Dead Poets Society Movie Review

In Dead Poets Society, Education is one of the most valuable things a person can receive, some would say a good education is a golden ticket to success. Specifically, at Welton Academy, a strict curriculum is enforced on the boys to create successful men, but a new English teacher, John Keating, challenges that. He considers the boys should have the ability to think for themselves, and the existing methods at Welton prevent them from achieving their full potential. Explicitly, Neil Perry was inspired by Mr. Keating. He encouraged Neil to chase after one of his passions that he has longed to partake in. Although once Neil does, his father disapproves leading to his tragic suicide. Of course, Mr. Keating is blamed for influencing Neil to commit such an act. Although it is quite obvious that Keating had no involvement with the events leading to the suicide, he was the only adult who supported Neil and made him feel as if he could chase his passions.

At the beginning of the movie, Neil’s father is controlling and condescending. He decides his son should be involved in no extracurricular activities. This idea allowed Neil to only focus on his studies, but its overall lead to his rebellion and unhappiness. The audience gets its first glimpse of move-in day. Neil and his father are unpacking when his father abruptly says, “I think that you're taking too many extracurricular activities this semester, and I've decided that you should drop the school annual” (Dead Poets Society). Hurt, Neil replies, “But Father, I can't. It wouldn't be fair” (Dead Poets Society). This was the first time the audience is shown the relationship between Mr. Perry and his son. Neil has no say over what he does, as his father also plans for Neil to become a doctor without the consent of his son. 

John Keating not only strived for students to have individuality, but he influenced Neil to follow his passion for acting. When Neil finds a casting for a play at Henley Hall, he seizes the moment to follow his lifelong dream. On the night of the play, his father confronts Neil and banishes him from acting. Upset, he goes to talk to Mr. Keating stating, “I just talked to my father. He's making me quit the play at Henley Hall. Acting's everything to me” (Dead Poets Society). At this moment, Neil is visibly upset about quitting the play. He’s desperate and in despair and he feels as if no one supports his dream of acting. As Neil expresses he has never shared his dream of acting with his father, Keating responds with, “You are not an indentured servant. If it's not a whim for you, you prove it to him by your conviction and your passion” (Dead Poets Society). His response is significant because, it is at this moment, Keating is showing his support, and that is something Neil Perry has never received.

Despite what Neil’s father says, he still participates in the play, which led to his father being disappointed. Once the show came to an end, Neil walked out to take a bow, and everyone gave him recognition for a job well done. His father, on the other hand, stood in the back with a dissatisfied look on his face. He forces his son to come home where they would converse on the matter. His father states, “Tomorrow I'm withdrawing you from Welton and enrolling you in Braden Military School. You're going to Harvard and you're gonna be a doctor” (Dead Poets Society). Neil, obviously upset, replies with, “I’ve got to tell you how I fell” (Dead Poets Society).  His father states, “Is it more of this, this acting business? Because you can forget that” (Dead Poets Society). Neil then loses hope and retreats to his helpless state of mind, accepting that his passion has no meaning to his father. This thought was the tipping point for Neil Perry. This discussion with his father makes it obvious to the audience that he had no right to his future. This led to Neil killing himself because he knew he would never be allowed to follow his passion, and that he would never make his father proud.

Mr. Keating was blamed for Neil Perry’s death, but he only encouraged Neil to chase his passion for acting. He was the only adult who fully supported Neil and told him he had every right to decide his future despite his father. Once his father found out Neil was acting, he was forced to quit but he disobeyed to follow his passion. Of course, his father was disappointed.

He didn’t realize his son’s happiness was more important than what he wanted for him, which led to Neil’s tragic suicide. Keating was blamed for influencing Neil, but it was the last conversation Neil had with his father that decided his fate. Keating only showed sympathy and support to Neil, he never had any influence on Neil Perry’s death. If anything, Keating was the only glimpse of hope he had.