Dead Poet's Society

Dead Poets Society follows a group of boys at an elite private school in the late 1950’s and their quirky new English teacher, Mr. Keating. The school they attend is extremely strict and old fashion where classes are more of a daunting task in the student’s day to day lives than a learning experience. In comes Mr. Keating, a new English teacher who was once a student at the school himself, who teaches the boys to think for themselves, follow their passions and most importantly “seize the day.” Through poetry and other odd classroom lessons he tries to show the boys their potential. The movie follows the students of Mr. Keating’s class as they encounter various aspects of coming of age from first loves to making new friends, discovering oneself,
defying parents, advocating for what’s right, the grief of losing a friend, appreciating the arts and the impact of an inspiring teacher. There are many themes in this movie, the most important being “carpe diem” or “seize the day.” Other themes like establishing one’s own ideas and beliefs about the world around them and to finding what they are passionate about are also important. One of the reasons Dead Poets Society has been so well received throughout the years is the acting. While the messages of the film are inspiring, it’s the actors who deliver them that really make the movie so great. Robin Williams who was always known for his goofy persona takes on a more serious role in this movie. While there are times he acts silly, he comes across as intelligent, sensitive and genuine especially when it comes to his students. It’s a different role for Robin Williams and that is what makes his acting so impressive. His ability to make you laugh and cry within moments has a huge impact on a viewer. Also, the boy’s acting is also very good. Ethan Hawke when he learns of the suicide of his friend Neil is very emotional. Hawke’s acting in the iconic “O Captain! My Captain!” scene is so good that it is often referred to because of the impact it has on the audience. The fact that Dead Poets Society is also a coming of age film is another reason why it is so successful. Everyone who watches the movie can relate to at least on aspect of the film. Many people have had a teacher who influenced and inspired them to follow their passions. Most people have gone through the grief of losing a friend or family member as well as falling in love for the first time. Dead Poets Society’s ability to connect to the audience as well as the actors’ ability to portray various emotions contributes to the success of this film. While this film has many different themes that are all very important the biggest ones would be to follow your passions, think for yourself and to live each day to the fullest.
Throughout the film Robin Williams’ character, Mr. Keating emphasizes the point that each student should think for themselves. This is evident when Keating says “Now we all have a great need for acceptance, but you must trust that your beliefs are unique, your own, even though others may think them odd or unpopular.” The theme of following your passions can be seen as Neil follows his passion for acting despite his father being against it. As well as a student fighting for a girl he has fallen in love with even though she has a boyfriend who he doesn’t think is good enough for her. Also when Charlie, another student, writes a letter to the head of the all-boys school, saying it’s time they had girls join. Finally the idea of living each day to the fullest is very frequent in the film with an emphasis on carpe diem and various quotes on the subject like when the boys read a quote from Henry David Thoreau “I went to the woods because I wanted to live deliberately. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life. To put to rout all that was not life; and not, when I had come to die, discover that I had not lived.” These and other quotes inspire the boys to do things that terrify them because many of the things that scare them don’t turn out to be half as bad as they thought. Keating also teaches the boys to just do things and not spend their time wishing they had done it. Dead Poets Society successfully incorporates these ideas through dialogue and acting as well as
plot. This is a great film. It has a lot of elements that make it timeless and people who are any age can enjoy and connect with it. The acting is amazing. The plot is very easy to follow and although at times it is very simple and even cliché the actor’s performances really make it a fantastic film. The sets are gorgeous and the scenery outside the boy’s school is beautiful. This movie has had a huge impact on popular culture. There have been so many parodies and references to this movie. Many people have said that this film inspired them to take English classes or major in English or become an English teacher. Also this is one of Robin Williams’ most memorable roles and when he died many people quotes “O Captain! My Captain!” and stood on desks in his memory because not only did Robin Williams have a big impact on people but Dead Poets Society did as well. I would definitely recommend this film, its messages are very powerful and inspiring and speak to every viewer, especially Keating’s lesson on carpe diem throughout the movie, “Carpe diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary.”