DEAD POETS SOCIETY
Rating: PG
Studio: Touchstone Pictures
MSRP: $20.00 but Amazon has it for $14.99.
Running Time: 128 minutes
What’s Going On?
In a stuffy prep school, new teacher John Keating (Robin Williams) inspires his students to Carpe Diem, seize the day, though poetry and literature, and has a greater impact on them than any of them could imagine.
Who’s In It:
A young Robert Sean Leonard, Ethan Hawke, and Josh Charles star. While Robin Williams is lauded for his role as John Keating, he actually is a supporting character in the film’s story.
If You Like…:
Other stories about inspirational teachers like MR. HOLLAND’S OPUS, STAND AND DELIVER and the more recent FREEDOM WRITERS, DEAD POETS SOCIETY was one of the first films of this ilk, and remains a touchstone in the genre.
Special Features:
There’s a commentary with Director Peter Weir, cinematographer John Seale and writer Tom Schulman. They cover almost every aspect of the production, from casting, to inspiration for various scenes, to the lighting and sound design. The three commentaries were recorded separately and stitched together, so while the content covered is pretty expansive, the delivery comes off feeling a bit more clinical and less candid than I would have liked.
Dead Poets: A Look Back is a half hour look back at the film, with interviews with cast members (sans Robin Williams), who discuss their own experiences while making the film and working with director Peter Weir.
There are two looks at the more technical aspects of the film: Peter Weir and David Lynch host Master of Sound: Alan Splet, a retrospective of the late sound designer. There’s also Cinematography Master Class in which John Seale talks his about his approach to setting up shots and diagrams his process with setting up fake shots.
The Technical Gist
Though the film isn’t very showy in terms of its palate, which is mostly in autumnal earth tones, it all looks lovely. It hasn’t been overly polished either, so it isn’t necessarily pristine, but for a film that’s over two decades old, it looks pretty great.
The Verdict
This is an undoubtedly moving film and will hopefully remind you of inspriational teachers you had – I hope everyone out there had a least one – and the positive influence that they can have in people’s lives. UPGRADE or BUY IT and share it with your family.
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