Dead Poet’s Society

Purpose What is the purpose of the film? How does the director want the audience to respond?

Plot Briefly describe the plot of the film. What are the characters motivated by? How does it end? Is it satisfying? Do they achieve their goals? What conclusions do you draw about the meaning of the film from this observation?

Setting Where is the film set? When is the film set? Why has the director chosen this setting?

Narrative Structure Which character(s) does the story focus on? What is the effect of this? Explain the cause-effect structure used in the film. What message is conveyed through this relationship?

Conflict What are the conflicts central to the film? What causes the conflict? How are we positioned to feel about the conflicts? What meaning is conveyed through this technique?

Characterisation Describe the character groupings in the film. How is each group depicted? What techniques are used to create this image? What is the effect of this? How do the characters change? Is this significant?

Symbolism What meaning is inherent in the following symbols: – Birds – Bagpipes – Bells – The barbaric YAWP – Poetry

Film Techniques Explain the use of the following film techniques. Refer to a specific example to support your analysis. – Camera angles – Cut shots and sequencing – Lighting – Music

Key Scenes What are the key scenes in the film? Complete a close study of these scenes, analysing how ideas about conformity are conveyed through the use of narrative and film techniques: