Dead Poets Society: Review By ejk1

"Carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero." One of the most famous lines in Odes by the Roman poet Horace, it translates to, "seize the day, trusting as little as possible to the future." This is the preeminent mantra of the 1989 film Dead Poets Society, an exquisite movie directed by Peter Weir that demonstrated many facets of being a teenager, and all of the passionate emotions that come with being one. There is also a remarkable performance by Robin Williams, which proved to the world that he was more than a goofy comedian. But before I get fully into the review, allow me a moment to tell you that this review will be a little different from my other ones. As some of you know, I was an English major, and studied much poetry. Well, to my surprise, it has become a little bit of an obsession to me. With that said, I feel the need to riff on the poetry held in Dead Poets Society as much as I do the film itself. So the review here will be two-fold; a look at the film will come first (in which I will be injecting part of my personal life at least once), followed by a rundown of some of the famous poems found within the movie and how it figures into Dead Poets Society (ending with a shameless plug). I do hope all of you stay to the end, and find as much enjoyment in this film and the poetry as I did. So shall we begin? I believe so....

Dead Poets Society begins at the welcoming ceremony for the students entering Welton Academy during the autumn of 1959. It is here that both the audience and students are introduced to Professor John Keating (Robin Williams), the new teacher of English at Welton. Following the ceremony, we are quickly introduced to the students that we will be following throughout the film: Todd, Neil, Knox, and Dalton. These four, along with a few others, are followed through a first day of classes montage--math and science are shown to be taught in the most traditional forms possible, even though each class is seen for about ten seconds. However, time slows when reaching the English class. Professor Keating, or since I'm daring, "Oh Captain, My Captain," calmly strolls through and out of the classroom and tells the class to follow him. It is in this moment that his unorthodox methods are shown, and that they will have an affect on his students. Soon enough, his students begin to research the past of their quirky professor, who as it happens is a Welton graduate. Next to Keating's picture in his yearbook, there is a blurb mentioning that he was part of the Dead Poets Society. Intrigued, the students ask Keating what the society was, and he tells them that he and his friends went to a cave and read poetry both out of books and from their own hands, for each other's benefit and the opposite sex, and pretty much just to have a good time. Neil quickly decides that he wants to reform the society with his classmates, and from here they embark on their journey to find freedom of expression. They meet and have great fun, but like all things, it eventually comes to an end. Why? Because while Mr. Keating is a chill, laid back fellow, there are other adults that are stuffy, prickly old bastards intent on ruining the joys of youthful fun. These people include Headmaster Nolan (Norman Lloyd), who dislikes Keating because of his unusual concepts. There is obviously a clash of ideas here, and it begins to show itself right after the "walking demonstration." Another adult who disrupts the fun is Mr. Perry (Kurtwood Smith), who happens to be Neil's father. This man is clearly living vicariously through his son, demanding that Neil go to medical school and not stop for anything else. This is demonstrated in the first few minutes of the film, when Mr. Perry, feeling that Neil shouldn't waste his time on too many extra-curricular activities, has his son removed from the Annual (yearbook). It is sad to watch this scene and Neil kowtowing to his father, as it foreshadows events to come.

The acting in Dead Poets Society is top-notch. It is with this film that Robin Williams shows what he is truly capable of, earning himself an Oscar nomination for Best Actor. He was the perfect choice to play Keating, melding quick wit with a great passion for his work. Williams doesn't wear his emotions on his sleeve, because they are written on his face all of the time. When he is happy, sincere, or sad, the audience can see his feelings and react accordingly. I also like the name of the character. John Keating. My thought is that screenwriter Tom Schulman did this on purpose; it is eerily similar to John Keats, one of the greatest poets ever (seriously no joke. Keats had an amazing portfolio for someone who died at the age of 22). But there is a little more. I see in Keating similarities to some of my own English professors. He has a good humor and is willing to let students express themselves. Hell, when he has the students rip out the introduction to there textbooks, I said to myself, "I could see Moores or Bordelon doing that" (I have more to say about this scene, but that will be handled in the poetry section)." Some including Roger Ebert did not like Williams's performance, but you guys know my opinion on Ebert: whenever I disagree with him, I remind myself that he wrote the "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls" screenplay, and that automatically makes me right.

The actors playing the students were also perfect in my opinion. Ethan Hawke (Todd), Robert Sean Leonard (Neil), Josh Charles (Knox), and Gale Hansen (Dalton) played what could easily have been perceived as stereotypical teenagers, yet each actor gave their character a depth and sincerity that elevated each student way beyond the stereotype. Todd is quiet and afraid of public speaking, and only overcomes it when Keating draws him out in one of the best scenes of the film. As said before, Neil is facing an unhappy future set up by his father, and struggles against it every day. Knox falls in love with the beautiful Chris, and pines for her until he decides to "seize the moment." And Dalton, or Nuwanda (as he would become), is the free spirit of the bunch. What I like about these characters is the fact that I can see some of them in myself, or what I hope to become, while being grateful that others are not there. I can see Knox clearly. I'm in love with this girl, and have had some difficulty telling her how I feel. However, I am willing to tell her the next chance I get, you know, once I stop hyper-ventilating. I have even written parts of a poem for her and plan on finishing it soon, just in case I ever get the opportunity to recite it for her. I do wish to eventually live as care free as Dalton, but I understand that he can act in his manner because he came from a wealthy family, while I do not. Perhaps one day. As for Todd and Neil, I am grateful not to see myself in them at all. Especially Neil. Todd's problem stems from the fact that his family wants him to be a lawyer, while he wants to be a writer. While that may be a difficult pill to swallow, his parents seemed willing to bend. There was no such luck for Neil. Mr. Perry dominated the poor boy from beginning to end. I may not have the greatest relationship with my parents, but I can say that neither of them have purposely undermined my wishes for myself, and have been supportive of my decisions. Neil never received that kind of respect from his father, and it would cost all parties involved dearly. For being able to make me so introspective of my own life, I am compelled to give these performances very high marks.

Peter Weir makes Schulman's screenplay spark, as he pulls all the right strings as director. One scene that I felt was perfect was the one where the boys were going to the first meeting of the new society. The music playing in the background, the boys running through the woods with black hoods on. It felt as if Weir was trying to convey a magical moment, such as woodland sprites meeting to cause some mischief. It was one of many moments that Weir captured the perfect tone.

Visually, I love Dead Poets Society. It is in the perfect setting. It feels like a New England film, and looks like one. I guess it needed to be, though. I mean, it could not have been set in New York City, now could it have? Imagine beginning each meeting with Thoreau's "Walden" while sitting in the concrete jungle instead of the cave in the middle of the woods. It doesn't work, does it? Of course not.

Needless to say, Dead Poets Society is one of my favorite films. It was very influential in my decision to be an English major. My years in college only added a new dimension of my enjoyment of the film. Dead Poets Society is that rare film that actually has a message to convey. Simply put, the film tells the audience to follow the dreams they aspire to achieve. Do not leave anything to the future's chance, and live every day to its fullest potential. This is something that all of us aspire to do, yet only to have varying degrees of success in achieving this goal. I wish you all good luck as you attempt to seize the day.

The Famous Poems of Dead Poets Society:

"O Captain, My Captain" by Walt Whitman

The American Bard wrote this poem after the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. This poem is actually unique for Whitman, as it follows the traditional form of poetry. Whitman mainly utilized open verse in his poetry, which includes almost no rhyming or meter, yet has a sort of sing-song melodic rhythm to it. Overall, the poem does what it sets out to do--eulogizes the fallen Lincoln. However, if one really wants to get a feel for Whitman's poetry, try some of his other works, such as "I Sing The Body Electric," Song Of The Open Road," or his legendary "Song Of Myself." These poems are Whitman's true voice peaking out.

"To The Virgins" by Robert Herrick

The poem exudes the spirit of carpe diem. The narrator is blatantly telling his readers that time is short, and they must live to the fullest while they can. Youth is fleeting, and one must live it up early to truly have a wonderful life. This poem is pretty straightforward, using abab rhyme scheme from beginning to end,but that is no problem. "To The Virgins" has a great flow to it, and gets better with each reading.

"She Walks In Beauty" by Lord George Gordon Byron

One of my favorite poems, Byron allegedly wrote this poem for his cousin while she was dressed in a mourning gown. I guess that's one way to make her feel better about the death of a loved one, if indeed the story is true. Like Herrick's poem, "She Walks In Beauty" is written in abab rhyme scheme. In Dead Poets Society, Dalton performs only the first verse of the poem, and that's actually a good thing; he would have had a hard time explaining how he came up with a poem for two blondes in which the phrase "raven tresses" is used to describe the hair of the lady in question.

"Puck's Speech" from A Midsummer's Night Dream by William Shakespeare

This is just a great speech, the final lines of Shakespeare's great comedy. It has a great flow, which could be because of the aabb rhyme scheme. AABB is very easy to remember, which helps to make it an enjoyable read. In Dead Poets Society, it is performed at a poignant time, as it seems that Neil is addressing only his father during his performance as Puck. While watching this speech, one cannot help but hope for the reconciliation spoken of, yet one look at Mr. Perry tells us that it is ultimately impossible for this to be so.

"The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost

One of Frost's greatest works, this poem tells its readers how one decision irrevocably changed a person's life. The final stanza says it all:

"I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference."

Now, we have to dissect this stanza for just a minute, because for many years it has been assumed that the narrator's life has been changed for the better. However, that is not necessarily true; nowhere in the poem does it say that this choice of the narrator's led to good things. He will be telling his story "with a sigh," which is filled with ambiguity. Is he sighing because it led him to love? Or prison? Something else entirely? We just don't know; it is up to our interpretation of the poem to decide. Now why do I dig a little deeper into this poem than the others? Because in Dead Poets Society, a few of the characters come to similar crossroads, with both positive and negative consequences abound. While some other poems may have greater influence on the film's surface, "The Road Not Taken" is seemingly woven into the film's plot, as we indeed watch the students may decisions that, for good or bad will impact the rest of their lives.

I hope you all enjoyed this review, and if you made it all the way to the end, you have my thanks. If you have a fascination with poetry but do not know where to start, I have a recommendation for you: my former professor, Dr. Donald Moores, put together an anthology called Wild Poets Of Ecstasy a few months ago. As of last week, it can be found at Amazon et al. The anthology covers many different eras of poetry: Hebrew Bible verses, Ancient Greece, the Renaissance, Romantics, and some names you may not be familiar with, such as the Sufi poet Rumi. Included is Herrick's "To The Virgins," along with works of some of the other poets whose work was used in Dead Poets Society. I think it's a good place to begin the study of poetry, as it gives the reader many different voices and styles to choose from. Anyways, there it is. My shameless plug. I don't expect anyone to run out and buy the book, but I do hope I piqued your interest enough to find something that interests you. Once again, thank you for reading.