Dead Poets Society

The schoolmen were schoolboys fist, Stephen said superpolitely. Aristotle was once Plato’s schoolboy. Previous graduates of Welton Academy go one to teach English Literature, run the school, and eventually pass on and merely occupy a place on the wall. The current students face numerous challenges trying to live up to the expectations of the school, their parents, and the ghosts on the wall.

Occurring in the 1960s, Dead Poets Society accurately captures the clash between generations. Only Mr. McAllister, a self-described realist who teaches biology, seems to understand and appreciate what is happening. Society, the school, the students, and finally Mr. Keating all lose their innocence during the film as the conflict becomes a conflagration.

During a performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Neil Perry is not merely repeating his lines but giving a monologue to his stubborn father, to no avail. At the end of the film, as Mr. Keating leaves, the students who realize that they must stand up to arbitrary rules and follow what they believe to be right are the ones who will make their lives extraordinary. Mr. Keating had taken the fall for the sequence of events but as he leaves the school, he sees the students’ response and understands that he has partially reached his goals.

To me, Dead Poets Society is an excellent film because everything (acting, direction, screenplay, soundtrack, set design, even the overall colour scheme) combines together to create a series of overarching themes and a mood, becoming greater than the sum of its parts. To Catch a Thief, The Shawshank Redemption, The Matrix, and The Graduate are other examples of this synergy.

Irrespective of the fact that key scenes have evolved through pop culture, moving from classic to clichéd it is still enjoyable upon a second viewing. Those two jackanapes in the Cineplex “preview show” (before the trailers) would have ruined the ending anyways.

Maybe I will start next year’s marketing class with something out-of-the-box, like a team-building exercise involving paper airplanes. Or maybe I will only follow the Trigonometry teacher’s approach and deduct one mark off the final grade for every missed homework assignment. “I urge you not to test me on this point.”

Deux films

Deux cinémas

Two films that I watched over the weekend had similar themes. La Nouvelle vie de Monsieur Horten, Norwegian with French subtitles (a past Cannes selection and a future TIFF selection), and Nos 18 ans were good films, developed smoothly (and promptly), and talked about how to set priorities and enjoy life.

La Nouvelle vie de M. Horten, was an intelligent version of The Bucket List. It is a quiet film with moments of absurd humour. Odd Horten is a train conducteur who is forced to retire and doesn’t know what to do with himself. Single and living near the train tracks, Horten had lived a life focused on his job. He has several regrets, such as his fear of ski jumping and a sporadic relationship with an innkeeper on his train route.

Still wearing his railway uniform as he begins his retirement, Horten encounters characters in various stages of their lives. One of the characters, later revealed to be a schizophrenic, tells him that “it’s never too late in life” to do anything.

The film benefited from several subtle performances and an airy soundtrack that suited the film perfectly. On the other hand, the director Bent Hamer used such obvious symbolism it was as if he was breaking rocks with a sledge hammer. It’s very good but moments like when Horten observes the neighbourhood bakery making a wedding cake were like a Dummies Guide to the film.

Nos 18 ans tells the tale of a group of friends who have graduated from high school and must write their Baccalaureate examination. One character Lucas, took the trouble to tell-off his least favourite teacher (Prof. Martineau) before he left school, only to find out that that the teacher would be his examiner for the “bac” and happened to be the father of the girl that he was in love with.

Throughout the film, the friends balance celebrating their graduation with studying for the “bac” and realize how the test is not the alpha and the omega in life. As he tutors Lucas, Prof. Martineau realizes that he has missed some opportunities in life and decides to change his philosophy somewhat. Lucas and his peers all head of in different directions and must realize that they are now adults and fully responsible for their actions.

The film was humourous but also dealt with serious issues. It focused on how young people chose their path in life and how they live with it afterwards. Some of the performances were less than average; it seemed that aside from Prof. Martineau and his ex-wife, there were only two types of characters in the film, depending on the sex of the performer. The ending seemed thrown together as a more detailed conclusion would have wrapped up the film better.

Both films emphasize that work and school aren’t always paramount; it’s paramount to remember Orbital’s philosophy regarding regret. Ski jumping, that extra mille-feuille, the visiting Place de Grand Marché on a whim, an extra folly. Putting friends first and developing a support group. Carpe Diem (encore).

Carpe Diem

Brock University’s C.I.S. Men’s Basketball National Title victory on Sunday - following Acadia’s 82-80 double-overtime defeat of five-time defending champions Carleton in the semi-finals - proved again how anything is possible, in sport and life. Any Canadian team would have won out and claimed the W.P. McGee trophy. In fact, the dark jerseys won seventy percent of games played at the Final 8 Tournament.

The odds finally caught up to the Ravens. At once they faced an intransigent opponent, shot poorly, saw calls go against them, and did not recover every lucky bounce. A team can often overcome one or two critical obstacles but beating a great team while playing poorly is usually unfeasible.

Association media pundits would describe Carleton’s match-up with Acadia as a classic “trap game”, a surprisingly tough challenge to face before the main goal. The Axemen’s natural motivations to win the game were supplemented with a desire to avenge a blowout loss from the 2007 tournament. Even with the most physically talented and mentally tough team, playing at home, the Ravens fell short.

Other squads, those who can’t say that they executed every single aspect of the season to the best of their abilities have no recourse to blame but themselves. A number of teams beat the shocking champion during the regular season but none when it counted. Anyone could have won this past year but to attribute the result to fate is a mistake.

Like the N.C.A.A. Tournament, some teams lamented their exclusion from the Final 8 (some more on the Monday afterwards than before). Some teams learnt the hard way how national rankings are meaningless when not supported by wins at the end of the season. But also like the N.C.A.A. Tournament, no team with a legitimate claim to winning the entire bracket was excluded

Coaches, players, administrators, and supporters should look inward and evaluate whether they succeeded in terms of recruiting, skill development, team defence, rebounding, moving without the ball, perimeter shooting, attacking the basket, and strategies and tactics. Winning at the highest level demands severe commitment and there is always room for improvement (certainly balance is important in life but this blog entry is about self-actualization and personal development). Coaches should be at Humber College’s Lakeshore Campus for the U15 and U17 tryouts this weekend, followed by O.B.A. championships and summer leagues.

2008’s remorse and regret should fuel off-season training and in-season motivation throughout the next year. Carleton will certainly be driven to reclaim what they perceive to be their crown. Shouldn’t all teams share this mindset?