‘Dead Poet Society’ is essentially a film that explores the theme of conformity.
Conformity is the central and overpowering theme in the movie ‘Dead Poet Society’. The film highlights how the school requires conformity from its students, while Mr. Keating’s unconventional teaching style challenges conformity. Additionally, the movie depicts various consequences of conformity, further solidifying its status as the main theme.
At Welton Academy, conformity is demanded from its students. The camera focuses on a group of serious and disciplined young boys as they recite the four pillars, filling the screen with their faces. This close up subtly emphasizes their uniformity in both words and appearance. The school’s insistence on conformity is further demonstrated when the headmaster coerces the students into signing a statement. The camera zooms in on the statement and then pans down to show the students’ signatures. This simple scene strongly conveys a sense of conformity, as both the headmaster and Todd’s parents expect obedience and conformity from the boys, just like the others. These actions effectively enforce conformity within the school, highlighting it as a key theme in ‘Dead Poet Society’.
Mr Keating’s unorthodox teaching approach disrupts conformity. The overhead shot in the hallway captures both Mr Keating and his students, creating an equalizing effect. In contrast, other teachers are often portrayed with tracking or low angle shots to convey their superiority. This high angle shot is distinct as it features both the teacher and students together, emphasizing their shared experiences. Moreover, the final scene arrangement sets Mr Keating apart from other teachers: he stands behind the students, observing them instead of addressing them from the front of the classroom. These distinctive elements showcase Mr Keating’s unconventional teaching style, particularly his emphasis on challenging conformity, unlike other teachers.
The film ‘Dead Poet Society’ examines the consequences of conformity or nonconformity. Neil’s suicide scene invokes a sense of déjà vu, as viewers feel helpless and unable to prevent Neil from taking his own life. Throughout the movie, Neil gradually loses control over his own life until he has none left. The mounting pressure to conform weighs heavily on Neil, eventually leading him to choose suicide. In the final scene, there is another representation of conformity portrayed through a low angle shot of Tod standing on his desk. This shot generates admiration and pride for Tod, which is further intensified by the uplifting music accompanying it.
Instead of experiencing a detrimental outcome like Neil’s suicide, the conformism that Todd resists brings about a positive result: an increase in his self-assurance. Both boys confront a conformity that overpowers them, and just like all actions, their acts of rebellion against conformity lead to consequences.
To summarize, the predominant theme in ‘Dead Poet Society’ is conformity. The pressure from the school to conform, Mr Keating’s unconventional teaching methods that defy conformity, and the repercussions of defying conformity are the primary aspects that make ‘Dead Poet Society’ predominantly focused on this theme.
