Thinking and Writing

            Carpe diem! Life cannot be fully enjoyed if one does not jump up and experience it.  This sentiment is communicated throughout the film Dead Poets Society (Peter Weir 1989) as a group of teenaged schoolboys are taught how to embrace life by their enthusiastic English teacher Mr. Keating.  Dead Poets Society is set in the 50s, a time when conformity among youth was prized above individual thought.  Symbols arise as the boys try to find their own way to seize life.  Actor Robin Williams portrays Mr. Keating with the perfect balance of humor and drama, while actor Robert Sean Leonard delivers a believable performance as father fearing student Neil Perry.  The push against 50s conformity, symbols, and the actors’ performances emphasize the need for one to consciously take the road less traveled by and celebrate life.

            During an age when the government was cracking down on any foreign idea, the education system of America strove to churn out law-abiding citizens who would enter the work force and keep their heads down.  Conformity is highly valued at Welton Preparatory School and is even one of the school’s tenants.  This was a time when nontraditional ideology and thought were gravely frowned open and subsequently silenced.  In opposition to this, the boys at Welton begin to go against the grain as they form a club through which they can “suck the marrow out of life” and enjoy a break from discipline and rules.  They name this club the Dead Poets Society after the group Mr. Keating had formed while he was at Welton.  The boys sneak out at night, deceiving their teachers who believe them to be in bed, and convene in a rock hollow to smoke, drink, and read thought provoking poetry.  This poetry has an effect on the boys who gain courage to reach for things they never before dared to reach for.  Against the wishes of his father, Neil Perry participates in “Midsummer Night's Dream” while Knox Overstreet tries to win over the girl he loves with a poem.  The poetry Mr. Keating shares and his words of taking control of one’s destiny ignite and desire in the boys’ hearts to follow their dreams and go against convention.  This push against conformity depicted in the film reflected the change of ideology of the 60s.  The youth of America was liberated as freedom reigned amongst the youth.  Drugs, sex, and rock n’ roll became the mantra of this generation, a mantra which the boys at Welton put into practice in their Dead Poets Society, listening to the radio, smoking, and studying the lessons not from their school masters, but from the literary greats of the past.

            The acts of rebellion the boys performed were laced with symbols.  As Society member Charlie Dalton becomes increasingly unruly, he paints his skin red and takes on a new name, “Nuwanda.”  The color red signifies independence, and red is seen more frequently as the boys disobey authority.  Ignoring the orders of his father, Neil dons a crown of twigs and red berries to perform as Puck in “Midsummer Night's Dream.” The color red is seen yet again as Neil abandons his subordinate nature and acts on his own desires.  The crown of twigs and red berries is seen again as Neil is about to commit suicide.  No longer able to cope with an existence dictated by his father, Neil wears the red crown just before he takes his own life.  He resembles Jesus crowned with thorns, although Neil dies for his own convictions rather than for the sins of others.  Rather than die as a martyr, Neil commits suicide, an act some may view as selfish.  Neil’s suicide can be seen as the ultimate act of independence as Neil separates himself from his authoritative father by entering the afterlife.  The red observed in Charlie’s paint and Neil’s crown symbolizes rebellion and a divergence from conformity.  Mr. Keating told the boys to “seize the day” and the color red symbolized the boys’ failed attempts take their lives by the reigns and discover their own paths.

Actor Robin Williams expressed this message of carpe diem as he played Mr. Keating in Dead Poets Society.  His performance was filled with improvised hilarity and deep, emotional drama.  Williams was able to act the part as the enthusiastic, witty English teacher without overshadowing the depictions of the other actors.  Williams received his second Academy Awards nomination for his performance in Dead Poets Society and rightly so.  Williams gave the film the kick it needed to be entertainingly meaningful as Williams eloquently quoted Whitman and Elliot while making the audience laugh with his impression of Marlon Brando as Mark Anthony and John Wayne as Macbeth.  Robert Sean Leonard was another actor who could not be overlooked.  He was the standout actor among the schoolboys and believably transformed his character from an authority heeding model student to a boundary pushing risk taker.  Unfortunately, Leonard’s character Neil could not successfully “seize the day” and stand up to his father.  To escape his situation, Neil commits suicide, a scene which Leonard plays out with the best hints of sympathy and desperation.

            Dead Poets Society challenges its audience to go against the grain and think for themselves.  The symbol of red throughout the film signified the boys’ acts of rebellion and attempts at seizing the days.  Although not all of them came to a complete understanding of carpe diem, they learned in the end how to stand for what they know is truth.  Robin Williams and Robert Sean Leonard were brilliant actors who strengthened the film to make it both witty and deep.  Choosing one’s own path in life may be a daunting task, but an action that is necessary for a positive existence.