Dead Poets Society (1989) User Reviews

Thank You Captain

[CMTiago · 9/10 · 12 August 2014]

It was with a sad reason that I re watched Dead Poets Society, as we lose yet another talent and an all round good person in Robin Williams. This being my favorite Williams film, I took it upon myself to honor his memory by remembering his best body of work, in my opinion. Mr. Keating is the teacher that I wish I had, and granted this might be a mixed opinion within the film's context, but the matter of the fact is that he was no ordinary teacher, and that's something you don't see very often.

The thing about this film is that it doesn't shorten its importance to Williams's performance. The supporting cast is one that balances the film like no other. Every one of those students that revived the DPS is, in one way or another, influenced by Mr. Keating, be that positively or, unfortunately, negatively. The story being an Oscar winning screenplay, is one that I think mostly resonates with younger people, and with this movie being part of my 10th grade Portuguese course, I, personally, embraced its essence and of course its driving message of seizing the day.

As I've seen here on IMDb, this movie might not gather nearly uncontested praise, but it is very much highly regarded today as it was 25 years ago. The final scene still gives me chills to this day, and in the midst of our sad goodbye to Mr. Williams I just wanna say Thank You My Captain. It was a pleasure learning to become my own motivated person. May we all Carpe Diem

Rating: 9/10

The 9/10 movie I'll never watch again.

[Sethtro · 9/10 · 17 June 2020]

Personal Rating: 9/10

This movie shattered me. There's the expression that something "tugs at your heartstrings," well this movie ripped mine out.

I'll be honest, I could find things to critique about this film, the instance of a scene that was used twice and felt sloppy perhaps; but this movie never claimed to be perfect, just to be emotionally moving, and that it certainly is. This review is written by a boy who also finds himself on the edge of adolescence and adulthood, does that mean I'm biased, absolutely, but everyone who watches this film is, everyone can relate. Your feelings I can assure you will be the same as mine when the credits start rolling, rolling like the tears down your cheeks.

This movie makes you think. Conformity is easy, conformity is comfortable, conformity gets you good grades, trust me you're listening right now to a past perfect GPA teacher's pet. The thing conformity doesn't give you though, is a life, one worth living. For something to be beautiful it must also have a side of danger, and that's what freedom of thought is, as is mentioned in the movie "we must constantly look at things in a different way," and that's beautiful! Yes, it means at times we don't agree, yes it means you might give this movie a 4/10 but I'll be damned if that changes my opinion of it.

The themes this movie explores such as, never letting a moment slip by where you don't think for yourself, where you don't seize an opportunity, it does so beautifully. Robin Williams was not acting he was believing, everything in this movie comes across as genuine, a slice of reality, a harsh but beautiful one at that.

Will I watch this movie again, I don't think so. But please, please watch it just once, you won't ever regret it.

Carpe Diem.

Includes a short inspired poem. Your verse.

[BluebirdSeventeen · 9/10 · 24 August 2014]

Swim against the stream

What this film did for me? I found myself 'standing up on that desk' to remind myself that I should be constantly viewing the world with new perspective.

A magical film, and despite it being made in 1989, still completely and maybe even more relevant to today's society. In a world of mass conformity, largely created by social media and smart phone technology, especially among the young and teenagers, it is ever more important to be inspired by and pursue what this film teaches us.

We need to find our own voice among the crowd. Make your life extraordinary.

It renews, inspires and restores a feeling of passion for words, poems, literature and life! Passion for learning and excelling / expressing ourselves. Keeping your eyes open, looking backwards and forwards, never down. Life is not 1 dimensional. Life is about expression; expressing those many layers and dimensions which make up the fabric of life. This film completely encompasses that sentiment. Striving to find your own voice. Finding words and meanings to best depict the inner workings of your life and mind.

"We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for."

You can learn a lot from this movie. In society/ schools nowadays we are constantly being bombarded - told how to do things, why, and what they mean. we are filling up our brains with junk yet we have a world of knowledge, quite literally, right at our fingertips. Yet have we lost a sense of curiosity? Have we stopped asking why?

My favourite scene was the one in the dormitory room, when the boys are playing, jumping across beds and desks, chasing each other round the room, round and round in circles. I think the directing and camera work is fantastic here, with the camera positioned in the middle of the room shooting upwards and following the boys in a rather dizzying way - it completely encompasses the ultimate freedom and spirit of the film.

Powerful directing. Magical visuals- autumnal lake scenes and old New England buildings. Dead poets society made me both laugh and cry a lot. Almost a therapeutically good movie. It will stay with me for a long time to come. Robin Williams was wonderful too. RIP.

10 out of 10 and I want to watch it again already.

Remember you are here - that life exists, and identity; that the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. That the powerful play *goes on* and you may contribute a verse. What will your verse be?

Oh, one extra thing.

Here is my inspired 5 min poem:

Your verse?

Quick fast tick tock, Skim swipe tick tock, Glowing face tick tock, Head down tick tock, Marching stomp tick tock.

Each day tick tock Faced with a question tick tock, Your verse tick tock, Two roads tick tock, Diverging

Follow your path tick tock, Open your eyes tick tock, Face the world tick tock, Seize the day tick tock, Listen

One day tick tock, Lie with the daffodils. Food for the worms. Forever, Tick. Tock.

Thank you for reading my short verse. Post a reply in the message boards if you too felt inspired.

(Oh also I'm not claiming to be Tennyson here....just an enjoyable way to spend a Sunday morning reflecting on this wonderful film I watched last night. Think of those boys at the front of the class before you choose tear it apart! :-) )

A powerful antidote to conformism

[fjhuerta-2 · 10/10 · 22 August 2001]

There are certain films that get under your skin, never to come out. They change your life, subtly altering your perceptions of reality, almost always for the better.

Dead Poets Society is one of those few films.

I saw the movie back when I was in High School. I had a teacher who told us that we really needed to watch it; in fact, it was our "homework" for the day. We didn't need to bring back a report, or talk about it in class. All he asked from us was to watch it, make up our own mind about it, and that was it. As you can imagine, many friends of mine didn't watch it at all; I did. And yes, I feel I changed a bit from there on.

Back when you are young, you never really stop to think what in the world you are doing with your life. You simply live for the day, hope your grades will be enough to pass, and that's it. Long term thinking involves maybe flirting with a girl. Nothing more. What this film showed me was that we have the responsability and the joy of being alive in this planet. That we are dust, and we will go back to it, so we have precious little time to make a difference. That we have a moral obligation to "seize the day, and make our lives extraordinary" (my favorite quote in all movie history). That the world, basically is ours. That the only limitations are within ourselves, and that we owe it to us to fight, to rebel against conformity, to change what we hate and keep what we love. That living in this world is a beautiful responsability, and that only cowards dare not to change it for the better.

The fact that the cast was basically my age, and was passing through the same dilemmas and situations I was facing made it all so much more powerful.

So here I sit, 12 years from that day. I still don't think I have seized the day completely. But I keep on trying; I always will. I wonder how many people were transformed by this gem of a movie; I hope many.

10 out of 10. A definitive masterpiece.

Seize the Day- One of the Greatest Movies Ever!

[fred-kolb · 10/10 · 17 November 2008]

Dead Poets Scoiety. I suppose if you were in High School sometime between 1990-2008, one of your teachers thought I'd be a good idea to watch this movie and I still remember my reaction and the ones of our fellow classmates: Yeah, probably a boring movie that will try to make the school look better and encourage us to do our homework and study for our tests. I couldn't have been more wrong. This movie definitely changed my way of thinking to a certain extent and there are very few films who have moved and touched me like this one.

The movie plays in 1959 and centers around a private academy somewhere in New England. The curriculum is extremely difficult and the teachers have no humor and are very strict. The new English teacher though, Mr John Keating (Robin Williams), who graduated from the very same school, uses unorthodox, but quite effective methods to teach the students about literature, and poetry. During their first lesson, he tells them that they can either call him Mr. Keating or "Oh Captain, my Captain", based on a quote by Walt Whitman. He encourages them to come out of themselves, use their energy to make their lives worth living and beautiful - Carpe Diem, Seize the Day! The plot also centers around two students: Neil (Robert Sean Leonard), who is funny and popular, but fails to gain his fathers pride, because of his wish to become an actor, and Todd (Ethan Hawke), who is very shy and unsure of himself, and is inspired by Keating to use his imagination and eventually we find out that he is very talented when it comes to poetry. After they find out about a club Keating was a member of while he was a student, the Dead Poets Society, which was forbidden by the school, they decide to reestablish it, what ultimately gets them into a lot of trouble.

There are several key factors, that make this movie as brilliant as it is. First of all there is the acting. Robin Williams, who I really like as a Comedian, really proves that he is a great actor, who can get deep into a character and play him with such passion and energy that you will forget he's an actor. Keating, whose teaching methods are indeed unusual and will probably make you laugh a couple of times, is a very interesting role, the teacher we all would have wanted, but not because he doesn't give homework or makes up very easy, open-book tests. No, because Keating shows us that we have to come out of ourselves, make the best of our lives and especially that there is a poet in everyone of us. Then there is the terribly under-appreciated Robert Sean Leonard, who also gives a very moving performance as a student, who is kept back by his father, and therefore fails to make his dreams come true. In my opinion he is very underused as an actor, and should have gotten a lot more leading roles. As for Ethan Hawke, he definitely was the best choice for the character he plays. We can literally feel his fear and shyness when he stands in front of the class and gets no word out, because he's so embarrassed.

Peter Weir, who is probably most known for his recent movie "Master and Commander" shows what a great director he is with this film and it definitely deserved the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, and the nominations for Best Picture, Director and Leading Actor for Robin Williams.

Some of you may have heard about Roger Ebert absolutely negative review of this movie and that "he wanted to throw up at the end of the film". I can understand why people might not like the ending (I won't put any spoilers), but I think it just adds to the the beauty and drama of this film, a film that should definitely be on the IMDb Top 250 Movies. This is a movie, you must have seen!!

Carpe Diem, because the days don't stand still

[blissfulmitch · 10/10 · 4 February 2005]

First of all, this is movie is my all-time favorite, out of all the hundreds of films I have seen. However, every time I mention this film, I have to answer most people's quizzical looks with "It's a beautiful little 80s film that stayed in the 80s." After seeing it for the 24th time since I first saw it 5 years ago, on my 13th birthday, I can gladly say that this movie went far and beyond the 80s, and the power and inspiration of the message can be felt every day.

Dead Poets Society is a most underrated film by a most underrated director whose inspiring, uplifting and moral tales firmly grounded in reality are not nearly as appreciated as they should be. Here, we see one of his very personal and cradled projects, and he shows the visual style and concentration on characters in which he is so affluent. His control of the camera and the characters are very strong and very smooth. The cinematography is near perfect, with every shot, along with the editing, seamless. Also very compelling are the color-tones in every scene, perfectly matching the mood and events of the scene. Could you say this is art? Absolutely.

Then we have the performances. Robin Williams continues in stride as one who has to-date remained the most touching, heart-wrenching, awe-inspiring comedians with inarguable acting talent (he still remains my most favorite performer on the film screen). His Professor John Keating is a man who embodies every professor who you thought was cool and respectable, every person who taught or enlightened you in something out of the ordinary. In fact - dare I say it? - he teaches something EXTRAORDINARY! We have the tragically underrated Robert Sean Leonard in his role as the free-thinking catalyst student Neil. Why is this man not a household name/Hollywood heavyweight? His roles are always full of inspiration, energy, and tragic emotion that never fail to move an audience. His role in this movie is fresh, unhindered, and never pretentious as the cautionary tale of the movie. And then we have Ethan Hawke in one of his earliest roles as the point-of-view character. The entire supporting cast is very strong, also, providing the foundation and serve as the various emotional ties that further involve us in the story. Josh Charles's role as Knox Overstreet is a role that almost all guys can relate to wholeheartedly. And of course, all the actors who are in that Dead Poets Society do a fine job.

And lastly, the story. I won't summarize it since it's been summarized many times here, but I will say that it is one of the best coming of age stories for not only adolescents, but anyone. I have personally heard from nine-to-fivers who were inspired by this movie to change the situations of their jobs, careers, relationships for the better. I first saw this movie when I was 13, and immediately stamped, crowned and elevated this movie as my all-time favorite. Now that I am 18 and living on my own, with very different concerns than back then, I turn back to this movie over and over again, to find inspiration, solace and of course, entertainment. It is still my all-time favorite, and it still inspires me to seize the day and make my life extraordinary.

Make Your Lives Extraordinary

[connie-baldini-427-561037 · 10/10 · 12 August 2014]

So today is August 12th and news has broken of Robin Williams' untimely death. I just felt compelled to review my favourite movie of his. On a rainy day back in 1980- something, my mother sat my brother, sister and me down and put on the movie, Dead Poets Society. Little did I know what a profound impact that movie, and its characters would have on me. The film is bursting with quotable material, and my siblings and I quote it to this day: O Captain My Captain, Carpe Diem, Seize the Day, and of course, Make Your Lives Extraordinary. It's not until we grow older that we can look back on a teacher like John Keating and see what he really meant to us, the chances he made us take, the way he made us feel alive. I look back now on Robin Williams' performance and see one of the most flawless performances of all time. When you watch the movie, it's hard to think of hammy, manic Robin Williams giving such a nuanced and subtle performance. It's almost as though Sean Maguire in Good Will Hunting is who John Keating became. And funny how his most subtle performances may be the ones he's most remembered for. When I heard the news of Robin's death, I was taken back to this film and really felt how integral this movie actually was to my childhood. I think it was the first time my 10 year old self was truly "moved" in the way that adults can be moved by art. All I can say is watch this movie. You won't be sorry.

A terrific film

[pompaj · 17 July 2000]

There's so much good about this movie. The first time I saw it I watched it solely for plot and I loved it. Now I've seen it again and watched Peter Weir's filming and timing which is also great. Robin Williams is a terrific actor when he's serious. He proved it in Good Will Hunting but he proved it first here. If you liked that movie and your liking it had something to do with Williams than you will like this one. The plot is about a number of students who are taught by Williams about life. They are taught how to enjoy themselves. This ends up causing great controversy among the heads of the school. The students are terrific and even the dialogue is great. This is a movie that I can't imagine anyone not liking. It is good in every way.

"Sucking all the marrow out of life doesn't mean choking on the bone."

[ackstasis · 7/10 · 30 December 2007]

Australian director Peter Weir's third picture in Hollywood, 'Dead Poets Society (1989),' doesn't really explore any territory that has not been covered before. For most of the film, we can pretty much predict exactly where Tom Schulman's screenplay is heading, and so there are few surprises to set it apart from other movies of its kind. However, despite his film's hint of unoriginality, Weir hardly puts a foot wrong, and 'Dead Poets Society' proves a thoughtful, funny, haunting and inspirational drama that'll certainly stay with you once you've seen it. Accompanying a cast of bright, young actors {some of whom you'll recognise from their later successes, including Ethan Hawke and Robert Sean Leonard} is comedy veteran Robin Williams, whose warmth and passion forms the emotional core of the story.

The prestigious Welton Academy prep school ("Tradition, Honor, Discipline and Excellence"), as they're four-pillar motto suggests, has a long-standing history of success and high reputation. The young male students of the college are expected, at all times, to respect rules and authority, and to continually strive for greater and greater academic achievements. Into the school comes former student, now English teacher, John Keating (Williams), whose unorthodox approach to lessons, and vigorous passion towards literature and poetry, inspires many of his impressionable young students, and severely ruffles the feathers of Welton Academy's management. Keating's rousing motto of "carpe diem" (a Latin phrase meaning "pluck/seize the day," borrowed from Horace's "Odes 1.11") inspires the young boys to make the most of every opportunity, and to look within themselves to discover the correct path for their lives.

The film proved quite successful at the 1990 Academy Awards, acquiring an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, and nominations for Best Actor (Robin Williams), Best Director (Weir's second nomination in that category) and Best Picture. Perhaps because of the preparatory school setting and the cast of young actors, 'Dead Poets Society' seems as though it would be most effective with young teenage boys, who will relish the film's opposition towards conformity and strict authority. Nevertheless, the film also boasts a more important moral from which we can all take something: always seize the opportunities that are presented to you, and make every day of your life count.

Excellent

[ijtfalcon · 10/10 · 20 January 2003]

I have no need to summarize this movie seeing as how most people tend to do that anyway so, therefore, any addition of such would simply be frivilous. However, I am somewhat disappointed to see how people tend to misinterprate this film by proclaiming that the movie's message of carpe deium is derailed by the fact that those who apply it end up losing. This could not be further from the truth. In the beginning, when the young men are first introduced to this idea of sucking the marrow out of life it is applied by the students when its results prove to be fun and joyous. The point really driven home by the movie though is to stand up for one's beliefs throughout all of life no matter how hard it may prove. Now, while the character of Neil, does try to do what he feels he must without regard to his father, in the end, he doesn't stand up at all, but simply accepts his father's authority. Some may not like it but his story serves to prove just how important it is to stand one's ground no matter how hard it may be. It's not only his character, but in fact every character in the film that does not fully understand Mr. Keating's message until the very end by finally doing what they feel is right now matter how much the opposing forces deny this basic truth.

I urge everyone to give this movie a chance and to see it for what it really is. It may just change your life.

Wonderful look at loss of innocence

[cjblume · 7/10 · 23 March 2022]

After all these years I have never seen this film and I'm sorry it took me this long. Dead Poets Society impressively captures the internal deliberation of young, impressionable men to both take direction from their leaders and role models and at the same time chart their own path against questionable influence and authority. Until the unthinkable occurs, these boys travel through the story displaying all of the wonderment of adolescent development with infectious optimism. After experiencing tremendous loss, the conflict between them shows the struggle each character faces in determining the extent to which they're willing to uphold their developing convictions.

A masterful tribute to teaching at its best

[roghache · 10/10 · 3 March 2006]

Dead Poets Society is, to use a cliché, a cinematic masterpiece. I can watch it over and over, absorbing more nuances of meaning every time. As a former teacher myself (albeit of science), I view it as a tribute to the profession at its best...teaching not merely the subject but also the person, and having a lifelong impact on students' lives.

The setting is Weldon Academy, a very traditional New England boys' prep school in 1959. If I can find one flaw with the movie...and there certainly aren't many...it's the underlying premise that seems to worship free thought and implies that ALL tradition is of necessity undesirable and thus to be avoided. Frankly, compared to modern classrooms which are bastions of free expression, I found the Weldon students' respectful treatment of their teachers rather refreshing. (But perhaps that's just the ex-teacher in me coming out!) Some of Weldon's ideals, generally referred to in mocking tones, are actually qualities to which parents rightfully DO hope their offspring will aspire.

Robin Williams plays Mr. Keating, the English teacher we all wish we'd had. He brings warmth, passion, and an endearing quiet humor to the role as he fosters individualism in a school environment of total conformity, endeavoring to teach these young men both the beauty of the English language and the importance of living life to the full, of "seizing the day". How many of us mentally revolted at the dissection of poetry when we were in school? Many a viewer will both chortle and rejoice when Mr. Keating has his class rip out the methodical, emotionless "Introduction to Poetry" from the time honored Pritchard textbook!

The "Dead Poets Society", and the boys on which Mr. Keating has such a profound impact, include an interesting mix of characters...Neil Perry (the passionate young man at odds with his father's clearly defined expectations for his son's life), Todd Anderson (the classic shy adolescent, through whose eyes we view the unfolding drama), Charlie Dalton (the quintessential rebel), Knox Overstreet (the teen with whom most viewers can identify, deep in the throes of first love), and Richard Cameron (the mindless conformist).

Ethan Hawke gives a moving performance as Todd, the younger brother of a former Weldon valedictorian and my personal favorite, who undergoes a character transformation as the plot unfolds. In a sense, this movie is really Todd's story. As another reviewer has wisely pointed out, his best scenes are sometimes when he has no dialogue at all. Your heart will ache for him. The sub-plot of young Overstreet's romance with a girl from a nearby school may not be brilliant, but it provides some light, entertaining relief from the main drama.

Needless to say, Mr. Keating's unorthodox approach meets with obstacles...from his fellow teachers, from the school's ultra traditional Headmaster, from Neil's overbearing father and the other parents, who are depicted as a conservative, status conscious lot. His encouragement of adolescent individualism leads to dramatic consequences for one student in particular, triggering a dramatic scenario that engulfs most of his classmates. I don't want to give the plot away, but Dead Poets Society has the most powerful ending I've experienced in the cinematic world. I could watch it over and over, and tears would either come to my eyes or virtually stream down my cheeks every time.

It's an intelligent film, both gripping to watch and thought provoking afterward. Engaging plot, memorable characters, meaningful theme, wonderfully done scenes and atmosphere...Dead Poets Society has it all. A special tip of my hat to the cinematography; clearly, it should have won an Oscar for the final scene alone.

This is a must-see movie, especially if you're a high school student who hates English. It might just change your view of the subject, even if your actual teacher doesn't quite measure up to Mr. Keating. And for everyone...not only "Carpe Diem", but a certain phrase from a Walt Whitman poem will take on incredible meaning and be remembered forever.

A hymn to life

[Atreyu_II · 7/10 · 30 August 2007]

"Dead Poets Society" is more than a lesson of life. It's a hymn to life. It has a good message: "Carpe diem", which means "Seize the day". I completely agree with that message because there's no coming back and time flies.

It's a reasonable movie with an inspiring story, good message, great performances from the actors, wonderful sceneries, awesome soundtrack (classical music, for example), drama and comedy.

John Keating is the kind of teacher that anyone would like to have as a teacher. A teacher with such a colorful imagination and sense of humor, a teacher who inspires his students to make their dreams come true and makes their lives extraordinary. I mean, wow! John Keating is brilliantly performed by the comedian Robin Williams. In general, Robin Williams is as humorous as usual in this movie, but we can also see some of his talent for drama.

Besides this incredible teacher, other great characters are: Neil Perry, Knox Overstreet, Charlie Dalton, Steven Meeks, Gerard Pitts, Todd Anderson and even Richard Cameron (although he has the power to anger us at the end because of his attitude). All of them are very well played by the actors.

About the boys, Charlie Dalton aka "Nuwanda" is the funniest of all. He's just hilarious! "Nuwanda" is such a funny nickname - lol.

Todd Anderson is a shy character portrayed by Ethan Hawke. This actor looked so different when he was younger and his role here is completely different from (for example) "Before Sunrise" and "Before Sunset".

Mr. Perry (Neil's father) is a complicated character. Like Kurtwood Smith himself says, «he's understandable, not likable». He doesn't let Neil do what he wants and controls all of his life and future.

The ending is somehow... empty: Neil dies and "Nuwanda" is expelled. But the boys's homage to Mr. Keating at the end is admirable. What's even more amazing is that it is started by Todd Anderson.

A corny teen melodrama passed off as a masterpiece...

[Kalle_it · 3/10 · 27 December 2009]

I loved Dead Poets Society. When I was 14...

Professor Keating looked indeed cool and awesome, the poor kids suffocated by the gloomy and dull school, the frustrated ambitions and the unfulfilled dreams and so on.

Which teenager hasn't dreamt about writing immortal poetry, about having a cool unorthodox teacher, about pursuing his (childish) projects?

The problem with Dead Poets Society lies right there... It's not a deep and insightful movie about teacher-pupils relationship, it's not even a pedagogical movie, it's just a long and plodding teen drama, pandering to an audience of angsty teenagers and angsty parents.

Professor Keating is a fairytale teacher who would and should be kicked out of any school on Earth. Public or preppy, it doesn't matter.

For starters, encouraging to rip some pages off a book just because the teacher doesn't agree with the writer's ideas is not "good teaching", let alone "encouraging free-thought".

Some would call it fascism, I'll just call it ignorance and arrogance. Even assuming the theory is ridiculous (and I really wonder if such a "mathematic approach to poetry" really existed), who does Keating think he is to dismiss a published, and supposedly widely accepted, critical system?

But let's just pretend it's totally fair game having an unknown teacher, or a well-known troublemaker if you wish, trashing decades of teaching/critical theories... The awfulness of the movie doesn't end with that.

Professor Keating isn't teaching a thing. He's just messing with the kids' heads, with the poor excuse of "living poetry" and "expressing themselves". How THAT will make the kids pass the class of English Literature is beyond me.

Not to mention the fact the teenagers eat up whatever cheesy "romantic" drivel they get fed by their Mentor, thus leading to tragedy... Suicide, the cheapest way to garner sympathy for a mono-dimensional character. A suicide that has little ground to stand on, and that seems like a random tool to trigger the even cheaper final.

Poor enlightened Keating must leave the school, and his loyal pupils will just salute him with an emphatic yet empty gesture.

Just empty, formulaic and corny like the whole movie.

The whole movie is basically a cheesy teen melodrama, something that could have been written or recycled for a TV Serial like 90210 or the O.C. The only difference is this movie got Robin Williams and a couple of sappy catchphrases.

Actually the catchphrases are the common thread of Dead Poets Society, the most "memorable" and dramatic moments involve a catchphrase... Just like slapstick comedy and teen flicks. Or pro-wrestling...

Dead Poets Society is cheap Hollywood neo-romanticism for teenagers and adults who are teens at heart, or for conformist anti-conformists.

The basic idea could have been developed in a much better and more delicate way, but Hollywood just can't help but going full gas with Manichean stereotypes and situations. Thanks to that, we got a very overrated "masterpiece" filled with cheap sentimentalism and dime-a-dozen "thought-provoking" situations.

Horace is rolling in his cold grave hearing his Carpe Diem being tossed around in such a trivial manner.

Carpe Diem doesn't mean "do whatever stupid thing you want to", but more like "enjoy what you have now, because you don't know what the future holds"

Quite frankly, the suicide goes AGAINST Carpe Diem... The kid kills himself because his (stereotyped) dad doesn't want him to act in a play, so BANG! While the Carpe Diem philosophy would have had the kid to enjoy every second his stint as high school actor, for how long as it would have lasted.

But I'm aware I'm expecting too much from Hollywood...

Poetry on the screen

[chic1224 · 10/10 · 28 March 2000]

Not only will this movie touch your heart and bring tears, it will inspire you to be a better teacher to others and to follow your dreams no matter what the boundaries may be. It is truly poetry on the screen... a great story and a touching social commentary on humanity and life's greatest challenges. If you haven't seen it yet, rent it now. It has taken my love of poetry to an entirely new level!

Anti-conformity at its most inspiring.

[Lk1990 · 9/10 · 17 June 2020]

Do not go where society tells you to. Find the things you love and pursue them with every fibre of your being until the day you die. That's the message I took from Dead Poets Society. Weird, inspiring and heartbreaking, DPS is a one of a kind film and one of the reasons Robin Williams is so renowned worldwide as not just a comedian, but a remarkable actor as well. After watching this movie you'll want to change the world. Amazing!

It is cynical, dull, very methodical and slow in development...

[AlsExGal · 8/10 · 4 August 2023]

... and yet it has grown on me to where it is one of my favorites.

When I first saw this in the theater I felt disappointed and baited and switched. Robin Williams may be top billed, but he is not the center of the film although he is the motivating character. He is a new teacher at an elite private school for boys that has traditions that probably nobody remembers the reasons for. Williams' character is out of step with the rest of the faculty at the school and encourages his students to seize the day. Anyone who grew up with the overbearing-we-expect-more-out-of-you parents, or even attended boarding school, or grew up in some similar environment can identify with the students in the film.

Every aspect of this film is powerful. From screenplay to direction, casting to acting, the movie drags us into a world of teenagers that are REAL. Sometimes funny, sometimes sad, sometimes rebellious ... sometimes they win, sometimes they lose. This is very much a Peter Weir film. The screenplay is one the most powerful ones ever, and one characteristic of this movie is the evolution the characters go through. Just like Truman Show, Witness, The Last Wave and Fearless, Weir drags his characters into the story and changes them. He evolves them so that, in the end, his characters are more human and feel something beyond traditional beliefs and codes; Things that people have died for throughout history: Freedom, Respect, Pride... things that may not be that important to an average person, things that make one a hero.

Deserving 10/10

[anthonydapiii · 10/10 · 9 May 2020]

A rare 10/10 and it's deserving of such. This movie had a profound impact on me....and no better person to play it then the great Robin Williams.

He acted with such emotion and intensity and vigour in each scene. It is RARE to feel like I'm inside the film, but in this case I felt like Robin Williams was constantly talking to me in this film.

Alongside him, the rest of the cast did a great job.

This movie was more than just acting. It represented how a person should live and enjoy life. Thank you for such a gem.

A fantastic representation of belief and individualism

[tats2duhmax · 31 December 2004]

Dead Poets Society was a movie that took some in depth realization. Robin Williams did a fantastic job depicting individualism and how to walk on your own. He realized that these young men were going to be shaped in either a bad way or could shape themselves into the type of men they wanted to become.Sure, everyone around them were jerks and stiffs but that is the environment of the school. People just didn't go up against all odds, and everything was OK. That is exactly what Dead Poets Society was showing. Even though there were consequences to the boys being inspired and re-forming "Dead Poets Society" they still learned to march to their own drummer. They could be boys and go for their own dreams and ambitions. This movie showed Williams in a different light and i have so much respect for his character. He believed enough in these boys to loose his job. Standing on desks may not make everything better, but it shows the real meaning of the movie. These boys had been taught to conform and put their beliefs aside, but Williams opened up their hearts and made a lot of people, whether they liked it or not, realize that tradition is not always the way to push your children. If all you can look at is the expression on Neil Perrys fathers face, when he realized what his son had done, then you really didn't get the point. This was not Mr. Perrys life, and Williams knew that and was not about to cover up Neils dreams and tell him exactly the opposite of what he had been teaching him all along. Dead Poets Society was an unbelievable movie that showed how this teacher believed so much in his students, that it changed their lives.

Good film damaged by melodrama/heavy-handedness

[Hancock_the_Superb · 6/10 · 3 March 2007]

At the exclusive Weldon Academy in post-WWII New England, boys are expected to go to school, grow up, conform, survive school, and contribute to society. But along comes Mr. Keating (Robin Williams), a flamboyant teacher who thinks that school should teach students how to live their own lives, and he teaches a most unconventional class, getting the students to love and celebrate poetry and the arts. Unfortunately, one of his students, Neil (Robert Sean Leonard), has his dreams of being an actor shot down by his overprotective father (Kurtwood Smith), and is driven to suicide - leading to the inevitable showdown between the teacher and the school.

Sound familiar? Yes, this is a pretty clichéd plot, especially twenty years later; the setting and characters are right out of "A Separate Peace", a similarly overwrought novel about conformity vs. individualism at a private school, and about five hundred other movies and novels. Pretty much any high school/college student, and even most adults, could probably appreciate its moral: be yourself and go against the grain if necessary. The story does get some mileage out of this fact; a lot of what it gets right is also due to the fine cast, particularly Robin Williams. But overall, the film is a mixed-bag at best; not ruined, but certainly hampered by the heavy-handed way in which its issues are handled.

The film excels in period detail, and director Peter Weir deserves credit for being able to create an oppressive tone in the scenes at the academy; except, of course, the brilliantly lit classroom of Mr. Keating. The '50s were a time of conformity, a decade in which individuality was muted in favor of community, and so setting the film in that time period adds additional resonance to the story.

However, "Dead Poet's Society" stumbles occasionally, and its inclusion of predictable melodrama dampens its effect somewhat. The romance between student Knox (Josh Charles) and a local girl (Lara Flynn Boyle) seems tacked on and adds nothing to the story. The relationship between Neil and his parents is somewhat forced and obvious, and his lengthy suicide sequence is overlong and lacks the emotional power it could have had. And the film really sputters in its ridiculous anti-climax; nothing is resolved, but hey, I guess you could consider it a happy ending.

What makes the film watchable more than anything else are the performances. Robin Williams gives one of his first serious performances, and he is remarkable as Keating. We can clearly see how the character is inspiring and why the students take to him so quickly; he is a man who believes what he says, loves life, and overall stands in sharp contrast to those around him. Ethan Hawke, Robert Sean Leonard, and Josh Charles all turn in fine performances as the most notable of the students, and Kurtwood Smith is excellent as Neil's domineering father. Even when the character relationships don't quite work, the performances are able to make them credible.

"Dead Poet's Society" is a film that contains some memorable scenes, an excellent cast, and an excellent moral to inspire teenagers struggling to find their place in the world. It's easy to see, due to these elements, why it is considered to be a classic by so many people. However, the film has many negative aspects that cannot be ignored, and I can't say that "Dead Poet's Society" is one of my favorites.

6/10

dead poets society

[ssssgelojun · 9/10 · 30 May 2020]

At the end of the movie, Neil's dream of pursuing drama is hopeless and his life is hopeless. In the white night, Neil chose to die brilliantly.

Neil's parents went to the school to press charges. The university blamed Keating entirely and put pressure on students to sign documents proving that Keating had "misled students" and "abused teacher influence" . Eventually, Keating got kicked out of the school.

Before he left, Keating went back to the classroom to get something. He was replaced by President Nolan, who had expelled him.

At the last moment before Keating leaves the classroom, Todd, who has always been shy and timid, stands up from his seat, blushes, jumps onto the desk and intones:

O Captain! My Captain! Oh, captain! My captain!

President Nolan angrily warned "Sit down!"

Overstreet also stood at the desk.

O Captain! My Captain!

Pitts stood at the desk. Meeks stands at the desk. One by one, one by one.

Let the headmaster shout "How dare you! "Out of this school! "Sit Down!"

One by one, one by one.

Standing one by one, it is clear that a bottle of torch, flourish.

Keating tears, these once hesitated confused face, now are showing perseverance, courage, fearlessness. Burst out the light of life.

Keating whispered "thank you."

May you shine forever. Do not extinguish, do not dim, always holding the torch, efforts to shine, efforts to do the rain in the sun.

A Story of Inspiration

[gavin6942 · 7/10 · 11 April 2015]

English teacher John Keating (Robin Williams) inspires his students to discover their love for poetry and seize the day.

This is a story about what one teacher (or a mentor of any kind) can do to inspire the youth, whether it be for good or evil. Those viewing this film will generally see it as a force for good, a call to "seize the day". And that is probably the correct interpretation.

But interestingly, the call for non-conformity leads to its own kind of conformity. And one could argue that Keating's power is not much different than that of a politician or cult leader. Had he chosen to use it differently, he could have been a very dangerous force in these young men's lives. In fact, we see not everyone who followed his path was better because of it.

this movie is the greatest movie, with excellent cinematic techniques.

[jchckid · 10/10 · 19 March 2001]

The film Dead Poets Society is a film that explores the idea of "Carpe Diem" (seize the day) from the viewpoint of a classroom of young men at an all boys boarding school. Their teacher Mr. Keating (played by Robin Williams)helps them stretch their minds, and exercise their right to defiant acts of love for life and poetry, rebuttlng society. The director Peter Weir treats you with eye candy by using various camera shots of beautiful scenary, and neat techniques. Weir takes you on a roller coaster that leaves you gripping your seat, enjoying life, and thinking "Carpe Diem" in your own life. There are some very depressing scenes, but they are very artful, and teach you of appreciation for those brave members of society that dare stand up for their beliefs, and rights to wrestling around with life. I thought Ethan Hawke (Todd Anderson) gave a true life twist to the film, Robin Williams (Mr. Keating or also known as Captain my captain) added an element of excitement, and Robert Sean Leonard (Neil Perry)added passion that leaves you mesmerized. I just saw this film in English class, but I immediatly fell in love with it, as I know you will.

Robin Williams invents a string of school movie clichés

[ExpendableMan · 7/10 · 8 October 2007]

Best known for it's (in)famous 'oh Captain my Captain' sequence, Dead Poets Society's biggest problem is the clichés it invented for the high school movie drama. Today's jaded audiences might smirk at such examples as the shy boy finding the confidence to express himself through the help of a rebellious teacher, or the purity of youthful romance, but to the film's eternal credit, this was fresh ground after a decade of teen sex comedies. Dead Poets Society's teenagers aren't simply lust crazed hormone bags that wander into embarrassing social accidents every fifteen minutes, they're a tad more realistic...for most of the film at least. When the movie ventures into darker territory in the closing quarter it falters, becoming an awkward attempt at manipulating emotions that jars against the promising story told in the beginning.

Set in a prestigious school where the upper lips are stiff, the shirts stuffed and the emotions repressed, a class of teenage boys find their new English teacher John Keating (Robin Williams) taking a slight detour from the established curriculum. Encouraging them to think outside the box rather than be restricted by school-approved guidelines, he not only provides them with a full appreciation and love of poetry, but also a fresh mindset that focuses on seizing the day and acting on impulse. Soon, the boys are exploring various avenues of life (one becomes an actor, another pursues a local girl etc...) while their parents look on disapprovingly and the identikit old-fashioned teachers with grey hair and suits start trying to interfere.

What is most striking about this whole enterprise is that despite its reputation, there isn't a laugh to be had anywhere. This is not a Robin Williams comedy-drama, it's just a drama and the comedian suits the role perfectly. He is convincingly charismatic and just sentimental enough to stop you from choking on your own vomit, this is Robin Williams the actor, not Robin Williams the clown. However, he's also more of a supporting character, as the chief focus is on the boys (including Robert Sean Leonard and Ethan Hawke in their younger days) and they all play their characters well. Hawke is probably the best, his tearful breakdown in a snow covered field being surprisingly effective, but they all hold their own against the more experienced actors.

Shame then about the closing part of the story. With a sudden about turn, the film changes from an account of the individual versus the machine into a teenage suicide yarn all too quickly. This wouldn't be a problem if more time had been taken, but the character involved seems to decide to kill himself with as much ease as the rest of us pick what to have for lunch at work. And while I'm not an expert on teenage depression, I'd like to think it takes more for a young lad to blow his own head off than simply running into life's first obstacle.

Dead Poets Society therefore is ultimately a promise that wasn't completely fulfilled as the subtle, intelligent storytelling is blown out of the water by the mishandling of the closing scenes. Consequently, if you're anything like me, you'll spend most of the film trying to guess which kid pops his clogs. It's an enjoyable and involving drama, but as a tear-jerker it fails to move. Williams is excellent as always though and for seventy five percent of the time, Dead Poets Society is a great film.

Unquestioned totalitarianism

[AE_BS_CH · 2/10 · 17 February 1999]

Actually, the topic of this film could be quite interesting. Its narrative, as I view it, is characterised by the move from bad to worse. It offers considerable psychological insight into how easily students, in a very strictly ordered environment that gives them very little freedom, can fall pray to a kind of sectarian leader who demands that they worship him as their 'captain' and lose the sense of reality.

Two very different faces of totalitarianism are contrasted in a very interesting way. In principle, it should not matter that much that this is probably not what was intended.

Dostoyevski, for instance, was a staunch conservative who propounded a conservative nationalist and religious ideology, which did not prevent him from writing novels that show an astonishing variety of ideological and philosophical topoi. Therefore, it should not matter that much that, as it seems, the totalitarian action of the teacher was probably intended as a positive contrast to the strict order that is there at the college. But, in my view, in this case, the ideological purpose nevertheless affects the quality of this film. It is good for provoking thought about sectarian totalitarianism, but that's all. The pervasiveness of the ideological purpose dominates the whole story so much that most of the interesting qualities of the situation get lost.

I would say that this is a most typically American film, in the slightly derogatory sense this word often has to Europeans when used in cultural issues: It is dominated by ideas, such as freedom, but the words remain empty, devoid of liveliness, and there is not the slightest hint of the idea that flight from authoritarian order could mean something else than following a sectarian leader. I do not object to depicting such bleakness in movies, and it must probably be regarded as an achievement of this film that it can produce such repulsion in people who are not familiar with this kind of authoritarian society, but the bleakness is disguised in such a nice and kitschy American stereotypes, such as striving for freedom, that I find it just bad taste.