A Somewhat 'Dull' Society But 'Has Its Moments

Rating: Null/10 (18 December 2008)

Unlike others, I fail to see why this is an excellent film. Perhaps it's to do with my age as the film seems to have affected teenagers most (yet I still love 'Catcher in the Rye', 'Heathers', 'Back To The Future' etc). To me, 'Dead Poet's Society' is by no means a terrible film and I appreciate the effort director Peter Weir put into it. Even though I found it to be dull (due to the slow pace), by the time I am slipping away into boredom, a great scene appears right at that moment to bring me 'back to life' and so it continues until the end. What I liked most about this movie are the performances. Norman Lloyd is convincing as the hateful principal. Robin Williams is brilliant but it is the then newcomers, Ethan Hawke, Robert Sean Leonard and Gale Hansen who own the movie and hold more than their own opposite the more experienced actors. I enjoyed the scenes of camaraderie and loyalty that existed among the friends. The background score is another plus. I particularly liked how Mike Oldfield's track was utilised. Moreover, there are some very nice visuals, the most powerful one being the scene covered field where Ethan Hawke runs into whiteness, mourning his friend's death. Overall, even though I may not include this among my favourite movies, it's still very watchable.