The Emperor's Club (Widescreen Edition)

At first I wasnt sure whether or not I was watching an attempt to copy the Dead poets Society or Good Bye Mr. Chips. It had some familiarity with both films at first.. However, there is a feature to this movie which has the viewer question his/her values towards morality and ethics. The major theme appears to be that at some point in our lives we choose our path towards attaining the highest level of morality life allows us. This film also attempts successfully how we measure whether we are or have attained these goals. There are several incidents in the film which challenge our protagonist (Kline) to which path has he taken to achieve his high standards. He is even challenged to decide whether one can make exceptions along their lifes path.We are asked to look at ourselves and see if we are willing to make allowances in our personal goals. If faced with the same situation again are we willing to make that same exception to the high standard we set for ourself. Will we be able to look back and ask ourselves whether or not we achieved a life worthy of this high level of morality. And if so was it worth it in retospect.A student of our protagonist shows disatisfaction with the high roads in life and points out "what has your values gotten you". "You have nothing". But what scale is he measuring ones own personal values. Lying and cheating is not only acceptable to this student from his past but has rewards built in. Our teacher feels he has failed this young man and has cheated others along the way. Its obvious who the better person is but that each of us has this dichotomy .Is it a matter of degrees that challenge our own scale of morality? How far is acceptable without feeling guilty about crossing the line of moralality.In fact we are presented with a situation in which a line is crossed for what is believed the right reasons.Is that possible? These are not themes examined in "Chips" or Dead Poets" . It is a unique film in that respect . A plus. Besides pure entertainment we are given a chance to examine our own values. Another plus. Kevin Kline gives a great performance as usual. A third plus. And my favorite scene is the taking a negative shot at the world of politics. A big fourth plus. Four stars for an interesting film.

The movie starts out with a teacher asking his students if any of them have ever heard of King NaShuktu, and none of the students have. The teacher responds, telling the students that the reason that no one has ever heard of King NaShuktu is because he never "contributed." Then, the teacher spends a year glorifying the Roman Empire on the basis of its moral character. I can't believe Kline took this part. Hitler happened. The Romans were good at war and slavery. What a joke script. Socrates would puke on it.

Whole scenes cut right out of Dead Poet's Society with boring dialogue, long interminable pauses for dramatic effect and pathetic sappy emotions dripping with Hallmark card shallowness. This thing stunk. It's a poor remake, and one of Hollywood's parallel movies like "Rob Roy'' which was made the same time as ''Braveheart.'' This is the "B Team" folks and these kids and Kevin Kline do their best to play those same roles that the ''A Team" over on Dead Poet's played but with greater success. You know the original when you see it and this, well it's cheap knock off.

One of the best films ever made about teachers and how they impact students for the rest of their lives. Highly recommended for teachers, parents, and students. Kevin Kline is superb as the teacher who returns to meet one class of his many students; and the bittersweet reunion.

I love this story. I used it to teach some above level fifth graders about ethics and the consequences of doing what a person knows is wrong just to get ahead. Because it is ratedPG I had to fastforward through one scene, but it did not hurt the story, I know the students liked and learned from it because they often referred back to it at various times through the year.

This movie is really well made, great cast. It is witty and smart somewhat funny at times but it is not"ha ha ha" funny. It has many different intellectual layers to ponder and it is pretty deep.It makes you reflect upon many different issues of life. Without spoiling it for youI can only say - great movie, get it, watch it.Time and money well spent! A movie that one does not forget.

The acting, the writing and the lessons contained herein are exquisite examples of what all movies and stories should strive to achieve. More subtle and less tumultuous than Dead Poets Society, yet with a warmth that proves timeless. This beautiful story reminds us that no matter how the passing of time may sometimes render the value of simple virtue to be of no great import, it nonetheless remains crucial in the development of our truest selves. It informs everything we are and everything we do. This movie is exemplary. Truly exquisite.

This is an overlooked gem. It came out during the George W. Bush Years of Darkness, and serves as a warning: let us not allow "incurious" (a euphemism coined specifically for Dubya, as far as I can tell) children of privilege to prevail, despite their inevitable tendency to rise to the top no matter how manifest their failings and poor character. But it is also a darned good story, in a "Dead Poets Society" east coast prep school ambiance, with lush green lawns, ivy covered walls, and ivy covered professors. Set primarily about 20 years after Dead Poets, in the 1970's, a very different time, it presumes that time seems to stand still in certain places--at least outwardly. Kevin Kline is masterful as a dear, stuffy but virtuous teacher, who is devoted to teaching his young charges in every possible way. But are there some things that are beyond the power of a teacher to mold, no matter how devoted? Can nature and perhaps, early nurture, be inexorable and immutable to the powers of even the best, most determined instructor?

Although not for everyone, The Emperor's Club is genuinely warm school drama with a refreshly original take of the hero-dynamic and coming of age story, alike.

good

Definitively an excellent film though I needed subtitles as I am not an English speaker and despite my understanding I needed sometimes help and I read in the description of the DVD that it had subtitles.I, anyway, recommend it by all means.

I greatly enjoyed the film. It arrioved very quickly and the state of it is like new.

This film was the most brilliant I have seen since Chariots of Fire. However, I feel there is a key element that most people are missing, and that is, the film is promoted with the statement; " In everyone's life there's that one person who makes all the difference." However, the answer I get in this film is not the teacher as one would expect, but the child's father, and in reality, nothing could be closer to the truth. The senator was right when he said, it was his job as a father to mold his son's character, but the teacher thought differently. In the end, the teacher learned the truth. Unfortunately, the senator was not doing his job, hence the results. Note the way the film connects the mother with the child that eventually won the competition; even Blythe's father is connected in the film then eventually, Bythe's son coming in at the end.Parents are part of a child's life from the start; this film has a powerful message, which is, parents mold a child's character. No doubt teachers, pastors, senators, etc. can have an influence along the way, but parents are the architects. The biggest mistake we make in our society is we overrate the impact of teachers and underrate the influence of parents. Why? Probably because parenting is just too much work, which might explain why most of us are trying to avoid the responsibility!This film does a brilliant job, and gets it right!