This post contains spoilers.
Every so often I come across a film so devastatingly beautiful that I can’t stop thinking about it long after my initial viewing. No other film has made me cry as much as this one. Dead Poets Society, directed by Peter Weir, centers around a group of teenage boys who attend an elite New England boarding school where honor and discipline are strictly enforced. Sharp blazers, ties, cozy sweaters, and duffle coats (!) make lovely appearances. I very much appreciated the dark academia wardrobe. And Robert Sean Leonard’s cheekbones, but I digress.
In comes John Keating (Robin Williams), the new English teacher whose unorthodox teaching methods pleasantly surprise his students. He inspires them to seize the day (carpe diem!), and contribute a verse to the play that is life. After all, the human race is filled with passion, so why not pursue that passion? The boys discover that Mr. Keating was part of the Dead Poets Society, which they then restart to read poetry together during late night escapades.
The first half of this movie felt like a warm hug. The way Neil welcomed his reticent roommate Todd into his friend group and tried to include Todd in all of their activities—with seemingly little effort—was so wholesome. I only wish I had a friend like Neil. And this made the second half of the movie so utterly heartbreaking. I’m not sure at what point I started crying, but I do know that the tears just kept coming.
My favorite scene is when Neil confides in Mr. Keating. There seems to be no way in which Neil can convey his passion for acting to his disciplinarian father, who has banned Neil from performing the starring role in an upcoming play. While smiling through tears, Neil says, “I’m trapped.” In fact, whenever Neil cries, he half-laughs out of desperation. Perhaps this reflected what Neil saw as the hopelessness of his situation, or even the catharsis of finally finding a father figure in Mr. Keating. This line carries so much weight, especially when you know what happens next. It’s sad yet true, and underscores the emotional pain a parent can inflict upon their child. Dead Poets Society leaves us with that wound.
A note – I found out that River Phoenix, one of my favorite actors, really wanted to portray Neil. I absolutely love Robert Sean Leonard’s performance, but one can wonder. I guess the powers that be knew River reciting Thoreau’s poetry would have been too much for my heart to handle. I probably would have entered into another plane of existence.
art of film 