Film Review of Dead Poets Society

Film Review of Dead Poets Society

Dead Poets Society explores the conflict between realism and

romanticism as these contrasting ideals are presented to the students

at an all boys preparatory school. Welton Academy is founded on

tradition and excellence and is bent on providing strict structured

lessons prescribed by the realist, anti-youth administration.

John Keating is a new English teacher with a passion for poetry. When

he returns to his own strict childhood school to teach, his

unconventional methods quickly prove to be inspirational to a group of

students. He inspires them to pursue their desires and live life to

the fullest.

The students re-institute a secret society that Keating used to run

called the Dead Poets Society. The society meet in an old cave and

recite famous poetry and works of their own. Problems soon start to

arise when the actions of the students become unfavorable with the

conformist attitudes of both the school and the boys parents.

How it relates to self-discovery:

Dead poets society relates to the area of self-discovery in many ways.

Most people find out something about themselves through their

experiences.

Among them, Neil Perry discovers that his real passion in life is

acting and proceeds to land the role of Puck in a Midsummer Night's

Dream at the local theater. He begins to weave a tangled web of

deception by failing to inform his father, then lying to Mr. Keating

when his father finds out and demands he quit the play. Feeling

trapped, after his final performance and a standing ovation, he takes

his own life.

The most important discovery made in the film was by Todd Anderson.

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...me way tragedies. In Dead Poets Society, Todd

Anderson did not only make the discovery all through Mr Keating.

Through the death of his roommate Neil Perry, Todd gradually released

himself from the pressure that has been given to him through both

school and family. In "What's eating Gilbert Grape", Gilbert also

freed himself from his past responsibilities through the death of

Bonnie. Therefore, death in both films performed an important role for

the protagonists to make their own discovery.

However, there is still one difference between to two texts. Though in

the prescribed text, Gilbert was able to free himself totally from the

past along with the changes of Endora, Todd is still locked in the

constrained ideology of the school. Therefore, Dead Poets Society has

a less perfect ending as What's Eating Gilbert Grape.