Dead poets society has been the right guide for teachers and parents until now, more than 30 years later.
Along with this film, novels of the same name have become bestsellers, but the peculiar thing is that N.H. Kleinbaum published a novel based on the film rather than the original novel.
In the movie, you can see not only the peculiar acting of the young Robin Williams, but also the youthful appearances of actors currently active, such as Ethanhawk and Josh Charles.
That year, he won the Academy Screenplay Award, the British Academy Awards for Works, and the Music Awards.
'Welton Academy' is the main background of the movie
In the United States, there are eight prestigious private universities: Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Pennsylvania, Princeton, and Yale.
These eight universities are called'Ivy League'.
Originally, the Ivy League refers to the American football game played by eight universities, but over time, it has been hardened to mean the eight universities playing league matches.
'Welton Academy', which is the main background of the film, is a prestigious high school with the highest rate of enrollment in the Ivy League, and more than 70% of graduates enter the Ivy League every year.
As such, students, teachers, and parents who go to school are very proud of belonging to Welton Academy, and they only enter this school with one goal of enrolling in the Ivy League.
Parents are enthusiastic about getting their children into this school.
The film begins with an entrance ceremony with all the students of Welton Academy gathered together.
The students shouting out four words with flags that read'tradition','honour','discipline', and'best' are reminiscent of military discipline.
Students live in dorms and have to follow these four words and study like a doll to try to get into the ivy league.
Students also show their efforts to improve their grades by making meetings during their free time in the dormitory, studying together, and coming to school during vacation to prepare for the next semester.
They have a path set by their parents, and it seems that the only task given is to strive along the path.
The story of seven students and one teacher begins with the background of Welton Academy, which allows them to study in the same way toward the same goal.
The Welton Academy in the film was shot at St. Andrew's School in Middletown, Delaware.
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Movie characters, 7 students and 1 teacher
(1). Mr. John Keating/ Robin Williams
Todd Anderson was a new English language teacher at Welton Academy when he transferred to school.
John Keating also graduated from Welton Academy and went on to a prestigious university.
He stimulates the curiosity of children and other teachers with a unique teaching style and humorous personality that is different from other teachers in school.
He tells Neil and his friends about the'Dead poets society' in which he was active in school, giving the children an opportunity to start a meeting.
It reminds them of the inner world of the children through their own education rather than the school's teaching method and makes them realize that college entrance is not all there is.
(2). Neil Perry/ Robert Sean Leonard
At the will of his dad, he is attending Welton Academy to become a doctor.
He is a sincere and bright student who does not rebel against the will of his parents and silently does his or her work.
He is the first to accept John Keating's education, and then he finds out what he really wants to do.
He finds John Keating's graduation album and, for the first time, takes interest in a meeting called'Dead poets society' and organizes a meeting with friends.
(3). Todd Anderson / Ethan Hawk
He is a new student at Welton Academy.
He gets to use the same dorm room as Neil Perry, so he gets acquainted with him and his friends.
He has a silent and quiet personality at first, who is unfamiliar and does not get along well, but Neil Perry actively approaches and becomes a member of the Dead poets society.
He truly respects Mr. John Keating.
At the end of the film, he reads his own poem in front of his friends and resists the principal, and he is the student who changes the most by John Keating's teachings.
(4). Nags Overstreet / Josh Charles
I am preparing to become a lawyer following my father
He go to the house of my father's acquaintance and fall in love with a girl named Chris at a glance.
He couldn't confess his feelings and just linger around, but after meeting John Keating, he was able to visit her and express his feelings.
(5). Charlie Dalton / Gale Hanson
Among the seven students, in some ways, he is the most distant from the image of the Welton Academy student.
He is mischievous and adventurous, and he writes his argument in the newspaper that he should accept girls at school, and actively appeals his arguments in front of all students on the phone, and lives the hatred of the principal.
Together with Neil, he leads his friends in organizing a social gathering for the dead poet.
When he tries to take responsibility for Neil's death by Mr. John Keating, he rebels and is expelled from school.
(6). Richard Cameroon / Dylan Commons
A student who is the most faithful to the rules and regulations of the school, and does not want to act out of the rules.
He don't like John Keating's teaching style.
Even when John Keating is a false charge, he is an opportunistic person who first talks to the principal about the children's gatherings.
The meaning of the title 'Dead Poet's Society'
The title of the film'Dead poets society' is the name of the group formed after the children met John Keating at Welton Academy.
In Korean, translated as it is, it is called'the society of the dead poets', but here'society' can also be interpreted as a club or a gathering, It seems to be more correct to interpret it as'a meeting in honor of the dead poets'.
This is a meeting that John Keating had been holding in school, and students get information about the meeting from Mr. John Keating and decide to continue the meeting the same way.
This group started as a group of reading poems by various dead poets, but in a cave where children who were forced to study only in the framework of a school meet, they do the things they wanted to do, read their own poems, and perform minor deviant actions. It becomes an opportunity to find out about yourself more and more.
'The Dead Poet's Society' was a place like the Liberation District where children could only do what they wanted to do.
The children met Mr. John Keating and started this meeting, and the meeting became a liberation zone for the children to listen to themselves.
In that sense, the title'Dead Poet's Society' showed this film well.
Under the leadership of Dalton, who interpreted poetry as a song in the cave, the scenes of students happily singing songs and exiting the cave and heading back to school were impressive.
"I go to the forest
It was because I wanted to live my life freely.
I have the essence of life deep in my heart
And I want to live while tasting until the end
To shake off everything that isn't life,
Don't give up just because your life is over until the moment your life runs out."
The message of this movie
We need to live happily while doing what we want to do.
But now, it seems that our youth are living in a black and white life, losing their innocence and hope amid fierce competition under the entrance examination system to go to college.
This film was released in 1989, and more than 30 years later, I was surprised by the same education system as it is now.
Most of the students, including Neil at Welton Academy, were like ships cruising, leaving themselves on the path to success planned by their parents.
Parents couldn't make their own arguments, rather they were the object of fear.
The thrill was felt to me as Neil finally found what he really wanted to do (acting) and was delighted.
Having lived for 16 years, following only the will of his father, he met Mr. Keating and became an opportunity to listen to his inner self while feeling little by little about his true attitude toward life.
He felt that Neil and his children were enjoying their freedom from bondage while having a social gathering of the dead poets, and the individuals in the'only them' cave seemed to be really focused entirely on themselves and each other.
As the British critic said,'Why would I spend this short life, that precious time on things I don't want?', they had the right to live doing what they wanted to do.
Because my own life is not the life of our parents. Building on the teaching style of Mr. John Keating, the film gives us the opportunity to take a glimpse into our lives.
Weeping at Neil's death, I wonder if I myself lived that kind of life, I smile and feel refreshed at Charlie's courage, and I wonder if I have such courage.
" carpe diem: Enjoy the present! "
What Neil's Death Says
At the end of the novel, even after Neil died, Mr. Keating held responsibility for the sin, It shows the reality of society through the school and Neil's parents that threaten children.
Neil's parents really felt contempt for not understanding the inner world of their son even after Neil died.
Through acting, he felt what he really wanted to do, and even though he saw his father on stage, he was able to act confidently while maintaining his emotions.
Because he realized that he was truly self-confident, he collapsed under the pressure of his father who had endured 16 years.
Why couldn't Neil be honest with his friends and his parents?
He lied to John Keating, whom he believed and followed, saying his father allowed it.
Neil may have expected that his father, who watched his play, would understand his heart.
Neil was afraid of his father but loved acting, He should have said this is what I really want to do.
He should have had the courage to confront his father, not the courage to commit suicide.
A student who always does his best, the leadership that leads his friends, the understanding of bringing the introverted Todd into his group of friends, it was very regretful that he disappeared that way.
Was it Neil who had never rebelled against his father's will, so he concluded that he could not contradict his father's will again...? He takes off his clothes and aims a gun at himself, wearing the fairy's garland that he played.
I think that the wreath he wanted to wear until the end symbolized his passion for acting.
What is a real educator?
Although John Keating sets an example for educators, it is a pity that these films and novels have not changed even though they have made a huge wave in society.
Because I haven’t met a teacher like Keating during my 12 years of schooling.
There are no teachers to push us into the framework of a thoroughly structured curriculum and listen to the inner and maturity of children.
So I think I was able to admire the greatness of John Keating even more while to wathcing the movie.
He said to the children who were oppressed, who themselves did not even notice that they were suppressed,'Carpe Diem, enjoy the present!' He taught the lesson, and the children open their minds to his teaching style and look inside.
Climb to the desk and'see the world from a different point of view' his teaching, By having you kick the ball while reading the verse of the poem, I remember his teachings, which cultivated the confidence to shout out as part of the artist.
He also takes the children to the playground and has three children walk at the same time.
At first, the children walk with different steps and beats, but soon they discover that they are all walking the same as if they had a set beat.
With these results, John Keating tells us that it's not easy to listen to our inner voices or to keep our own beliefs if we have other people around us.
Am I really keeping my own personality among the people around me?
Todd, who was timid, can speak his opinions in front of people, Neil finds what he really likes, children taste freedom through the'Dead Poet's Society', and Nags candidly express his feelings. One minor but big change seems to be showing the success of his teachings.
Eventually, Neil committed suicide and Keating had to leave campus, but the novel never shows their sacrifice as a tragedy.
The Latin teacher himself emphasized legitimacy and discipline, but now he was listening to and imitating Mr. Keating's teaching style.
The last scene of the movie is a scene that everyone feels impressed if they watch the movie.
When he tries to leave, the scene where he goes up to the desk one by one and says goodbye to him despite the presence of the principal, shows that he is already deeply rooted in the hearts of the children.
In the future, his teaching will continue through these children.
The little wind he blew changed the children 180 degrees.
If you have seen a movie, I recommend reading a book as well.
In the movie, John Keating's teachings are seen as actions, but Keating's words in the book are a better indication of his firm thoughts.
You have to be honest with yourself.
That's the only solution.