Hypocritical and Cartoonish

Rating: Null/10 (30 October 2011)

Peter Weir directed this movie? Really? The brilliant director of some of my favorite films (Fearless, The Year of Living Dangerously, Master & Commander) is responsible for THIS? I guess even the greatest directors are allowed one dud on their resume'.
Other reviewers have pointed out the obvious: Telling your students to tear out pages from a book is censorship and sort of the opposite of telling them to think for themselves.
My biggest problem with DPS is the cartoonish villains, especially the father and the head master. They're written so one-dimensionally Weir should have dressed them in all black and given them big Simon Legree mustaches to twirl. "How dare you act in a play! Now, back on the railroad tracks!"
The ending is corny, Williams seems miscast, the message is confused, the dialog is ridiculous . . . there's a lot to dislike here. I am amazed so many people love this film.