Dead Poets Society

Peter Weir, the director of Dead Poets Society, does a wondrous job of portraying that sort of old fashioned stern education at Welton School for boys. The opening scene of the play guides us to understand some of the overall feelings of campus. The picture of the wall, taking up the entire wall, represents the many young boys that have passed through the school. The young boy standing in front of it symbolizes the continuous tradition remaining in the school. After the opening scene there is only a candle of the screen and it is sure to release any thought of playful ambition by any of the staff or students at Welton.  As they are walking in to the main church like room the boys seem kind of rehearsed and act as if they do not want to be there. The bagpipe being played immediately takes you back to an earlier time. The setting seems to make more sense when you hear this music. As the students continue to walk down into the basement like long narrow room you begin to notice the lack of sunlight caused by the stain glass windows in the room. The head master begins talking and previous theories of the students feelings change when you see one boy light up when his candle is lit. The students prove true commitment when they are asked to recite the four pillars. All boys in the room stand and in synchronized tone recited Christian, Honor, Discipline, and Excellence.  When they introduce the new English professor he seems kind of bothered by something but it is not yet explained in the movie.  After a change in scene occurs you come to realize the period in time which the movie is taking place. All the people moving around in the same space suggest a sort of college-like campus to the school. The archaic cars and out-of-date clothing shows this movie is more in the past than the present. As the students are leaving the hall you begin to notice the parents have a more harshly portrayed attitude about the school than the kids; almost as if they are forcing the boys to go there.  As the scene goes on you see different boys’ approaches about the school as they show lachrymose feelings of staying.