then we only see the side character with our main character. It is a trope that isn't bad but none the less a trope, but this movie defied that and said, "Hey, you are gonna see clips of these kids whether they are the main characters or not!" It is almost as if the film is asking the viewer to decide themselves who the main character is. 

The character Professor Keating is the sort of Professor everyone dreams of having, someone who shakes things up and shows why learning is fun. While other Professor's are telling the boys to hang their heads, listen and sit down, Keating invites them to stand. He promotes freedom of thought which is the true purpose of this film, not Carpe Diem as so many believe. My favorite scene in the film is called Find Your Own Walk where Keating has the boys do a walking exercise to metaphorically demonstrate what it means to conform while also telling the boys to think for themselves. He goes beyond simply reading words from a page (which isn't bad, don't get me wrong. I love to read words off pages) but makes poetry physical through sports, classical through music, and communal like friendship. This belief of standing up is also well represented by the many shots of birds taking flight throughout the film. Robin Williams's subtle humor and authentic portrayal of Keating shines! This is easily one of his best roles.

What makes the film enjoyable to the eyes and the ears are the warm colors consistently used and the quietly reflective score. The film is full of reds and oranges and browns and seems to have an essence of autumn. Autumn is often a symbol of wisdom. Warm colors are often used to convey simple optimistic scenes or strong violent scenes, both of which exist in

Keating wears red

this movie. Red is a color of love, passion, joy and power emphasized by Keating who is seen many a time with red in his tie, his scarf and in one scene he even wears a red sweater. Gold is a very traditional color that represents riches and tradition while orange promotes change (like the leaves in autumn), health and energy. All of these are represented in the movie. Brown and black are also warm colors and used a lot in the movie. 

The score is of quiet reflection and it's simple beauty is something to behold. It provides a certain haunting quality to the film that clashes well with the religious undertones and historical setting. There are a few primary instruments being used, being the bagpipes, the flute, the harp, and the harpsichord. The bagpipes are the most prominent in the film and are known for their Scottish routes and also being used at funerals. I will return to this idea in a moment. The harp and the flute sound very naturalistic. When I was younger I used to watch an English dubbed version of an Austrian Pippi Longstocking film and in the movie the children were running away and this soft melody of a flute played as they traveled through the woods. While that movie is awful, it does hold a piece of me and does speak to this idea of using simple music to express simple emotions. The flute especially makes you feel as if you are at the school watching the trees blow in the breeze and as if you are surrounded by nature. It is a refreshing sound like drinking water on a hot day and makes you feel as if you have disconnected from all of the technology that holds you back and doesn't let you "seize the day!". The harpsichord provides a very old sound that seems to represent the school itself as it is very old and very tradition and very strict. This score very much reminds me of Dario Marianelli's score for the 2005 film Pride and Prejudice. It is so simple and beautiful and moving that it seems to transport you into this realm where you are alone in nature and in peace. I guess that is a good word for the score, peaceful. 

The religious imagery in the film is very fascinating to me. Going back to the bagpipes for a moment, the film starts out with bagpipes which as I said above are often used at funerals. This leads me to believe that the film is starting out with death and ending with death, but death is different in each instance. In the beginning, the boys are all dead to themselves. By the end, they have killed their insecurities (or at least are on the way to doing so) and are becoming alive. The bagpipes are heard very loudly at the very beginning and at the very end when the credits begin. Keating himself is a Christ figure. His dangerous teachings very much embody the character of Christ who also taught very dangerous things for his time. The religious imagery becomes very heavy handed with Neal's death as he places the crown of thorns on his head. This is the only part of the film I found to move into movie-ism cliche, when Neal died. His parents reaction was shot in such a way that reminded me of comedies. Perhaps these comedies I am thinking of subconsciously were made after this film and so it wasn't cliche when it was made but the slow motion shouting felt a bit out of place. I also found Todd's snow walking to be a bit Hollywood but at the same time, that scene was also beautiful. I should also note that the film ends in winter, a season that often personifies death which ties back to the bagpipes being used. 

One last thing to mention is the narrative transformation used in the movie. Narrative transformation is something used when the artist is setting up something one way and then later flipping it on the audience. In the beginning of the film we see Mr. Nolan as a respectable figure we can look up to and the boys see Keating as a joke. By the end of the film, most of the boys show an incredible respect for Keating while we as the audience see Nolan in an entirely new and almost evil light.

To put it simply, this film about poetry is executed as poetry. As a lover of novels, I often look for novel aspects in the things I immerse myself in. But the novel can also be poetic as can music and video games and even film. This movie is brilliant. It is definitely a favorite of mine. Not only is the film itself a work of art, but Robin Williams is amazing and it is about literature/poetry which is my forte. It can't get any better than this! This film definitely gets an A+ from me!

We Never Had A Friend Like You, Robin

I was sitting in the family room, watching Jeopardy with my grandma. My dad was upstairs trying new clothes on and my mom was in the living room discussing vacation plans with a friend. It was a relatively ordinary evening. I had made dinner that night instead of my mother which was a welcomed change but other than that, everything seemed particularly dull. As we watched Jeopardy, a red banner appeared at the bottom of the screen with white letters. At first I thought it was a weather alert but upon reading the text, my mind first jumped to Tracey Morgan who I knew had been in a bad accident a few weeks ago. I assumed this may be an update on his condition. And then my eyes saw the name Robin Williams and my brain slowly registered what I was reading. Robin Williams found dead. Death by suicide, it said.
Perhaps it sounds strange when I say I teared up. I am writing this the day after and still feel choked
up about it. This has never happened to me before. I imagine I am feeling something similar to fans of MJ when he died. I never knew that I could feel a connection of such caliber from a person I never actually met. I know this is a pretty heavy topic to start out with on my new blog but I feel I need to reflect on the impact Robin Williams had on my life because truth be told, he was like a member of my family. My family and I may disagree on many things, but one universal truth in our house is that we are all lovers of Robin Williams. He has entered our household countless times, telling hilarious jokes and moving us to tears from his brilliant performances. Perhaps this is why I feel so sad about his passing. He was more than just an actor. He was a role model, a mentor, and a friend. Only the most brilliant actors are.
Where do I begin? It is hard to find a starting place for this post. I can hardly begin to answer the question, what impact has Robin Williams had on my life? To answer in broad terms, he has introduced me to good comedy. He has demonstrated what it means to be a genuinely good actor. His film range is exceptional and every performance is beautiful and honest and funny and outright special. You will never forget a movie Robin Williams was in.
There are two roles that Robin played that I grew up with and these movies have stayed with me for a long time, and I imagine they will remain with me for the rest of my life. The first has to be the Genie from Aladdin. I grew up watching Disney movies constantly and Aladdin was one my brother and I always popped in to the VHS player. Speaking specifically toward Robin's character, I can't say enough just how much my friends and I quoted him in college. His performance as the Genie encompasses Robin completely...a man of heart and humor. You can't watch the movie without smiling. Aladdin is one of the best Disney movies ever made and part of that is the Genie's character, brought to life by Robin!
The other role which Robin played that was a huge part of my childhood is Daniel Hillard slash Euphegenia Doubtfire. Mrs. Doubtfire was the first PG-13 movie I ever saw, at the age of 9. My younger brother and I, oblivious to the film's dirty humor, cracked up at Daniel's alter ego. From watching her dance with a vacuum to Daniel's hilarious impressions with the social worker, we were hysterical. And it wasn't just us...it was our parents too. Yet the film is not just all laughs. It is about a very serious topic, divorce. Robin does an amazing job at capturing a man who would do anything for his children while also balancing being a big kid himself. The humor is dirty but man, it is fantastic. It is simply an amazing film.
Looking back, there are so many Robin Williams movies that I love and want to briefly reflect on during this blog post. One that doesn't come to most peoples minds is Flubber. That is another movie I grew up with though it never moved me as much as Aladdin or Mrs. Doubtfire. Flubber always cracked us up as kids. We still on it on VHS. Robin had perfect comedic timing and plays a professor who everyone can get behind.
The next movie I want to talk about is Dead Poets Society. Surprisingly I have only seen this movie once. Robin plays another professor though this time he excels in Poetry. This is the kind of film I knew I would love before I watched it, the kind where a teacher swops in and inspires their students to be more, that they are special and can make a difference in the world. His performance is fantastic. It completely exemplifies Robin's message - that you can do and be anything.

The next film is Patch Adams. I saw this when I was in middle school. Like most of Robin's films, it cracked me up (or rather, he cracked me up) and it once again embraces another one of his philosophies on life - that making people happy is essential. His character experiences great personal loss but still manages to bring smile to the world. His character shows that it isn't normalcy that cures or even standing out, it is love. He loves people as they are and meets them where they are.
Now let us talk about Good Will Hunting. This is another movie I have seen only once. I watched it on Netflix a little over a year ago. Again, Williams is a professor and a mentor. I don't have much more to say other than, watch the movie. It is as simple as that. You will thank me for it later.
Now The Bird Cage. This movie never cracked me up until my stomach hurt but the dry humor does make you chuckle quite a bit. It isn't a typical Robin film but I still love it. It just showcases another side to his acting style.

GOOOOOOOOOOOD MORNING VIETNAM! I have an interesting story to tell that is directly tied to this movie. In 2009 when my family traveled to Disney World, we rode the Great Movie Ride. At the end there was a brilliant montage that briefly scanned over the great Hollywood films and above Tara's Theme from Gone with the Wind came Robin shouting GOOOOOD MORNING VIETNAM and I felt such passion from him at that moment and I hadn't even seen the movie. It is phenomenal! A great portrayal of the damages of war and the humor and love that can exist despite the hardships.
My last mention will seem silly to some but it is another film that was a big part of my childhood. That movie is, Aladdin 3: The King of Thieves. Okay, so we all know Disney sequels usually equate to poop. But there are a few that are genuinely good and this is one of them. Not only is the story easy to get behind but Robin's comedy is top notch. His impressions and references are hysterical and his comedic timing is, you guessed it, brilliant!

He are some honorable mentions to end this blog: Hook, Jumanji, Night at the Museum, License to Wed, and Happy Feet.
The brilliance of being in entertainment is that your memory truly remains alive through the projects you were apart of. I hope to watch many Robin Williams films for the next few weeks. And I am aware of how many times I have used the word brilliant in this post...but seriously, how can I not?
Good-bye Robin. You will be deeply missed. I hope you find peace wherever you have gone. Your creative, awe inspiring, funny, and genuine acting style will not be forgotten.