Dead Poets Society

  

    This is my fourth or fifth time starting this particular review because I kept on feeling as if I couldn't do this movie justice with the way I was expanding on it earlier. So here we are, restarting. Also, spoilers warning for this 40-year-old movie. I guess. 

    Dead Poets Society is a beloved cult classic, and it never fails to bring me equal parts joy and sadness. It has incredibly high moments and some slightly less graceful moments here and there. Nonetheless, by my second watch, this movie turned into an all-time favourite of mine. 

    My expectations were high for this movie. It was one of my dad's favourites, and it has been highly acclaimed by whoever watched it. Oh, boy! This movie went above and beyond my expectations. The storytelling, the cinematography, and the characters were all so well done. 

     One of the reasons why this movie is so well-loved is because of how easy it is to relate to it. It has something to offer to everyone. Do you like coming-of-age stories? The found family trope? Unrequited love for people or your passions? Or maybe you just really like Robin Williams. Either way, This movie will probably be your cup of tea.

    The funny thing about this movie is that I couldn't tell any of the characters apart on my first viewing because they all look the same. To this day I still can't name all of them except for Mr. Keating, Neil, and Todd. The lack of diversity is the only thing I can criticize about this movie along with some insensitivity towards indigenous people and their culture (one of the boys going by "Nuwanda" and the general lack of any POC or women for instance). 

    The characters whose names I remember are the heart and soul of this movie. Mr. Keating and his vision to make each kid grow and develop to be whoever they desired. He helped them follow their passions even if it led to him losing his job. Robin Williams' amazing performance truly brought this movie to life. I couldn't help smiling whenever he was on-screen because of his undeniable charm.

    Another beautifully done thing in this movie was Neil and Todd's relationship. Throughout the movie, they grew close and closer to each other. They were truly each other's rock and supported one another all the way until the end of the line (or until Neil kills himself.) The two friends and roommates bonded over their parental neglect and by the end, we can see that Neil's suicide affects Todd the hardest. Todd, played by the astounding Ethan Hawke, was Neil's voice of reason. Neil, meanwhile, helped Todd come out of his shell and be more extroverted. Unfortunately, the lively (get it?) friendship between the boys soon had to come to an end after Neil was expected to be sent away to a military school.

    Neil kills himself after hearing the news. The thought of being away from his passion for acting and his friends was too much for him.  This news was so devastating to him, and it pulled the final trigger (see what I did there) as Neil realized he will never be able to live up to his dad's expectations, do what he loves, and be the person he is deep inside. One could argue that this is about much more than just acting and that his story arc is inherently queer. I, however, don't see it necessary to expand on it because it's pretty obvious and self-explanatory.

5/5 A mind-blowing experience.(lolz)