Off the Cuff Reviews Dead Poets Society (1989)

There are some movies that you just know ahead of time what you'll think about them by the end. Those movies that are so integrated with pop culture that it's statistically anomalous for you to be one of the few who doesn't like them. I've reviewed such movies in the past: The Shining, Pulp Fiction, The Dark Knight, and so on. Dead Poets Society (1989) is another one of those movies, in that I'd heard enough references to and parodies of it that going into this movie wasn't going to be all that surprising. Or so I thought. Turns out, I knew far less about this movie than I thought, and I was really shocked by the end. I wouldn't say that this movie is better than any in the above list, as there are a few issues I found with this one, but all in all, this was a great movie. Starring Robin Williams as John Keating, Robert Sean Leonard as Neil Perry, Ethan Hawke as Todd Anderson, Josh Charles as Knox Overstreet and Gale Hansen as Charlie Dalton.

Dead Poets Society (1989)

I'm not going to lie: I was a little worried when the movie began. I was concerned this movie was going to adhere to the typical formula you see a lot in movies like these: a new thinker comes in to challenge the tired establishment, they get their knickers in a knot when he starts succeeding, they threaten to kick him out or discredit him, but all his students show their support and end up converting things from the old ways. And the fact that there were little elements of that story sprinkled throughout the first and second acts was all the more worrying. Because, whether or not this was the first movie to do that or not, that story is a little tired, and when it's not done well it can be overbearing and corny. I guessed the fact that said story was only sprinkled throughout should have put me at ease, since not only was it not the focus at all when it was in the movie, but they actually do a lot to divert from that formula. Normally the big focus would be on the new thinker, but in this case it's on the students. We see more of how his teachings affect his students than we do of how it shakes up the system, and I like that. It's a more personal story, which you know I love, and it's honestly a little more realistic. Of course, the result of which is there are a lot of stories the movie decides to tell, and it does jump around a lot. Some of these stories are consistently great, some of them are a little shakey in places. Not all of them are even fully resolved by the end, but in this instance, that's actually a strength of the movie. The focus isn't on whether or not these kids achieve what they set out to do; the fact that they're setting out in the first place is the point.

Robert Sean Leonard as Neil

The film does a great job of really showing us the impact Keating's teachings have on his students. I like that not all of them take to the philosophies right away and treat the whole thing as a joke. Hell, I like even more that by the end not all of them are won over. It's more realistic that way. The entire more feels so very realistic. Watching the classmates pal around with each other is so real, seeing their banter, the roles they play in their friendship circle. Neil is given a big focus for the most part, since he's the one who takes to the teachings right away. Robert Sean Leonard does an excellent job here, and he's just so damn likeable right from the start. How he tries to get Todd to come out of his shell and open up, but you can tell it's never malicious. The scene with the two of them talking about the desk set is honestly really great, and the dialogue throughout is fantastic. Todd himself is also handled really well, and Ethan Hawke is excellent in this role. With this character we see a lot more of the progression, and the build of this character arc is really nice. I love the scene with Todd having to stand up in front of the class and read a poem; it was such an effective way of showcasing Keating's philosophies. I like Knox as a character, but I felt parts of his story were a little... eesh. With him trying to win over the girl who's already in a relationship, bits of that storyline really haven't aged well. Bits are fine... charming, even. Others are a little off-putting.

Josh Charles as Knox

But, let me get straight to the point: Robin Williams is marvellous in this movie. I don't want to make this review all about him, but this is the first review I've done which features Robin Williams, so I'll say it here. I still remember exactly where I was when I found out Robin Williams had died. I was in a car, on my way home from uni with a friend, and we heard people on the radio talking about him. I was worried they were talking about him in a posthumous manner, and getting home to look it up confirmed my fears. I'm not going to act like everything the man did was perfect, but when he got it right, he got it really right. Everyone loves to talk about how funny he was, and, of course, he was. But I think it's important to mention how well he could deliver the heart when he needed to, as well. It would have been so easy for him to slip right back into his traditional stand-up style in a role like this. But he kept it grounded. He kept it pure. The way he was talking to his students; it was the perfect depiction of a wise teacher with unique and important philosophies to impart. And it's the best performance I've seen him give. It wasn't his funniest, or the one that gave him the biggest character to chew up, but it was real. It was filled with sentiment and passion and... Robin Williams. I'm getting a little nostalgic here, and I assure you, it's not affecting my opinions of the movie at all. I just think it's important to address stuff like this here in his most powerful movie I've seen. 'O Captain, my Captain' indeed.

Robin Williams as Mr. Keating

And I did say 'powerful'. Because, yeah, by the end of this movie things get heavy. It starts to deal with some dark subject matter, and I'm not going to lie, it did sort of spring up right out of nowhere. It was a little jarring, actually, and it initially didn't sit right with me, and not in the good way. It felt a little much, like the movie was trying a little too hard with itself. It didn't take me long to be won over, however, as I then saw why the movie waits so long for this 'third-act' twist: devoting too much time to this plot point would have been overkill. They let us see how it affects the characters, and it gives just enough time to each character for it to be impactful, and then they go straight into the plot ramifications. And, since not a lot could happen in a story like this after such an event, it doesn't take long for the movie to draw to a close after that. What we see in that short, maybe, 10 minutes, is enough. We see why Keating meant so much to these kids, and, thankfully, we also know enough not to blame Keating or assume his teachings to be incorrect. Then we get the emotional climax with the famous ending. And, yeah, it lands. It's touching. It didn't make my cry, or even shed a single tear, though I feel that's likely because I knew the reference and saw it coming. I don't hold that against the movie; even with what I knew it still hit me. I still feel like the big twist could have been a little better built up. When it happens, you're not even sure if it really happened or not, since it's such a dramatic turn to take. Although, I suppose that was the intention, so I don't know. In the end, it didn't bother me too much, and it made for a powerful ending, so I can look past it.

Ethan Hawke as Todd

Dead Poets Society (1989) truly is a must-watch. It's not perfect, there are a few things in it that aren't all that great, in fact. It is an important movie, however, in that not only does the good far outweigh the bad, but when it's good, it's a special kind of good. The kind of good that stays with you, the kind of good that almost teaches you something. The kind of good that truly is powerful cinema. 9/10.