To Be Clear, to Get the Most out of This Film You Will

Reading Film Guide: Dead Poets Society

As we continue our exploration of Personal Choices & Consequences your next challenge will be to again analyze a film. We’ve already practiced the basics of “reading” film; for example, you know that nothing in a million dollar film production is accidental. Every character, scene, and camera angle has a purpose (whether that purpose is clearly conveyed is another question).

We are tackling the filmDead Poets Society very deliberately; your challenge in this film read is to focus on themes presented in the film. How are themesestablished and developed—which characters and what actions are revealing the themes? What is the director trying to say to us through this plot? Why does he include specific external and internal conflicts as part of this narrative? How does this film depict characters discovering reality? In other words, I’m asking you to put it all together; can you demonstrate the ability to come to logical and rational conclusions as you break down this film?

JOURNAL PROMPTS: your ability to reach logical and rational conclusions will be assessed through a series of journal prompts (both in your notebook and on Haiku). Should you miss a day of school or fall behind in your work, it is your job to consult our ongoing list of journal prompts on the white board to get caught up.

To be clear, to get the most out of this film you will:

1)Be here every day of film viewing OR make arrangements to find the film/view what you’ve missed.

2)Complete all Journal Prompts (they will eventually be graded as part of your portfolio).

3)Most importantly, pause occasionally to consider what you think about this film, these characters, and the issues they struggle with. How are these young men exploring Choices & Consequences???

Key Characters: In whatever format works best for you, keep track of characterization for the following…

Mr. John Keating

Neil Perry

Todd Anderson

Knox Overstreet

Charlie Dalton

Richard Cameron

Gerard Pitts

Steven Meeks

Mr. Nolan

Mr. Perry

Mrs. Perry

Thought to Consider: Mr. Keating tries to make the case for the value of poetry…has he convinced you? Does poetry offer something that other forms of literature do not? (Think carefully…are songs and poems really so very different?)