Gravity - After Thoughts

Myself and Ady decided to have an after thoughts chat last thursday.

Gravity - The Discussion

Just posting last nights discussion on the movie Gravity. I will be posting my after thoughts within the next few days. As you might be aware Ady Sheerer is now part of the team and since she was unable to join the call until much later I have decided to have a private conversation with her and her thoughts on the movie. This will be included later this week as an extra discussion.

Anyway let me know what your thoughts were and thanks for listening.

Introducing the next show ~ Gravity

We shall be exploring the movie Gravity in our next show. This will now take place on 15 Nov 2014 at the same time of 8 pm (UTC/GMT).  You can watch the film on Youtube from the following link for £7.99 (UK), in case you need too. Gravity << (pay for link)

Here is an extended trailer to wet your appetite. This next show is going to be a blinder I think. :)

If you wish to participate in the call then you will need to join this Google+ community group, so I can add you to the Hangout list. There will also be a livestream avaiable on Youtube too. This will be for those that prefer to just listen, rather than participate. The community group will provide you the details of either option, as I publish the broadcast.

Dead Poet's Society

Podcast (via Google Drive)

Well, what an interesting film to discuss for our first show. At first I was struck by how dated the film had become. I probably last watched this film back in 1995, so no surprises there I guess. But in all fairness this  was rather inconsequential, as the film is still quite rich in metaphor all the same. I will give you a brief outline of my own thoughts on the movie, but the real 'meat and veg' so to speak lies within the podcast above. We had an excellent band of callers that provided some great insights.

Carpe Diem

Ah yes, 'Carpe diem', Seize the day. Probably the most enduring mantra of the film. An ode to critical thinking and living a life of self expression. How does the film fare in regard to this theme?

Certainly Keating (Robin Williams) gets off to a swinging start with his nonchalant whistling as he enters the class for the first time which raises the curiosity of the boys. His rather eccentric disparity of normal schooling practices are in full display as he takes the boys into the hallway of the school to show them the pictures of past, but long since dead students. There is a very palpable moment of realising ones own mortality within this scene, which is why in my opinion it's Williams greatest scene in the whole movie. Carpe diem becomes more than just a fancy expression, but rather an urgent call to attend to ones personal life. By this point Keating finally captures the attention and respect of his class and indeed the audience too.

So what are the tools that Keating uses to inspire the boys to seize the day with and what are the hindrances that face them.

Poetry

Keating is of course an English teacher, so his preferred tool for  enlightenment and a life worth living is poetry. Certainly there are some great moments of poetry, such as Todd’s (Ethan Hawke) first classroom recital and Charlie’s (later preferring to be called Nuwanda, Gale Hansen) rather irreverent poem he recites in the Dead Poets Society cave. Certainly these boys come to life and are seemingly inspired to take life by the horns.

School

As you know the whole story is set within a boarding school. A school that has a history of highly successful students. The school motto of tradition, honour, discipline and excellence is later replaced by the boy’s interpretation of travesty, excrement, decadence and horror. It’s a telling indictment to an institution that couldn't be any further removed from values of the Dead Poets Society. School becomes a stifling environment for self expression.

Parenting

Some of the worst examples of parenting are on display throughout this movie. It’s interesting how so little has been mentioned of this in any of the major reviews of the film. The expectations and opposition to their sons self expression are all to vividly clear by all the parents we meet. The sense that these children are indeed prisoners to their parents unmet needs and desires is I think the most poignant part of this whole story. Not least, but including the collusion of the school in this regard.

This is made abundantly clear by Neil’s (Robert Sean Leonard) father (Kurtwood Smith) who routinely removes him from his interests that he believes will distract him from his academic work. This parenting leads directly to Neil’s eventual suicide of course.

Philosophy

So how does the film fare in terms of philosophy. Well, as a friend said to me, ‘it’s about poetry right?’. Whilst poetry can indeed be liberating and a way to self examine. It can also be way to self erase. Knox’s character (Josh Charles) does this in full display by falling in love with Chris (Alexandra Powers) the moment he sees her. The claim here that her beauty trumps any kind of knowledge about her person hood or virtues. Indeed she even says, 'you don't even know me'.

For me and some of the callers disagreed with me on this. But as far as my lasting impression of the theme ‘carpe diem’,  was that self expression brought about a whole world of pain for those that engaged in it. From being beaten up, corporal punishment, expulsion and even suicide. Conformity and obedience eventually seized the day. This was no more better described than by Meek’s betrayal of Keating after Neil’s suicide.

Since I have ended with perhaps a negative view of the film. It only really failed by philosophy's standards, which doesn't make it a failure as a story. This story could be recited year after year, school child after school child. It should be a wake up call to all parents that treat their children as devices for their own unmet needs. I don’t blame Meek’s for betraying Keating, he did what was most expedient for him. That would protect him from the harsh punishments of those that controlled his life.

Introducing the first show

Welcome to the Philosophy Film Club Podcast. I will be hosting our first Google Hangout on the Saturday 18 October 2014 at 21:00. Whereby we shall be discussing the movie starring the late Robin Williams, 'Dead Poets Society'. Probably one of Williams most stellar performances with lots of interesting sub text for us philosophers to get our teeth into.

I will be adding content here once the film has been reviewed and the podcast published.

If you wish to participate in the call then you will need to join this Google+ community group, so I can add you to the Hangout list.