Captain, my captain

Rating: 9/10 (1 December 2006)

A good movie moves people and makes them want to watch it twice. Though the translation isn't perfect so that I didn't understand it fully, but which didn't prevent me from flooding inside. 　　 　　For the teacher, John Keating 　　A teacher, who asked his students to rip the preface of the book, who taught every lesson in a unique way, named Keating. You may discover his ambition as well as his misgivings at his first appearing in the opening ceremony of a new term. And I found him a great teacher who made students realize " Carpe Diem " which means " to seize the day " in his first lesson, who asked his boys to stand on the desk " to view the world in an new way ", who inspired Todd Anderson whose huge inner talent broke out then, who guided Neal to negotiate with his father and comforted him and assured him not being trapped, who cried badly while discovering the poetry anthology, five centuries of verse, which he had read before and wrote inspiring words on, in Neal's desk, who left at last with his thanks and smile, who is respectable. You may consider Keating had ended with a failure, for his students died or dispelled, for the Dead Society Society broke up and the school turned back to its original tradition at last. But you can't ignore the significant influence he made on his students, on Todd, on Neal, on each member in the Society (though he didn't encourage his students to found it at all), on everyone including us, the spectators. You also can't deny what the boys behaved in the last scene is exactly Keating's triumph. 　　 　　For Neil Perry 　　The excellent guy who owns a virtue of optimism, kind-heart, responsibility, persistence, passion and leadership. And he is also the new founder of Dead Poets Society, an age later. With Neal's encouragement and organization, the Society made its sense. A friend told me that he realized someone would die in the first scene, the picture of former members of the Society, together with the heavy melody in the movie. However, I didn't sense it until Neal took on the coronal and off, in the moon light, naked. Anyway, it's beyond my expectation that he had chosen death as the way to fight against his father's arrangement, order and reproach. Are dreams so gentle in front of the facts? While, just as most poets did, he didn't find a hope in the very verge of despair. 　　How could fate so cruel to such a good boy? I was perplexed, though I didn't burst into tears, a tough stir meant more, and the anguish must be much easier than Todd and Keating. 　　 　　For Todd Anderson 　　Neal's roommate, the boy who is a definitely good student, with all the merits called for in the traditional and principled high school, who turned downed down to go to the carve at first, who wrote and revised his own poem again and again by himself, whose face turned red and anxious in the class while Keating asking students to read their own poems on the platform. And he refused the offer as usual. Nevertheless, he's talent was discovered by Mr. Keating, his captain. He shouted "his teeth is sweating" by the inspiration of Keating, and his marvelous inner talent shook everyone, "Truth is like a blanket that always leaves your feet cold. You push it, stretch it, it'll never be enough. Kick at it, beat it, it'll never cover any of us. From the moment we enter crying, to the movement we leave dying, it'll just cover your face as you wail and cry and scream", weren't you? And his significant change proved Keating's success fully. He dare expressed his redemption and regret and miser and thanks in such a courageous way, such an extra ordinate way and such a proper way, to stand on the desk, just as what Keating taught them, and to call "Captain, my captain", the greatest name we can call a teacher. 　　 　　To some extent, he is the one with whom I shared most common points, especially at the same age, 3 or 4 years ago, sensitive, introverted, dares not to express his inner heart, self-abased, scholastic. But the difference lies in that he's inspired by Mr. Keating; he's helped by his roommate, Neal. But, who's my Mr. Keating, who's my Neal? And, where are my passions, my dreams now? Have they all gone? I fell so cold, but I decide to find them out.
For dream 　　 　　Fighting against reality, ideal turned out to be fragile. However, in the shine of the dream, the common custom shows its cowardice. If not, betrayer of the Society wouldn't lowered his voice reading "what is poem" at the traditional new teacher's order, on the preface that Keating asked them to have ripped, when the captain of his dream saw him. There is surely important to have a dream, but it is even more important to hold it on. That's maybe the reason I failed to cry out, to let out my emotions, because I feel guilty somehow. Times and times, the strong music beats at my heart heavily, and I ask myself where my dreams are. Where are they? Have they deserved me when I am busy study for exams? Or I am left alone because of my laziness and easy-satisfying? 　　 　　I ask my captain, how long it leaves to our fearful trip? 　　Captain answered, don't be afraid, we bound to arriving. 　　I ask my captain, what is the direction of my dream? 　　Captain answered, follow you heart, and heart will tell you. 　　 　 　　Yes, my captain, it's time for me to follow my heart.