Review of Dead Poets Society (1989) by Kai82 — 21 Jan 2022

It was a movie we had to watch in school and actually liked. The movie had an appeal to everyone from the nerds up to the roughnecks in my class. Even more we discussed about it and it gave us some ideas.

This was amazing and today I see this nearly as miracle. It is set in 1959 and deals with freshman in the elite all male prep school Welton Academy. Each one has his own burdens and it is a harsh place as they all were expected to be elite students no matter what.

However the new teacher who is himself a former student of the academy has some unique methods that inspires them. I am a bit vague here to not spoil the plot. It is an emotional ride and an excellent drama that I fully enjoyed.

This is rare for me as I don't like the drama genre. However the characters, story and message won me over. It is excellent from start to finish. Also there is a lot to analyze, discuss and learn. I think that the awesome cast improved this movie and ideas even further.

For many Robin Williams role as John Keating is a highlight of his career and he never made a bad performance. He is truly excellent and many wished more teachers like him existed (Not meant as critique to real life teachers who are already heroes in a not well paid job that is hard, challenging and unrewarding).

Then we have the rest of the awesome cast with Knox Overstreet played by Josh Charles, Richard Cameron played by Dylan Kussman, Neil Perry played by Robert Sean Leonard (Dr. Wilson from “Dr. House”), Charlie Dalton played by Gale Hansen, Gerard Pitts played by James Waterston, Todd Anderson played by Ethan Hawk and Norman Lloyd as (Headmaster) Gale Nolan.

Each one is fully convincing and nails the role. Like I said each one has their own personality, burdens and development. Rarely ever does a cast work this well. In a case like this I have also to praise the director Peter Weir and writer Tom Schulman or better the whole team.

The movie gave us a lot of noteworthy scenes and quotes like “O Captain! My Captain” or “Carpe Diem”. Also it teaches some values in a convincing way. The rest was history as it became a box office hit and well liked by critics and fans.

Overall this is a movie I would recommend to everyone and to watch in school. It is not only entertaining but also teaches a lot of the right values.