Dead poets society - Introduction, plot and analysis

Appunto di lingua e cultura inglese basato sul film “Dead poets society” (L’attimo fuggente in italiano) in cui ci si focalizzerà su una presentazione tecnica generale, la trama e un’ analisi del significato.

Dead poets society: general introduction

“Dead poets society” is a film directed by Peter Weir in 1989 from witch in 2007 a book was published.

The fame of this film rapidly hit the high spots as it can be seen by his nomination for three Oscar prizes in 1990 and, during the same ceremony, the victory for the best original screenplay. It was also honoured with the BAFTA prize because it was the best film of 1990 and in 1991 it received the title of the best foreign film in the David di Donatello ceremony.
The shooting for the film lasted from the 14 November 1988 to 15 January 1989 at St. Andrew’s School in Middletown, Delaware. The director’s wish was to shoot the scene in chronological order because in this way the bond between the teacher and the students had the chance to be empowered and consequently their acting would have been more natural and authentic. And so was it.

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Plot of the film: Professor Keating

The film is set in 1959 when a literature teacher called John Keating, who is played by Robin Williams, start teaching in a male college in Vermont: the Welton.
What seems to be a bureaucratic routine turns out to be something extraordinary for the educational system of this college based on discipline, order, schedules to follow without enthusiasm or liberty to express a thought.
As a matter of fact professor Keating during his classes aims to let his students discover their vocation and to not be afraid of feeling some emotions since this is also the essence of the poetry which can’t be learned by heart following a scientific method. According to this, one of the most iconic quotes from this film and, in general, all the cinematic production, comes from one of the Keating’s lessons, outside the classroom of course: “We don't read and write poetry because it's cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race, and the human race is filled with passion. 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."

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Plot of the film: Todd and Knox

Slowly the students pass from being suspicious and indifferent to being full of wonder and esteem for professor Keating so that they decide to found clandestinely a poetry club witch was reunited in the evenings in memory of the “Dead poets society” whose founder was professor Keating when he was a student.
In the meantime, the film focuses also on student’s life and struggles as we can see that one of them, Neil, confess to his roommate Todd that he would like trying out the castings for the new college play because Keating’s lessons filled him with fervour despite of his parent’s denial and criticisms about this new professor’s way of teaching. But they aren’t the only ones to think so because all the teaching body don’t agree with his methods.
Another storyline is about Knox’s secret love for a girl, Chris, who is the fiancée of a jealous boy. He will also be punched by him but Knox doesn’t give up and invites his loved one to Neil’s play.

Plot of the film: the play and the finale

While Neil is acting everybody agree that he has a unique talent except his father who wants him to join a military academy and to become a doctor. As a consequence, Neil kills himself.
An investigation is started and all the faults fall back into professor Keating. At the same time, another student, Richard Cameron reveals all the names of Dead Poet’s Society’s members who are forced to sign documents that confirm Keating’s Neil's incitement to suicide. Only a student called Charlie refuses to do so (during the film he is known as one of the most students that always confronts and mock the headmaster) and he will be expelled.
At the end professor Keating is moved to another college and the literature lessons are led by the headmaster. During one of them Keating enter in the class to take with him his belongings and Todd, followed by his classmates, stand up on his desk declaiming Walt Whitman’s poetry “Captain, my captain” to say goodbye and thank you to their beloved teacher.

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Dead poets society: analysis

This film can be interpreted as a bildungsroman because the student class after class grow facing their worries about the future and the loosing of their few certainties in addiction to the conflicts with authorities and adults. But in this fragile process they are not alone because professor Keating presents himself as their guide and guardian and help them to discover their own real personality. And he does so using the only method he knows: teaching poetry.
Another important aspect of this film is more philosophical and has is roots in the Horace’s poetry: “Carpe diem”. In fact, you shouldn’t waste the opportunities that life offers you because they will let you grow and they won’t come again leaving you disappointed and eventually it will lead you to a spiritual death. But it is equally wrong to catch everything passes through your life. You need discernment and to acquire this value it is sometimes useful to see things from a different point of view.

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