Film Night: The History Boys
Oct. 18th, 2006 11:45 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
erastesI was enchanted with this film, completely enchanted. This is the sort of film that the English do rarely enough, God knows with our obsession for trying to show the world that all English are either gangsters or weak chinned upper class nit-wits. Or rather, to be fair, this is the sort of film that rarely makes it to general release.
I hadn't heard of the play, and other than "it's about a group of history students" I had no idea what to expect. It was Kerry's choice, and the last thing I would have thought she would choose, but there was literally nothing else on that wouldn't have caused projectile vomiting.
But it was amazing. It was the original theatre cast (Richard Griffiths, Frances De La Tour (Madam Maxime) Stephen Campbell Moore) and imagine my amazement for me to find out that it was mostly about homosexuality. Well - actually, it WASN'T, it was about mind expansion, and education and differing styles and masks and lies and communication and pederasty...
Well. wow.
Basic premise: A group of working class boys at a pretty ordinary grammar school get great results in their history A Levels. They are encouraged to apply for places/scholarships at Oxbridge by the Head. Boys have been taught by Griffiths who encourages freedom of expression, teaches them poetry, literature, classic films, french, and general anarchy and is much loved by the class. Also taught by De La Tour who has taught "non-gender specific history" as she says that "women in history are found following behind with a bucket" The head employs Stephen Campbell Moore who is brought on board to teach the boys how to pass their exam, and the conflicts that ensue make an interesting theme, but are no means the main theme of the film. Add one boy who is struggling with his sexuality, a handsome boy who is the object of his affections, a Catholic, a Muslim, a sportman - sprinkle in some Auden, some Hardy, philosophical discussions on the dissolution of the monasteries, the holocaust....
As one review I read today said: "It's astounding how MUCH ground Bennett covers" and this is true. There are so many themes here, and yet it's not at all confusing or disjointed, nor does it detract from the characterisation.
Performances by the adults are stellar as you would expect with the script given and the wealth of talent in their employ. However the performances given by the "boys" are just as polished, professional and classy as anything the adults can give. Plus the boys seem to act as a unit - there is no peer intolerance, these are boys all with a single aim and they operate well together.
The scene at the end will tear you apart. I guarantee it.
The only thing I have to complain about is that the film was too short. The film was 109 minutes and yet the play was 180 mins. I dearly wish to see the play now, although it's not playing, certainly not with THAT stellar cast. The thing is that there's a scene at the end where one student is berating Stephen Campbell Moore by saying something like "how is it your teaching is full of fire and passion but your life is so cautious?" And that speech doesn't really work for me, because - although we see quite a lot of Griffiths' style of teaching - we don't see very much of Stephen Campbell Moore - and I really would have liked to have seen more - I'm sure that the play would have shown it.
I admit it, I've stayed away from Bennett like he was diseased, and I don't know why, perhaps it's just his persona, but I will now admit that I'm a fan. If I can ever write one fraction as well as this, I can die happy.
Rating: Highly Recommended.
I hadn't heard of the play, and other than "it's about a group of history students" I had no idea what to expect. It was Kerry's choice, and the last thing I would have thought she would choose, but there was literally nothing else on that wouldn't have caused projectile vomiting.
But it was amazing. It was the original theatre cast (Richard Griffiths, Frances De La Tour (Madam Maxime) Stephen Campbell Moore) and imagine my amazement for me to find out that it was mostly about homosexuality. Well - actually, it WASN'T, it was about mind expansion, and education and differing styles and masks and lies and communication and pederasty...
Well. wow.
Basic premise: A group of working class boys at a pretty ordinary grammar school get great results in their history A Levels. They are encouraged to apply for places/scholarships at Oxbridge by the Head. Boys have been taught by Griffiths who encourages freedom of expression, teaches them poetry, literature, classic films, french, and general anarchy and is much loved by the class. Also taught by De La Tour who has taught "non-gender specific history" as she says that "women in history are found following behind with a bucket" The head employs Stephen Campbell Moore who is brought on board to teach the boys how to pass their exam, and the conflicts that ensue make an interesting theme, but are no means the main theme of the film. Add one boy who is struggling with his sexuality, a handsome boy who is the object of his affections, a Catholic, a Muslim, a sportman - sprinkle in some Auden, some Hardy, philosophical discussions on the dissolution of the monasteries, the holocaust....
As one review I read today said: "It's astounding how MUCH ground Bennett covers" and this is true. There are so many themes here, and yet it's not at all confusing or disjointed, nor does it detract from the characterisation.
Performances by the adults are stellar as you would expect with the script given and the wealth of talent in their employ. However the performances given by the "boys" are just as polished, professional and classy as anything the adults can give. Plus the boys seem to act as a unit - there is no peer intolerance, these are boys all with a single aim and they operate well together.
The scene at the end will tear you apart. I guarantee it.
The only thing I have to complain about is that the film was too short. The film was 109 minutes and yet the play was 180 mins. I dearly wish to see the play now, although it's not playing, certainly not with THAT stellar cast. The thing is that there's a scene at the end where one student is berating Stephen Campbell Moore by saying something like "how is it your teaching is full of fire and passion but your life is so cautious?" And that speech doesn't really work for me, because - although we see quite a lot of Griffiths' style of teaching - we don't see very much of Stephen Campbell Moore - and I really would have liked to have seen more - I'm sure that the play would have shown it.
I admit it, I've stayed away from Bennett like he was diseased, and I don't know why, perhaps it's just his persona, but I will now admit that I'm a fan. If I can ever write one fraction as well as this, I can die happy.
Rating: Highly Recommended.
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