Dead Poets Society Analysis Essay Example

students of Welton Academy are denied. When compared to the inside of the boarding school, the sceneries outside are shown in more dynamic and vibrant colours and the environment is more spacious.

This epitomises the ready-availability of identity and the lack of constraints to personal freedom. Moreover, in the nearby school where Chris Noel studies, students wear multicoloured clothes and move around freely in the corridors without any teachers, yelling loudly and even, rudely. This image of personal freedom and individuality is clearly depicted while conformity is prevalent in Welton Academy. The contrasting images of the natural environment and the students of the boarding school, who are within the restriction of administration, accentuate the immense influence of conformity in Welton Academy. Therefore, Peter Weir shows the constraints in personal liberty of students in Welton Academy through various kinds of visual techniquesHowever, Peter Weir also uses audio to illustrate this main theme: conformity versus nonconformity. The first music the audience hears, when the movie is introduced, is the traditional sound of bagpipes, emphasising how the school enshrines traditional values, which is sometimes seen as restricting.

When entering the classroom, John Keating whistles 1812 Overture by Tchaikovsky, who was an eminent Russian composer of Romantic era. Furthermore, "Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee" in Beethoven's 9th Symphony is played during the soccer game, in which the students exalt and praise John Keating. However, during other times such as in class rooms and corridors, no music is heard except for the loud boisterous voices of the authoritarian teachers. The lack of music demonstrates the lack of personal freedom during the lessons of other teachers, who are mostly portrayed as

realists, and the presence of music clearly illustrates the presence of independence and individuality during John Keating's lessons. In addition, when the boys are taking part in extra-curricular activities, Rock and Roll music plays, emphasising the sudden freedom the students gain. In 'Dead Poets' Society', Peter Weir uses more than just the cloistered nature of the film to portray the prevalence of conformity in this boarding school.

Nonconformity is also expressed through some particular settings. The Indian cave, located in a very natural surroundings and 'just beyond [a] stream', presents an image of simplicity and primitive. When the boys are in this cave, they are free from restrictions and difficulties forced on them by Welton Academy, and therefore the students are emancipated to get in touch with their inner selves. Even though the cave seems very crowded, which is shown through the close-ups and low lighting, it is a primeval environment where the students can reveal their own inner personalities. This further allows them to express themselves that would never be accepted within the rigid discipline and tradition of the Welton Academy. The eerie atmosphere developed in the film, created by the smoke and the isolation of this dark cave, suggests that these actions of the boys are somehow forbidden.

This also symbolises that this is the start of the fight for personal freedom and individuality, which will challenge the constricting values of Welton Academy, because "it is not too late to seek a new world". Moreover, the images of dark silhouettes hurrying across the landscape at night give an impression of some monks escaping into the nature from a monastery. This clearly illustrates that conformity

is stringently upheld in the boarding school.Peter Weir skilfully establishes the restrictive role of the institution's values through the repeated shots of cloistered environment as well as the constricted composition of the Welton Academy. The contrast between conformity and nonconformity is demonstrated through the vivid images of autumnal scenes and the claustrophobic aura of the boarding school's interior. Thus the movie, "Dead Poets' Society" clearly encapsulates conformity through many audio-visual techniques.