In a world in which we are reminded everyday of the importance of success, it becomes easy to feel consumed by pressure. We want to impress our parents, make our teachers proud, and live up to the standards for which we hold ourselves, but often this pressure forces us to take action based on what we think we ought to do versus what we actually desire. Our lives become routine, allowing us to forget that each day is an opportunity to achieve something great.
This idea of "Carpe Diem," or seizing the day, is the main tagline of Peter Weir's 1989 film Dead Poets Society. Starring Robin Williams, this film offers countless ideas of how people can and should seek out opportunities that benefit their needs instead of trying to make others happy.
At an all boys prep school bursting with future Ivy Leaguers, Williams plays eccentric English teacher Mr. John Keating, who appears in stark contrast to the rest of the teaching staff. From the first day of school Keating proves that he is not like other teachers. He whistles war tunes and recites poetry and is clearly not afraid to criticize scholarly works with which he does not agree. Where the majority of other classes begin with a boring lecture followed by a lengthy assignment, Keating takes his students outside of the classroom to remind them that they have the power to change the world.
Keating's classes soon become popular, as they become a place where the boys are allowed to explore their individuality and creativity. Keating encourages behavior from his students which is unacceptable in any other classroom. He has them stand on desks, yell verses of poetry at the top of their lungs, and tear pages out of textbooks, all in the attempt to get the students to become comfortable with thinking for themselves. As they develop a habit of this, the boys begin to explore their interests without worrying about parental approval.
In addition to these attempts to seize the day, the boys start up an old club, The Dead Poets Society, which Keating himself was a part of back in high school. The Dead Poets Society meetings, held in secret, allow the boys to recite poetry they find convincing, drink and smoke without fear of being caught, and hang out with girls. As the meetings progress, so do the boys' desire to find and do something meaningful. However, the rest of the staff do not appreciate the free thinkers Keating has created, and begin to enact consequences on both parties.
As the struggle between the school's authority and the students continues, the film forces us to think about the struggle it sometimes takes to be free thinking individuals. The majority of Keating's scenes are convincing in that they make us as viewers want to take control and seize our own lives.
What this film lacks in visual grandeur, it makes up for in dialogue and message, as Keating's prolific lessons instill in the audience not only the desire, but the necessity to find meaning within the world. Dead Poets Society stresses the importance of thinking creatively and not letting the pressures of authority hinder any opportunity to seize the day.
