We watch as the pressure Welton forces onto its students finally begins to take its toll. Neil, rosy cheeked and still beaming from the dress rehearsal for his play, bursts into his room to find that sitting at his desk, looking resentful and indignant, is none other than his father. His father berates him for pursuing the arts and leaves the room before Neil has a chance to refute. Neil then goes to Keating, exclaiming “I love acting!” Keating responds by saying, “Prove it to him by your conviction and passion, and if he still doesn’t believe you, then you’ll be out of school and free to do anything you want.” Taking Keating’s advice, Neil goes on to reveal to his father that he has been chosen for the lead in the play and has every intention of performing on opening night (the following evening).
As Neil is delivering the last few lines of the play, his father emerges into the back of the room, stone faced. After the tremendous monsoon of compliments and applause slow to a drizzle, Neil is dragged to his father's home, where he is told that he is being withdrawn from Welton and enrolled in a military boarding school, where he will study to become a doctor.
Eerily calm, Neil waits until his father goes to rest and then sneaks into his bedside table, steals his father’s revolver and commits suicide. The demands of school, family and rigid expectations had finally crushed Neil to the point where the only escape he could envision was death.
The interrogation following Neil’s death results in the expulsion of Mr. Keating, who is stricken with guilt, for he believes the death of his student is his fault. As Keating packs his bags and walks to exit the classroom, Dr. Nolan (who was currently teaching the class) asks the students to turn to the introduction to poetry. One student whispers, “it’s ripped out sir…they’re all ripped out.” Keating smiles, remembering the first day of class. He nears the door, but suddenly Todd Anderson, Neil’s prior roommate, abruptly hops atop his desk, watery-eyed and righteously defiant. “Get down!” Dr. Nolan yells, but the only response he gets is the gentle pattering of feet as half of the classroom rise atop their desks in a silent salute to Keating. “Thank you…thank you.” He whispers, and exits the room.
What a wonderful, albeit heart wrenching, work of art this movie is.
Great specific details!
ReplyDeleteUgh, I always cry at this movie. Especially at the D.P.S. and Mr. Keating's reactions to Neil's death. I agree, the movie was amazing.
ReplyDeleteOne thing: After Mr. Keating and Neil's discussion on talking to his father about being in the play, they talk again and Neil nervously replies about how his father didn't like what he had to say, but would let him be in the play nonetheless. What shocked me a little about this part was that we actually didn't see this important discussion at all, and I feel that maybe- and this is just my opinion/perspective- the film was implying that they really DIDN'T have the conversation that Mr. Keating had suggested! It would explain why Neil's father was so upset later on, and the conversation that leads Neil to his suicide. :P Just a thought.