Film Study: Dead Poets Society

Dead Poets Society Anticipation Guide

KEATING: "O Captain! My Captain!" Who knows where that comes from? Anybody. Not a clue? It's from a poem by Walt Whitman about Mr. Abraham Lincoln. Now, this class, you can either call me Mr. Keating, or, if you're slightly more daring, "O Captain! My Captain." Now let me dispel a few rumors, so they don't fester into facts. Yes, I, too, attended Hellton and have survived. And no, at that time, I was not the mental giant you see before you. I was the intellectual equivalent of a ninety- eight-pound weakling. I would go to the beach, and people would kick copies of Byron in my face.

Think of a time when a teacher made an impression on you. It could be a positive or a negative impression. Describe the incident in detail, but leave the teacher’s name blank or call them “Mr. M” or “Mrs. M.” This should be at least 5-7 sentences (fill in the space provided).

Film Study: Dead Poets Society

Dead Poets Society, directed by Peter Weir, was released in 1989. The action of the film takes place in the late 1950s, at a boarding school called Welton Academy that was founded in 1859, the era of Emerson, Whitman, and the buildup to the American Civil War. Below is a list of major characters; as you watch, note any observations—about behavior, perspectives, values, etc. Many of the characters look alike, so pay attention!

· Mr. John Keating (Robin Williams)

· Neil Perry (Robert Sean Leonard)

· Todd Anderson (Ethan Hawke)

· Knox Overstreet (Josh Charles)

· Charlie Dalton (Gale Hansen)

· Richard Cameron (Dylan Kussman)

· Steven Meeks (Allelon Ruggiero)

· Gerard Pitts (James Waterston)

· Dean Nolan (Norman Lloyd)

· Mr. McAllister (Leon Pownall)

· Mr. Perry (Kurtwood Smith)

Another thing to keep in mind is cinematography. Here is a brief overview of some basic camera shots. See if you can identify these techniques within the film and discuss the significance of each effect.

· Low, High, and Tilt: these terms refer to the angle at which the camera is pointed at the subject. A low shot might give the impression of a child’s view, whereas a high shot might symbolize superiority.

· Dissolve, Wipe, Fade In, Fade Out: methods of transition between sequences, scenes, or blank screens.

· Close-Up, Medium Shot, Full Shot: a medium shot refers to a situation in which the subject and setting take up roughly equal parts of the frame. Close-ups and full shots are on opposite ends of the spectrum.

· Pan: a panoramic movement of the camera maintaining a stationary base (as opposed to a tracking shot, in which the camera base moves)

Identify the following literary aspects of the movie

Setting

Characterization

Conflict

Climax

Theme

Mood

Tone

Narrative Viewpoint

Questions to Guide Your Viewing:

1. What are the “four pillars” of the school? How do the boys “revise” these pillars? How does this help to set up the conflict of the story?

2. What do we infer about Neil’s relationship with his father? What type of conflict is this?

3. What is the mood of the class sessions with most of the teachers at the school? With Mr. Keating? How does Keating’s tone help set that mood?

4. How would you characterize the club’s purpose for the boys? What was Keating’s purpose in indirectly encouraging the boys to form this club?

5. What major theme is established with Keating’s poetry assignment as he reacts to the personal poems of his students? (Consider how he responded to the “slack student” and to Todd’s poem)

6. How does Keating’s teaching make Knox a dynamic character? Who are some of the other dynamic characters? (you may need to revisit this question)

7. How does Charlie illustrate the “point” of the courtyard activity? How is this a part of the major theme of the movie?

8. How does the presence of girls affect the mood of the society?

9. Why does the Dean react so strongly to the newspaper stunt? Respond to Charlie’s tone regarding this incident.

10. What is the dean’s tone when addressing Mr. Keating in light of this incident?

11. How does Keating respond to Charlie’s stunt? How does this add to the theme?

12. Describe the interaction between Neil and his father. Compare to that between Neil and Keating.

13. How does Neil embody the transition from Romanticism to Realism? Name anything earlier in the movie that foreshadowed the outcome.

14. Is Todd’s reaction to Neil’s act out of character? Explain.

15. Do you agree with Cameron about the responsibility? Explain your answer. Name anything earlier in the movie that foreshadowed the outcome.

16. Do you find the final scene heroic, disappointing, Romantic, Realistic, or something else? Explain.

Dead Poets Society & Literary Criticism

Mimetic Theoryà Outside World + Art = Meaning

(schools: Historical, Biographical, Moral, Philosophical, Marxist, Feminist, Archetypal (Jungian))

Rhetorical Theoryà Audience + Art = Meaning

(schools: Rhetorical, Reader-Response, Moral, Philosophical)

Expressive Theoryà Artist + Art = Meaning

(schools: Freudian, Archetypal (Jungian), Feminist, Marxist)

Formal Theoryà Aesthetics of Art = Meaning

(schools: formalist, deconstructionist, Archetypal (Jungian))

Topic: Dead Poets Society

What do you like/dislike about the movie?

Circle the category that you’d like to work with the most. Explain which of these categories will do the best job of bringing out the highlights or “lowlights” of this topic. You can circle more than one.

Circle the school you’d most like to work with. Next, select two questions a critic from that school might ask of Dead Poets Society. (Example: A feminist critic might ask of Spongebob Squarepants—Why is the show’s main female character unable to breathe underwater?)

Put all of your work together in one or two well-developed paragraphs in which you critically analyze (not necessarily criticize) your subject. Your paragraph should have a main idea that incorporates your responses to the two questions you selected (10 points).