Only Clichéd Now Because It Is Such A Classic

Rating: 9/10 (12 March 2017)

Sometimes a film can become clichéd due to sheer overexposure. Since Dead Poets Society came out in 1989, it has been used in nearly every English classroom in the United States at least once, I believe. As a result, it suffers from severe overexposure to the general public. However, as a viewer watching the film for the first time, I was not privy to the clichés, and thus enjoyed it very much.
For a basic plot summary, the film focuses on a prestigious East Coast preperatory school. The students at said school have their entire future planned out, and are under intense pressure to succeed. Introduced to this atmosphere is new professor John Keating (Robin Williams), whose teaching philosophy in equal parts rankles the traditional faculty, inspires his students, and forever changes the landscape of the institution.
This movie is groundbreaking in its portrayal of the teacher-student relationship. However, the true genius of the filmmaking is that the issues are presented in shades of grey, not black and white. Many situation are incredibly complex and have no concrete "correct answers", but this film valiantly tackles them anyway. It doesn't shy away from reality, and for that I am thankful, as too many films these days over-simplify real-life situations, leading to watered-down scenarios.
In terms of casting, Dead Poets Society is a cut above the rest. Williams is tremendous as the inspirational instructor, who isn't too over-the-top, but also injects the requisite amount of passion into the role. Both the professors and students at the prep school are also spot-on in their characterizations.
Thus, I highly recommend this film to anyone who hasn't yet had the pleasure. It may be highly clichéd these days, but that is only because it has been around for so long. It truly is an amazing film that should only get better with time.