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PHINMA-University of Pangasinan
College of Social Sciences
Education Department

A Film Analysis
On
Dead Mans Society
And
Dangerous Minds
Submitted to:
Ms. Cherry Calaunan
Submitted by:
Dianne Jules Viernes

Synopsis
Dead Poets Society
Todd Anderson, a timid teenager, was sent to Welton Academy where his older brother earned
the highest honor and now he as well is expected to do well by his parents so that hell became a
lawyer but he wants to be writer only that he dont have the courage to tell them. Todd meets Neil
Perry who is a big man on their campus that eventually becomes his roommate.

Their first day of classes was merely traditional but when they attended English class with
their new instructor, Mr. Keating, who was a graduate of Welton Academy years ago, they perceived
it as weird in a good day. He was the only teacher who is practicing outdoor activities and
encourages the students to do things they love to do as he told them Carpe Diem. In the next
meeting he taught them traditionally and let Neil read the preface of their book. After that he
instruct the students to rip off the preface in their book and told them that in his class they will
learn to think for themselves. He later asks the students to stand in their desk to remind them that
they should view the world in a different way.
Knox Overstreet was asked to attend dinner at the house of the Danburry as he arrived he
was struck to a girl, Chris, who opened the door for him. Unfortunately, he later found out that his
boyfriend was Chet but this didnt hinder him to look forward on dating her. The next day Neil finds
the Welton yearbook of Mr. Keating and saw that Dead Poets Society was one of his activities, he
then asks him if what was this all about. Mr. Keating told them that it was a secret club and they
would go in a cave one mile from their school to held their meetings and read verses of poems.
With that Neil got an idea to once again start the Dead Poets Society whom includes Knox
Overstreet, Charlie Dalton, Richard Cameron, Steven Meeks, Gerard Pitts, and Todd Anderson.
Neil tried out in the play A Midsummer Nights Dream though he knew that his father would
be furious and he luckily got in. Chris invited Knox to go at her party. In her party Knox tried to
seize the day by kissing her but he has been beaten up by Chris boyfriend, Chet and was warned
to stay away from Christine.
Charlie brought some girls to the Dead Poets Society meeting and he also writes an article
about Welton Academy welcoming girls as a student and uses Dead Poets Society as the writer of
the article. Mr. Nolan called a meeting for all the students to say that whoever has wrote the article
should tell the truth now. Dalton then foolishly told the truth. After finding out that Neil will be
acting in a play his father went to his school and scolded on what he did and orders him to quit the
play but he still chose to act in the play. Christine went to Welton Academy to talk to Knox for him
to stay away from him already but Knox requests that if she would go with him to watch play he will
let go of Christine already so she agreed.
At their house Mr. Perry tells Neil that would transfer him to a Military school to prepare him
for his career in medicine after he saw him in the play. Unable to cope up with the pressure his
father is giving him, Neil commits suicide by shooting himself.
The boys were informed regarding Neils suicide so Cameron decided to tell Mr.Nolan all about
Dead Poets Society. Because of this Mr.Nolan calls the boys inside his office to unwillingly sign the
documents blaming Mr.Keating about the suicide. As a result, Mr.keating was fired from the school
without getting any salary and recommendations to other schools he can teach. Mr Nolan
substituted Mr. Keating in his class.

Mr. Keating was about to leave the room after getting his personal things when Todd
confidently shouts O Captain, My Captain while standing on his desk. Mr. Nolan warns Todd to sit
down, but then all of the members of the Dead Poets Society and other students stand on their
desk to honor Mr. Keating on what he imparted them. Mr. Keating looking at them was ecstatic
knowing that he did something well on teaching the boys and says Thank You boys, Thank You.

Dangerous Minds
Ms. Johnson is a newly retired U.S marine and tries to apply at Parkmont High School as a
teacher. Surprisingly she was offered immediately a full time job as a teacher since the school was
in need of it because the previous teacher left. Not knowing how the students behavior is she
ecstatically attends her class the next day. Unfortunately, the students she is about to handle are
gangsters and bleak teenagers coming from a disadvantage family background that refuses to
engage in learning. The students ignored her presence until she asked what happened to the
previous teacher and the students started calling her white bread and threatened her that shell
end up like their previous teacher. That night she read books about assertive discipline and enters
the class to teach karate that caught their but not too long because after that she tried to teach the
curriculum. Eager to reach the students she gave classroom exercises that have the same
principles to as the curriculum but in a way that the activities are appealing to the kind of students
Ms. Johnson has. She also motivated them by giving them a grade of A and what they will do is to
only maintain it.
In order for her to teach poetry, Ms. Johnson first gave them the song of Bob Dylans Mr.
Tambourine Man to teach them how to identify symbols, metaphors, and imagery. After they
achieved doing it she shifted the topic on Dylan Thomas Do not go gentle into that good night
which is very effective for them because they analyzed the poetic piece very well. To all the more
motivate them in participating to the class discussion she gives them good incentives like candy
bars, a trip to the amusement park and a dinner date at a fine dining restaurant. Her way of
teaching them caught the attention of the school administration so they insisted her to follow the
curriculum given to her.
Not only she was a big help on their academics but also she was also into helping them to
their personal issues. She saw some potential on Callie in English but halfway the semester she was
ask to withdraw from school just because she is pregnant. Ms. Johnson talked to the administration
of the school and to find out that this rule was only set by them and not by the education
department. She went to Callies house to her about this for her to still stay on the school but
unfortunately she was decided already to move out. Raul was also one of her students who excels
in the classroom but is still involve in gang fights and crimes. To show how much she cares for his
learning Ms. Johnson took a visit at his house informing his parents on the things he is doing well

I.

like getting an A in her class. She also helped him pay his debt as they went out for dinner and as a
way to repay her Raul must graduate and this has been a motivation for him to finish his studies.
Emilio was the most troublesome in her class and at first she finds it hard for her to help him
because he insists to get any help from anybody. When his Emilios girlfriend told Ms. Johnson that
someone wants to kill Emilio she protected him by letting him stay at his house that night. Ms.
Johnson gave an advice to Emilio that if he would tell the principal about this he will be saved. That
morning Emilio went to the principal office but was not entertained just because he didnt knock at
his door. Later on, they found out that he was dead already.
Ms. Johnson pondered some realization so she announces to the class that next school year
she wont be teaching them anymore. This was heartbreaking for the students because no teacher
had never been that good to believe in their capabilities. They tried so hard to convince her to stay
Callie even went back to school for her to persuade her. At the end she still choose to leave but
they were sure enough that shed come back.

Reaction
Dead Poets Society
The first thing that I noticed is that notion that Academics matter more than Extracurricular.
This has been a mindset of others but extracurricular activities are just as important as academics.
Extracurricular activities allows us to get hands-on experiences in the field that we are taking, not
only that but also we get the chance to meet people different people that will somehow impart
something to us. Nowadays interacting with others matter most because they have the ability to
communicate well, which is needed in every profession.
Parents forcing their child to take up something they dont want. Passion is not present within
the student that is why they dont excel on the field they are taking up. The passion we have or
dont have for our field should not be underestimated. This ingredient could make the biggest
difference of all in your profession. As what Rancho of Three Idiots said, Put your PASSION into
PROFESSION
The students and also the parents practice fragrances to teachers. This is very common to us
that we see this as a very useful tool in getting high grades, in getting out of trouble when we do so
and an escape to punishment that is given.
Now in my class you will learn to think for yourselves a statement given by Mr. Keating. As
what Ive learned in our Principles of Teaching 1, you should let your students think critically they
are not vessels that the teacher needs to fill up. Teachers should not only let them memorize what
definition the book has provided instead let them analyze the concept that it conveys. Up to now
we end up being like this having verbatim discussion of teachers. With this we letting students be

independent to the teachers treating them as the sole source of knowledge. They are not challenge
to think thoroughly on the lesson they are tackling.
Dont confine the learning of the students in the four corners of the classroom. This is what I
observed in the movie. Mr. Keating gave them outdoor activities that but still dont forget to insert
their topic for that day. The even skipped lessons on the book because he focuses on what is
needed to learn by the students. In order to provide on what the students need to acquire.
Their headmaster forcing to sign the papers blaming Mr. Keating the suicide conveys that
authority manipulates situations. This is rampant among us not only in the education context but
also in our government. This is done to favor their part and not for the society itself. Position is
abuse to those who are less powerful; they do things that only benefit themselves and not his
people.
Although good facilities are given to students but have dull teachers it would still not be a good
learning environment for them. The teacher is the one facilitating and should be imparting much to
the students. Theres no use of having good equipment in school if the teacher dont provide what
is right for the students.
The diversity of the students are well used for them unite like the friendship of the DPS
members. One of them is smart, shy, ambitious, and very determined. If the weakness of the other
is their strength they help him to overcome his weakness either in school or personal problems.
You can see that they are attending classes because they are obliged to and not because they
want to acquire knowledge. At first the students didnt accept the kind of pedagogies that Mr.
Keating is offering them because they were trained in the traditional way. Later on they were open
to this and were awaken by what they are supposed to be learning.

Dangerous Minds
The first thing I noticed is that how come they are hiring teachers who are not in line with
the profession. Thats one thing we must consider because those who are in the business of
education undergone trainings and seminars about the said field. They are the ones who studied to
be an expertise in their field. They are the more knowledgeable person on teaching students. Its
not an excuse that they need an urgent hiring for teachers but good thing Ms. Johnson was different
eventhough she wasnt a teacher by profession.
Mr. Griffith even smokes during his class and this is not a way to engage the students in
participating. They give a bad image to the students that having vices is good since the teacher is
doing. As the authority inside the classroom they should earn the respect of the students. They
should make a good reputation among themselves and be the source of wrong doings of the
students.

II.

In one part of the movie, Mr. Griffith was in joy giving X marks on the students papers.
This is a picture of numerous teachers in our country. They are in joy having students that failed to
do or meet their standards. What they dont do is reflect their selves what is wrong in the strategy
that they are using as a result of having a failing student. We always blame this to the students
performance and not what have the teacher should be providing them in order to not only pass the
subject but have an understanding on what the subject is all about.
The shocking part in this movie is that Ms. Johnson who is not a teacher by profession is
more effective compare to Mr. Griffith who graduated as a teacher. We cant say that just because a
person is a licensed teacher he/she is already an effective teacher. So anyone can teach effectively
as long as they have the heart for the students to learn something. That is why Ms. Johnson was
effective knowing that the students she handled are worst than that of Mr. Griffith because she had
something that Mr. Griffith didnt have, passion in teaching and caring for them. She saw the other
side of teaching, CHANGING LIVES.
The pedagogies given by Ms. Johnson were indeed effective because she was the one
who adjust for the students to have the eagerness to learn. She gave them rewards during
discussions so that they will participate in the lesson. Motivation to the class is what she magnified
in order to divert their attention in analyzing the poetry given to them on that. This was very
effective to them and hidden potentials were tap and discovered by her.
A teacher is not just for the classroom setting but also outside the school. She didnt just
merely teach them academically but also core values in solving their personal problems. Giving
them a different view on how they should see things as they are that their status in the community
doesnt state their capability to learn. Their role as teachers is no joke because some of the
students dont have families and the teacher would be considered as one of the family. So being a
teacher is not just in the school but also outside.
The school lack equipment on providing knowledge to the students. The scene on the
movie was they dont have any xerox machine that should generate copies of the poems they will
tackle for that day. Good thing that this didnt hindered Ms. Johnson on giving the lesson to the.
This shows that a teacher gives sacrifices to their students. They might not see it through their
naked eyes still a teacher do this in order for them to have the opportunity to acquire something
new.

Conclusion

As a future educator I will be facing different kinds of students, different school authorities,

and different schools as well. These two movies gave me an eye opening that teaching is
something that is difficult to do if you have the passion to give what is rightful for them. We know
what is wrong already in the teaching industry now and cited what is lacking so the only thing to do

now is make a solution to these. Just what have the teachers in this two movie have done. They
gave them pedagogies that would make them interested in learning that studying is not equated to
STUDY + DYING. Give the opportunity to discover things for themselves, find an answer to the
problem given, give their notion about the topic and not give them the traditional way,
SPOONFEEDING. These movies were created in the year of 1989 and 1995, the need of the learners
now is more gigantic than before. Their advocacy was to end traditional way of teaching but up to
now it is still practiced. Few among our teachers who are enlightened with what they should offer to
students, the saddest thing is that the best teachers that our country produced choose to serve
other country. What is left with us? The teachers who only thinks that teaching is a job that theyre
oath to do it and not a privilege on being a catalyst of change.
The problems we are to face are worst than what are stated in the movie. In our hands lie
many lives that will be entrusted to us. Right now we should already that perspective of being a
solution to the problem and not be part of the rotten administration in our society that hinders the
students to learn was due for them to acquire. The training we have now is actually not for the
teachers to get paid for their job, for us to passed our subjects and earn a degree but of the welfare
of the students that we are about to handle few years from now.