Dead Poet Society (1989)

"Is this a dagger I see before me." -Keating doing a John Wayne impression

"Understanding Poetry,' by Dr. J. Evans Pritchard, Ph.D....If the poem's score for perfection is plotted on the horizontal of a graph and its importance is plotted on the vertical, then calculating the total area of the poem yields the measure of its greatness." -Neil

I think the meaning ascribed to Dead Poets Society has changed recently.  Its own metaphor has looped back upon itself with art imitating life that found new meaning in the same art. At first, I foolishly didn't want to find the answer to "Why?'. What could have changed since I or anyone else last watched Dead Poet Society? But alas, the simplistic and truthful answer starred right at me on the small screen of my personal TV on a plane -"this month our Robin Williams collection".

So for this viewing, I was sad.  Sad for our characters and the lofty expectations placed on them by the school, their parents, and that they saw no chance at change. At other times, I may have latched onto the lessons that our hero Mr. Keating attempted to elicit from his students, and us. "Carpe Diem" he says. "Take in new perspectives" he pleads. "Speak with your voice" he bellows. Such is the magic of the man that they do and we do.

But now it's different. I watched and all I could see was, (and this is simplistic and naive given that I never met the man or know anything about him beyond his celebrity, his comedy, and his acting.) how Robin Williams inspired all of us with insane energy and commitment to craft and art. At his passing, a whole generation is left standing on our desks in salute. And from our new perspective Dead Poet Society has a new indelible and somber meaning.

On to other things.

Dead Poet Society has a crazy cast of youngsters. Ethan Hawke, Josh Charles, Robert Sean Leonard, Kurtwood Smith, and more. It's like watching Freaks and Geeks only to say "Whoa! everybody was in this.".

I have an additional point about animals in film. Dead Poet Society features a scene of one of the boys biking into a field of ducks or geese and they all fly away in a swarm.  It looks really good. But, then I thought about and I have no idea how one trains or corrals a group of birds to act on cue.  It seems ludicrous and expensive. I understand how larger and singular animals (lions, elephants, seals, dogs, cats) work in terms of film, but a host of birds numbering in the 100s?  My hope is that the director noticed they were on the grounds, told everyone to be quiet, set up 4 or 5 cameras in perfect silence, and then sent his actor down the hill towards the flock for one and only one take. I'm glad it worked out.  It looks great.

On a scale of London Symphony to a magician playing saws, I give Dead Poet Society 4 out of 5 stars.