Customer Reviews

Dead Poets Society

5 star:		(161)
4 star:		(65)
3 star:		(14)
2 star:		(14)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

This is one thing I don't understand about amazon. All 262 reviews of this film to date here pre-date this dvd version, including the product reviews provided by amazon. They are about the 2003 disc or even the vhs version. How is this "special edition" version different from the previously available disc(s)? I thought I might get some guidance as to why paying $20 for this new version is more worthwhile than buying a previous version now available for as little as $8.

I was perhaps spoiled by the reviews of Who Framed Roger Rabbit where there is a highly informative discussion of scenes that have been deleted and altered in various incarnations from vhs to a couple of different dvd versions. From reading those reviews I know I want to hold out for a dvd version to finally become available that is an unabridged/unsanitized version of that original.

If you read through the lowest star ratings for the Indiana Jones films, you will see what I mean too. The dvd quality of those discs was poor. A "new edition" which I purchased this year (2008) has all the same poor transfer quality issues mentioned, despite it supposedly being a "new edition." Sound quality there is especially uneven and poorly done. In the third installment of that series, e.g., when Sean Connery and Harrison Ford go into the fireplace (where there is no fire) to escape from the fire in the room, the sound of the fire actually gets so loud you can hardly hear the dialogue, where in real life the sheltering effect of the stone fireplace would actually muffle the fire sound somewhat, and at least you would think that they would want to keep the dialogue intelligible. Throughout those discs in many scenes, it is not because of poor sound balances. These dvds too are ones to avoid until finally the flaws are cleaned up.

Here, with The Dead Poets Society discs (a very fine film which I remember from its theatre release, hence the four stars when it perhaps rates story: 5; disc transcription: 1), no such information to make an intelligent decision, so I guess I buy the less expensive version and this possible studio scam to simply attempt to wring higher profits out of an older product can languish in the dust heap where possibly it belongs for now with the Roger Rabbit disc(s) and the Indiana Jones discs, but who knows? If someone (or amazon or the studio) does know the differences, please provide a review of them for us all.

Dead Poets Society (1989)
Drama, 128 minutes
Directed by Peter Weir
Starring Robin Williams, Ethan Hawke and Robert Sean Leonard

Why do I like Dead Poets Society? One of the characters dies and another loses his job. I have never been to a school like the one portrayed in the film. Something keeps me coming back and I recently upgraded when it was released on Blu-ray for the first time.

Robin Williams as John Keating holds the whole thing together with his unconventional style of teaching. The film proves that Williams is a genuine acting talent and not just a gifted comedian. Many of the scenes are moving and some of the prominent themes include friendship, parenting, romance and individuality. Peter Weir gets some good performances out of the (mainly) young cast and the situations in which they find themselves feel authentic for the most part.

My favorite scenes include the moment when Todd Anderson (Hawke) finally overcomes his excessive shyness and also Neil Perry's (Leonard) realization that he was born to act. If you strip down the subject material there's not a whole lot there, but the atmosphere of the movie draws me in and makes me feel as though I am a part of that group of boys. We have all been to school and you will smile in recognition at some of the boys' personalities and quirks.

A powerful performance by Robin Williams who I think is one of the most diverse actors of our time. It's an amazing story of a brilliant teacher who touches and changes the lives of his students lives by encouraging them to live life to its fullest.

"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!

"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!

Robin Williams takes his 1st stap at a dramtic role with fairly positive results. It's an suggestion to one's inteligence to see these film. More over to see Robin Williams( Mr. Keating) like a doctor in English, when he teaches his class. He doesn't teach normaly. He makes his own thing. I think it is good what he make. This is a film that really does challenge us to live, and move us to seize the moment. The story and the setting of this movie are amazing. I like the atmosphere in the school. It is dark and mysterious like Harry Potter in the castle. The Film have a lot of features. A little bit of romance, action and mystery.
Briefly said: very good film

Dead Poets Society is about a group of boys at Welton Acadamy, a boarding school for boys. The guideline of the school is based on: tradition, honour, excellene and perfection. Everything changed when the English teacher John Keating arrived. He is against the stiffed and one-sided visibility of the school and inspirid the boys to seize the day and to make most of their lives. The resurrecting of the Dead Poets Society, a club where John Keating was in at student, brings about that the boys defy the school, their parents and their present view of life.
In my opinion the film is very dramatically and tangent. On a very impressive way it shows how difficult it is to be faithful to yourself and to stand up for one's beflief. It's marvelous how it is demonstrated that pressure doesn't help to find who you really are. Through the different but also classic characters of the movie you can realize that every individual reacts on a different way to influences. Thereby it shows that everybody needs support and enough freedom to follow his own dreams and to find his own way of living.

"Dead Poets Society" was shown in my German English lesson as a teaching device for transcendentalism.

Though I do not believe wholeheartedly in the ideas of transcendentalism, I found "Dead Poets Society" to be one of the most moving films that I have ever seen. As a student, I know what it is like to feel pressure to academically succeed, and through my classmates, I have seen the strain that pressure can put on a parent-child relationship.

"Dead Poets Society" logs the effect of one inspiring teacher on upon a group of boys that have never been given the chance to think for themselves.

One boy, Neal, realizes his dreams to be more than becoming a doctor, but also an actor. His struggle with his father brings him to drastic measures, but he is an admirable character for overcoming his ability to overcome his fear of standing up to his father. Other boys experience trouble and triumph with authority, love, and fear. Their stories are classic, but also portrayed beautifully.

Robin Williams plays Mr. John Keating, the English teacher that inspires the boys of Wellton Academy to think on their own and to seize the day. They re-initiate the Dead Poets Society, a group that Keating was in as a student at Wellton. Through their club, the boys discover the magic of poetry and the power of words. Keating uses famous quotes from Whitman, Thoreau, and other classical thinkers to motivate his students. His charisma and optimistic view of life is uplifting and leaves one inspired for days. Perhaps his outstanding performance is best portrayed in his line, "Life is a play and you may contribute one verse. What will it be?"

The film is well acted and revives memories of one's first experience in standing up for one's own beliefs. I recommend this movie to anyone who finds inspiration in literature, and to every person who wants to make the most of his life. It is teachers like Keating that breed our future philosophers and geniuses. This film is a thank you to every teacher who has unknowingly inspired his or her students to do great things. The final scene when the boys pay tribute to their teacher who is punished for influencing them is enchanting!

Robin Williams takes his 1st stab at a purely dramatic role with fairly positive results. Of course, even as an inspirational English teacher, he can't help but mug a little bit. The plot is mostly be yourself and buck the system cliched liberal propaganda but extremely well acted and intelligent and insightful. Since I'm a bit of a liberal, the film speaks to me.

I know a handful of teachers who praised this movie as wonderful, and who enthusiastically promoted the creative free-thinking portrayed therein -- but when you get right down to it, they only believe in creative free-thinking when THEY are the ones doing it. We saw in Dead Poets Society how the institution, the establishment, treated Robin Williams' character after he instilled spirit in the few boys sharp enough to appreciate him: they did not tolerate his methods, and they fired his derriere abruptly. My teacher friends are the same way as that school's administration, though they would never admit it. They demand that students in their classrooms toe the line, and denounce as "undisciplined" or "uncooperative" any behavior which exhibits individuality.

This is an excellent, entertaining and -- in the end -- sadly realistic film. It shows institutional academia for what it truly can be: intolerant, discriminatory and hypocritical.