Rating: 
Summary: All Hail Kevin Kline
Review: From 'Goodbye Mr. Chips' in the 1930's to 'Dead Poet's Society' in the 1980's, the movies have had a long-running love affair with inspirational, sentimental stories set at ivy-covered, collegiate-gothic, all-male prep schools. These films inevitably center around a beloved teacher and the lifelong bond he forges with his devoted students. The latest addition to the genre ' a successful one ' is 'The Emperor's Club,' with Kevin Kline assuming the role of the teacher who considers it his duty not only to instruct his students in the details of classical history but to mold them into men of integrity and character in the process. 'The Emperor's Club' follows the standard formula up to a point. William Hundert is the most highly respected faculty member at St. Benedict's Academy. He is able to bring the history of the ancient Greeks and Romans to vivid life for his admittedly highly motivated young charges. Then, one day, into his classroom strides Sedgwick Bell, a bright, highly unmotivated student who would rather mock the stuffiness of education and inspire his buddies to feats of rabblerousing than devote his life to the serious pursuit of academia. It, thus, becomes Hundert's job to turn Sedgwick around, a feat that always seems much easier to accomplish in the movies than it ever is in real life. 'The Emperor's Club,' after its rather conventional beginning, deviates from its predecessors in one key respect: Hundert, though a man of values and integrity, is not above compromise himself, and he winds up making a very serious one, the ramifications of which he has to live with for many years to come. Rather than showing him as some sort of saintly figure, screenwriter Neil Tolkin (working from a short story by Ethan Canin) and director Michael Hoffman allow Hundert's humanity to shine through. He is a flawed individual who permits personal feelings to cloud his judgments and who is willing, once he has created a problem, to allow the truth of his own guilt to remain hidden even when innocent victims suffer as a result of his actions. 'The Emperor's Club' is also notable for its clear-eyed recognition that not all situations in life need have a satisfying resolution, that some people simply do not acknowledge their own failings and, therefore, never develop into morally superior people no matter how many experiences life throws at them. Yet, what breaks Hundert's heart is the recognition he comes to that such a person is often times more highly rewarded by the world than the man who follows along the straight-and-narrow path all his life. Kline gives a superb performance as Hundert, capturing the quiet dignity, understated passion and conflicted conscience of a man who loves his boys and who tries to do the right thing but who, like the rest of us, doesn't always succeed in doing so. Emile Hirsch is also excellent as young Sedgwick, the boy whose need for attention and lack of moral guidance from his father lead him to accept the winning-at-all-cost philosophy to get him through life. 'The Emperor's Club,' despite having its roots firmly planted in a grand storytelling tradition, still manages to take us into new territory from time to time ' and its recognition of the importance of education and academics (we actually get to learn a little about Roman history while watching the movie) makes it virtually unique among films of its time.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Acting, Disappointing Story
Review: Early in my teaching career I saw the movie Dead Poets Society. Though the film had its flaws, I saw Robin William's character (Mr. Keating) as rather convincing. I guess I expected The Emperor's Club to be somewhat similar. I was wrong. Like Dead Poets, the movie is set in an elite prep school for boys. The school is steeped in tradition and the students will inevitably be the leaders of society. Using many clichéd techniques, Kevin Kline's character of William Hundert tries to inspire his students. Good teachers develop relationships with students over time, but this does not happen in The Emperor's Club. Mr. Hundert is revered much too soon. Sure, there are a few new teacher pranks, but they seem a bit unrealistic. Though Kline plays the role masterfully, his character is somewhat one dimensional, and the writers try to fix this situation. He has a love interest. The woman he eventually marries is the wife of a colleague. The two begin to fall in love just before she leaves for England. After a divorce she returns to marry Kline. What a surprise! It was either an attempt to give Kline a life outside of the school or to quell suspicions about the character's sexuality. Still, there are strengths in the film. One character, Sedwedge Bell, played by Emile Hirsch, is a troubled youth who challenges Hundert. Naturally Hundert takes an interest in the young man. While he does reach the Bell, the young man is unwilling to change, and he remains this way even to adulthood. Kline's character also has to address ethical flaws in his judgment, which never really get resolved. These realistic situations could have made The Emperor's Club a wonderful film. Instead it is simply not bad.
Rating: 
Summary: No surprises. Well... Almost no surprises.
Review: This is a weak story, which is carried by excellent acting. The only redeeming value aside from the acting is the subtle moral dilemma, which I thought was not incredibly brilliant, but it added an element of interest to a movie that sorely needed just that. This is the story of a teacher looking back at the end of his career on the one student he feels he has failed to teach. He questions his actions and is eventually given a chance to redeem both himself and the student. This movie can seem quite boring, but it captured my interest in a mild degree. Kevin Kline, a truly brilliant actor, has dissapointed me here in this film by appearing in this movie, which is completely beneath his skill. He has also appeared in the American Beauty rip-off Life As A House in recent years. But, I guess he is getting old and has to take those few movies that have potential. I liked Life As A House and this movie too, but they both merely brush against greatness, because of the lack of an intriguing story.
Rating: 
Summary: Not a weak performance in the bunch
Review: Best movie I have seen in years. No digital enhancements or computerized action - Just out and out good acting from all of the characters - You expect that from Kline but you get great performances even from the youngest actors - Its not Dead Poet's Society (despite the fact that it takes place at a school) ITS BETTER - For full story line look to other reviewers - a story of ethics, or lack of ethics that pretty much reflects the world in which we live..
Rating:
Summary: Good adaption; realistic tale
Review: The negative reviewers either dislike the story for its setting, an elitist school, how dare they try and make us care about white rich kids (even though they aren't all white)! Or they immediately equate the film with Mr. Chips because of its setting and take it as smarmy sentimentalism, which it most definitely is not. Or they dislike it for one of the very things that makes it worthwhile, its realism, the flawed nature of its protagonist, which is at the very heart of the story. In short, the negative reviewers aren't paying attention. This is the story of a teacher who, in a misguided moment, misses his opportunity to change the course of a boy's life, a boy who, BECAUSE of his elite situation, will never have the opportunity to be changed again as he is surrounded by opportunity and favoritism, by doors that open and open and open when he hasn't done a thing to deserve it, and this is his ruin. In other words, it is the story of a man who prizes virtue and yet fails to practice it at the very moment it is most important that he live up to his ideals. In that way it is a small tragedy. It is a small gem of a film, a faithful adaption, in spirit at least, of Ethan Canin's title short story from his book, The Palace Thief. Kevin Kline has never performed better and indeed, each and every actor, young and old alike, hits the mark precisely. This film deserved an academy award but, as the movie itself reminds us, those who deserve to win are often passed over for reasons having nothing to do with the quality of their work.
Rating:
Summary: Heartfelt drama - with a cold, cold heart
Review: THE EMPEROR'S CLUB (USA/Japan 2002): The deeply-felt values of a caring English professor (Kevin Kline) are challenged by a rebellious student (Emile Hirsch) whose potential for greatness is stifled by insecurity, leading to an appalling betrayal of trust... Based on a short story ('The Palace Thief') by Ethan Canin, THE EMPEROR'S CLUB invites comparisons with the likes of DEAD POETS SOCIETY, MR. HOLLAND'S OPUS, and nostalgic TV shows like "The Young Americans", though Michael Hoffman's classroom drama is distinguished by the breadth of its thematic ambition. Essentially an exploration of the clash of values within modern society - with Kline's honorable English professor set against the corrupted moral uncertainties of a particularly difficult student (played as a boy by newcomer Hirsch) - the production is a class-act all the way, beautifully designed by Patrizia von Brandenstein (AMADEUS), and photographed with exquisite grace by Lajos Koltai (THE LEGEND OF 1900). But Neil Tolkin's script tries so hard to avoid the 'pitfalls' of sentimentality that it ultimately fails to generate any real emotion at all. In fact, the film's climactic sequence serves only to remind us that virtue and honor will always be challenged by darker influences, and that Evil has an immovable foothold within the world. Crafted with loving attention to detail, and performed with real conviction by a sterling cast, this is one of the few occasions in recent memory when a Hollywood movie's refusal to conform to 'formula' undermines a wealth of good intentions. Drama buffs won't be disappointed, but viewers are advised not to expect a 'feel-good' experience. The movie runs exactly 109m on Universal's region 1 disc, which letterboxes the frame at 1.85:1 (anamorphically enhanced). Picture quality is bright and vivid. A fullscreen edition has been issued separately, though the movie is best seen in widescreen or not at all. Released theatrically in a choice of Dolby, DTS and SDDS digital soundtracks, the disc's Dolby 5.1 presentation is subdued for the most part, though James Newton Howard's lovely music score is frequently immersive. Extras include a 'Making of' documentary, a trailer and an audio commentary by the director. English captions and subtitles are included.
Rating:
Summary: This film could be called Ethics 101
Review: This movie champions the need for acquiring moral character. The protagonist is a professor at a boys school who teaches Greek and Roman History. His emphasis is what we can learn about character from history. The antagonist is a boy who grows into a man but never really becomes a man. He is a tragic story of humanity gone wrong. If you are thinking this is another "Dead Poets Society" you obviously haven't seen the film. This is a must own and is currently being used in Ethics courses at universities around the country.
Rating:
Summary: how do you transmit ideals?
Review: It is said that each generation must civilize it's own barbarian hordes that threaten to destroy the accumulated culture---it's children. And that is the theme of this movie....how do you transmit ideals? in particular, love of learning, a feeling of sympathy for the past, an understanding of morality not as rules to be subverted but wisdom we inherit from the past but need to make our own. A spoiled brat, rich, influential family, amoral, natural leader and with a deep hatred for his father who never listened or cared for him, comes to a boarding high school. The ancient history teacher recognizes his gifts and tries to show him the better way of study and responsibility, but the guy just wants to win at all costs, to be the center of attention of his peers. So he cheats, not once but twice, both times the teacher notices it and doesn't take action, thus subverting his own better values . The movie revolves around the father-son relationship in several ways, mirrored by the teacher-pupil relationship which is an image of the first. It partially answers the question of the transmission of values by making teachers influential in ways that they are not aware of, it is a hopeful movie tempered by the realization that the values may not make it quite right to the next generation. It is well played, the actors are excellent, but most importantly it is a well thought out and deeply feeling movie.
Rating:
Summary: wonderful
Review: Other reviews will tell you plenty about the plot of this film; I just want to mention that this is the best treatment of moral virtue I have seen in a movie since, well, ever. I am preparing for a career as a philosophy professor, and I am always looking for films that illustrate philosophical issues--which isn't nearly as boring as it might sound! This movie isn't nearly as trite as others have suggested. To the contrary, it is far more true-to-life than the vast majority of "message" films, and it successfully challenges the contemporary American mindset which sees material acquisition as the main goal of human existence. The question raised by "Emperor's Club" is simple but profound: is it better to be good, or to win?
Rating:
Summary: true movie
Review: Mr. Hundert was a highschool teacher trying to help his students. When he came upon a particularly difficult student he took the matter personally. When he found the student cheating in a major competition he felt that he had failed. I believe that people who are not in highschool cannot truly understand the problems facing all highschoolers. The film THE EMPORER'S CLUB dealt with some of the problems facing highschoolers today. Every day at school i see my classmates cheating. I was satisfied to know that i am not the only person in the world who is opposed to cheating. Mr. Hundert felt under appreciated when he failed the student. He felt that maybe he wasn't reaching people. This part of the movie helped me to appreciate my teachers. I found many parralells between Mr. Hundert in the movie and Mr. Klein, my history teacher. Thank you to the makers of this movie, and to all my teachers.
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