Rating: 
Summary: Super R. Williams performance
Review: Robin Williams is great in this movie!! One of my favorites.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Movie!
Review: This is a great movie. It's a wonderful drama and Robin Williams adds enough humor to keep it light at the right times. I've sometimes heard people say it's boring. Not true. If you see Robin Williams name attached to it and you assume it's going to be hilarious, well... that's what you get for assuming. This is drama about boys becoming men, upsetting the norms, breaking from tradition, and rising above the authority of their peers.
Rating:
Summary: A Society to revive the belief in oneself
Review: This movie should be mandatory viewing at all senior schools, for teachers and students. The fact that it is not mandatory highlights its very essence. Every young person can be influenced: When an individual is inspired to believe in their own ability, and then to stretch that ability further than they thought possible, they will never stop pushing out the boundaries of achievement. This is a movie that everyone can relate to, each in their own way. Mr Keating inspires his pupils to build up their imagination, to believe in their abilities, then to push their abilities outward to keep up with their growing imagination. Enjoy and learn from it every time you watch it. That's what I do.
Rating:
Summary: What we are different
Review: What a great movie about how we as human being are different, and the fact that we have a right to be so. The setting takes place in an all boys school, probably High School years. This school has been a long standing and very traditional school. Each person has their place and basically you are forced to do as the professors/administrators say. Previous reviews may state that it is not a very accurate picture, I agree with another reviewers opinon in the fact that is simply the writers and directors stage to reflect the world. Everyone has their opinon of each of us and how we should react. Although they may not ask us to conform it is the general consensus that we must. Along come Prof Keating, the english professor who begins not only to teach english, but also about the lifestyle and ideology of Henry David Thoreau, who taught of individualism, an amazing transformation takes place as his class begins to take on an amazing task. Breaking free. This movie when it reaches it's climax has those watching waiting to stand and take the vow, "O captain my Captain!" Not only does the movie make for an incredible drama, but also has an inside look into our own psyche!
Rating:
Summary: A Story of Individualism
Review: This masterful tale of how we are all truly different, and although perhaps the portayal of the school and teachers are a little harsh you must see that it is a symbolic reference to the world around us, the students are those who are force into conformity. Mr, Keating (Robin Williams) is our own subconscious telling us that we can be different, we can choose our own destiny and we are ultimatley in charge of how we act and react to those who would force us to be molded into the "model" citizen. The movie has a simple message that of free will. Always remembered by perhaps the most moving scenes in movie history, as young Todd stand upon his desk, "O captain my captain!"
Rating:
Summary: "And what will your verse in the poem of life be?"
Review: "I learned this, at least, by my experiment; that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours." (Henry David Thoreau, "Walden.") Hands up folks, how many of us discovered Thoreau after having watched this movie? *Really* discovered I mean, regardless whether you had known he'd existed before. How many believe they know what Thoreau was talking about in that passage about "sucking the marrow out of life" cited in the movie, even if you didn't spend the next 2+ years of your life living in a self-constructed cabin on a pond in the woods? How many bought a copy of Whitman's poems ... whatever collection? (And maybe even read more than "Oh Captain! My Captain!"?) How many went on to read Emerson? Frost? Or John Keats, on whose personality Robin Williams's John Keating is probably losely based? Judging by the vast majority of the reviews on this site alone, you just can't fail to notice that this movie has a powerful appeal like few others; "inspirational" is probably the most frequently used word in the opinions represented here. And justifiedly so, despite the fact that charismatic Neil Perry (Robert Sean Leonard), one of the movie's main characters, tragically falters in the pursuit of his dreams, in the wake of apparent triumph. Because although Neil's story is one of failure, ultimately this movie is a celebration of the triumph of free will, independent thinking and the growth of personality; embodied in its closing scene. Of course, lofty goals such as these are not easily achieved. Todd Anderson (Ethan Hawke) in particular, the last scene's triumphant hero, is literally pushed to the edge of reason before he learns to overcome his inhibitions. And Thoreau said in "Walden:" "If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; That is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them." Anyone who takes this movie's message to heart (and Thoreau's, and Whitman's, and Emerson's, Frost's and Keats's) knows that success too easily won is often no success at all, and most of our truly important accomplishments are based on focus, tenacity and hard work as much as on anything else. And prudence, too ... dashing Charlie Dalton (Gale Hansen) pays a high price for his spur-of-the-moment challenges of authority; although of course you just gotta love him for refusing to sign Keating's indictment. "Carpe diem" - live life to its fullest, but always know what you are doing, too. You won't enjoy this movie if you are afraid of letting your mind and your feelings run free. Shot on the magnificent location of Delaware's St. Andrews Academy, "Dead Poets' Society" is visually stunning, particularly in its depiction of the amazingly beautiful scenery (where the progression of the seasons mirrors the progression of the movie's story line), and it is as emotionally engaging as it invites you to mentally reexamine your position in life. Robin Williams delivers another Academy Award-worthy performance (he was nominated but unfortunately didn't win). Of course, Robin Williams will to a certain extent always be Robin Williams ... "Aladdin's" Genie, "Good Morning Vietnam's" Adrian Cronauer and "Good Will Hunting's" Professor McGuire (the 1997 role which would finally earn him his long overdue Oscar) all shimmer through in his portrayal of John Keating; and if you've ever seen him give an interview you know that the man can go from hilarious and irreverent to deeply reflective in a split second even when it's not a movie camera that's rolling. Yet, the black sheep among Welton Academy's teachers assumes as distinct and memorable a personality as any other one of Williams's film characters. Of its many Academy Award nominations (in addition to Robin Williams's nomination for best leading actor, the movie was also nominated in the best picture, best director [Peter Weir] and best original screenplay categories), "Dead Poets' Society" ultimately only won the Oscar for Tom Schulman's script. But more importantly, it has long since won it's viewers' lasting appreciation, and for a reason. - As the Poet said: "Camerado! This is no book; Who touches this, touches a man" (Walt Whitman, "So Long!"), this is no movie; who watches this, watches himself!
Rating:
Summary: GOOD BUT TAKE IT EASY...
Review: THis movie is good but not the "lesson" some people keep on saying. The schoolÂ's directors are portrayed almost as the Devil themselves, so reactionary, stupid and evil with new ideas they are !!!!!! One of the merits of the movie is that we have one of the last worthwhile performances by Robin Williams ina long time...
Rating:
Summary: O Captain, My Captain...
Review: Wow... I could not get over this movie after seeing it for the first time. It is incredibly inspiring and well made and... what's the word... ENLIGHTENING. Of course, after watching this movie (with Robin Williams, my favorite actor of all time), words just came out so quickly. It's kind of like getting a hypothetical "electrical shock" back into reality, and I saw it and realized, That's the way life is supposed to be lived. Seize the day. I was inspired enough to actually have the right words to draft a fan letter to Robin, but by the time I'd reveled enough in it, the adrenaline rush was fading. So I'll have to rent it again, and then write. You will love this movie. It wakes you up and jolts you back into the world. You look around and see everything in a whole new light. Enjoy the movie. P.S. The day after I saw this movie, I had my high school orientation, and as a "get to know you" activity we were supposed to find people with specific talents, and one was "able to recite one line of poetry". All I could think of was "O Captain, my Captain", but I didn't say anything. I had a little secret of my own... :)
Rating:
Summary: Do you feel that you're a boring person?
Review: If you ever feel that you are a boring, insignificant person, caught in the endless trap of routine, this is the film that you must watch and you must do it now, above everything else that you are doing. You can be saved and inspired. I watched this film about 10 years ago and could still remember how it affected and inspired me then, not only kicked started me to at least read some poetry but more importantly, to make my life more meaningful and exceptional. To strive to pop your head up amidst the mediocrity and conventionality that is always surrounding us, coercing us to conform to society's norm and be normal, and stay like the rest of us, past and present. once you see this, you can immediately feel that the whole environment is so stiffling, choking you to death and you yearn and long to get out of the box, out of this net, or more popularly now known as, perhaps the Matrix. Dead Poets Society teaches you how to be yourself, how to love and live life for yourself and not for conformity's sake. The story of the suicide can be taken as a metophorical indication that if we continue to ignore our own feelings and be oursleves, we will be led to suicide, whether real phycial suicide or emotional or intellectual suicide. Live life, feel it, touch it with you bare skin and do not be afraid to be burnt. Afterall, if you don't try it, you would not know how it feels getting burnt and you live an unenlightened life, too afraid to do anything. And although getting burnt means sometimes leaving a scar, at least you have lived your life and siezed the day. Afterall, as experience taught me, it is not really so bad. You might get burnt but with wisdom, you will be okay. But with wisdom, not just blind courage as is so strongly emphasized by Mr. Keating but not immediately noticed by the boys who only admires the courage part... see it for yourself and see how it relates to you.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent inspiring movie
Review: "The Dead Poets Socieity" is an excellent movie which puts an emphasis on thinking for your self and "seizing the day." For years Neil, and the kids kids at Welton Academy have been taught to conform their whole lives. Even if that means sacrificing their own goals. As Neil joins Welton, he is highly acclaimed by the professors to be one of the best students in the academy. His father sent him to Welton to lean to become a phyisican, and up until this year, he has conformed. But he meets Mr. Keating (Robin Williams) who teaches them Carpe Dium, or "Seize the day" as the teacher uses unconventional was to open his students mind, the kids start thinking for themselves. And start striving to achieve their goals. As they start the "Dead Poets Society" the learn to read poetry and dream about achieving their goals. But when Neil's father finds out about his son persuing his acting carrear, his outraged father takes him out of the Academy.... Thei s is an excelent, well thought out movie that will make you think. And it's sad how when, the kid want to open up their life they get blasted for it. It's a perfect example of many orginazations, be it government, (some) religion, businesses and schools are acting today. This movie will teach you to open your mind and experience everythint YOU want to do.
|
