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Education is a fundamental element in the upbringing of people. Since ancient times, "going to school" has been something that had to be earned, something that was not guaranteed and still isn't in many parts of the globe. However, it happens that meeting a well-prepared and kind teacher (Kevin Kline) can capture the attention of students, who have traditionally been skeptical of school. The arrival of an aristocratic boy named Sedgewick Bell (a young Hemile Hirsch) will disrupt the entire class. But a good teacher is especially seen in shaping character and will succeed in the difficult task of "straightening out" Sedgewick, who in turn will disappoint him...
The Emperor's Club, directed by Michael Hoffman, was released in cinemas in 2002 with the label of "a poor copy of Dead Poets Society." Nothing could be more wrong. Although the similarities between the two films are undoubtedly evident, Hoffman's film resembles much more, in themes and atmosphere, to Scent of a Woman by Brest. In fact, this film also presents a not-so-veiled criticism of American politics, which no longer manages to instill in new generations those moral and ethical values that would make them "leaders." The ruling class is put to task in the figure of Bell's father, played by Harris Yulin. The themes are interesting, current, and in many ways close to the majority of the population, increasingly disillusioned with politics, which gradually destroys schooling in its entirety...
What is not entirely convincing are those expressions that fail to make the screenplay an "act of denunciation" and end up becoming a sterile attempt at criticism. The second part of the film does not hold up to the first. If in the first part we are faced with the student/teacher relationship, with its various difficulties, misunderstandings, and joys, the second loses effectiveness in the arduous attempt to sustain the tangle of feelings it brings with it.
The film ends cyclically, closing the flashback that opens at the beginning and leaves us with a bitter taste. Without a doubt, the subjects addressed, despite the lack of originality, could have been developed better by exploring the reality of relationships between the teacher and students. However, the director chose to steer the film towards a "sentimental goodness" that offers nothing to the viewer. It's a pity because The Emperor's Club starts well, with a good pace, a beautiful soundtrack (James Newton Howard is a guarantee) and ends up losing part of its brilliance in the second part.
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