A Moving Example of 'Raging Against the Machine'

Rating: Null/10 (3 March 2003)

I stayed up late last night to watch this again; I'm paying but a small fatigue price for it today...I find the varying comments on the movie interesting, and somewhat amusing, noting the wide variance in the assessments. I would say it's not the best movie I've ever seen, but then again I'd be hard put to say what is. Suffice to say it's well worth whatever time is spent in the viewing. A few niggling things about it, however...I find it hard to imagine such an obvious iconoclast as Keating being hired at this school, given the pains taken with its stodgy identity, and Neil's character showed a remarkable weakness for a putative leader of an 'offbeat' group. His father, as well, was so one dimensional as to strain belief; why would he object so strenuously to his son's acting, if (as stated) it didn't affect his other schoolwork? And Knox's silly little love affair...why was this given so much play? Finally, Neil's ultimate solution to his problem was, well, not too credible, for a teenager with his entire life ahead of him. On the plus side, there's the emergence of Tod from his sheltered cocoon, and his rallying the boys for one last (albeit empty)defense of their mentor...a scene which I found gut wrenching. Some have commented on the boys' timidity in not standing up for Keating earlier, but the film made clear the futility of that, given the power of the parents/administration vis a vis a group of idealistic youths. For what it's worth, I urge anyone who hasn't seen this movie to do so, and to prepare to be moved, regardless of the cynic within you...