A tribute to freedom
Dead Poets’ Society directed by Peter Weir in 1989 is an incredible movie. In my opinion, it is
really great and since I saw it in one of my English lessons, I have elected it as one of the best films I have ever seen. I’ve always liked old movies, especially the ones you can consider as timeless.
This movie transmits several messages and makes us think about life, and about our own
existences. John Keating, played by the unforgettable Robbie Williams, is the new English
teacher at Welton Academy, and he resorts to unorthodox methods that baffle his students
and worry his fellow teachers. In fact, he teaches his students -and us- a lot more than they
immediately realize at the beginning. He encourages them to fight for their dreams, to pursue their passions and to think for themselves, following what they believed in. That becomes a dangerous thing to do in a very conservative private school where students are meant to be achievers and winners, aiming at becoming doctors, lawyers, all successful careers. One of the main things Keating teaches them is to “seize the day”, carpe diem, as he constantly underlines since our lives are fleeting ad ephemeral in this world. That is something I think everyone should do: live every day of our lives as if it was the last, because we never know what tomorrow may bring. I found it very frightening to think that some day when I’m 80 or 90 years old, looking back on my life, I might feel some kind of regret that I hadn’t accomplished what I wanted to do. I would like to think about my life and be like “wow”. Mr Keating’s advice and lessons inspired me to pursue my passions and reminded me that I should live a life with no regrets. Even If I make mistakes, even if I fail, at least I’ve tried! Oh Captain, my Captain…
Rita Palavra
"Seize the day", carpe diem, Rita. I'm glad you loved this wonderful film which teaches us to pursue our passions regarless of the plans and schemes that others want to impose on us
Há mensagens que ecoam para lá do tempo e continuam a falar-nos ao ouvido. Cada aprendizagem deveria ser uma partilha significativa e gratificante. De vez em quando, quando tal acontece , a Escola é um espaço onde se é Jovem e se ousa questionar. Este filme continua ao longo de diferentes gerações a lembrar-nos a importância do que não está nos manuais. Obrigada pela tua reflexão, Rita.