The Beauty of Dead Poets Society

‘Just when you think you know something, you have to look at it in another way. Even though it may seem silly or wrong, you must try’- John Keating

Dead Poets society will forever be one of my favourite movies. Even after decades of its release, it is still a much loved and well received movie. From the exciting adventures of the young Welton boys to the beauty and celebration of life, Dead Poets society made me see the true beauty in life.

The movie revolves around the effervescent boys of Welton Academy and their lives in the prestigious and strict boarding school. The protagonist, Neil Perry, along with his lively group of friends together try to navigate the orthodox and tumultuous waters of their school. Things begin to take a turn with the entry of John Keating, their new English teacher (who just so happened to be an alumnus of Welton), and his zestful ways. Trying to get the young boys to look past the conventions of society and the stringent expectations of their school, Keating tries to make the boys understand the true beauty of life. Their dreams weren’t things built from sentences with ink on paper; rather, they were in seeing the opportunity that life presented in different ways, and living fully for oneself, to seize the day. Upon discovering Keating’s yearbook, Neil and his companions learn about the Dead Poet’s Society; Keating reveals that his friends and him convened in a cave near Welton and recited poetry while celebrating life. Later, Neil discovers an ancient poetry anthology labelled "Dead Poets" in his room, which he assumes Keating gave him. Neil persuades his friends Knox, Cameron, Charlie, and Todd to accompany him to the cave, to read poetry from the anthology and exchange hopes and dreams.

The entire journey that follows the boys Welton and their energetic English classes with John Keating stays exciting, hilarious and inspiring. With a whiff of teenage spirit amidst their adventures and boarding school life, the boys live their lives extraordinarily as they sneak off into the woods late at night and celebrate life and poetry in a small cave. Dead Poets Society excels as an inspirational film about adolescent life and goals. The unorthodox ways of teaching and the English professor who taught the students to live for themselves and seize every opportunity that comes their way truly inspired me. Their adventures were an awakening- a sort of epiphany about how I should live my own life too. With bawdy banter and hilarious innuendos, the students of Welton academy and their growth together and boarding school life are comforting to almost all watchers as they add a bit of drama and comedy. The mellow and innocent scenes of teenage excitement, the football scene as well as Neil chasing Todd around made me feel nostalgic for moments I have never lived but I deeply wish I did.

I found a deep sense of comfort and security within the dynamic of each of the characters. Their internal and familial struggles, both, made me feel less alone with things that I face even today. The pressures on Todd to be the successful younger sibling as well as his struggle to fit in with his peers, Neil’s love for acting and poetry and Meek’s passion for his studies. The establishment of the dynamics of these characters created an extremely realistic connection and I found myself relating to them a lot more than I thought I would have. I can go so far as to say that the ideals of the movie gave me a sense of my own identity, allowing me to see life in so many different perspectives than I would never have thought of.

Critically speaking, the movie did a fantastic job in showing the pressures of societal conventions and the tricky relationship a lot of children had with their parents at the time. Neil and his father’s extremely complicated and dull relationship reflected how so many children even now are forced to do jobs that are deemed correct by ‘societal norms’. A lot of the time, unfortunately, the pressure is something that can’t be escaped. However, when Mr. Keating entered the scene, the usual unorthodox methods were looked down upon and the students learned the importance of following their own dreams and living for themselves.

Mostly, it was the close relationships between the boys' friend group which resonated with me the most- it was so full of emotion and passion. The dynamic between all of them- how they helped each other grow and supported each other and the mutual and passionate love that existed between them seemed highly tantalizing to me as a watcher. It made me crave running off into a cave and made me want to suck the marrow out of life, to get drunk on poetry and make my words and ideas change the world.