The Emperor's Club (2002) User Reviews

A truly great idea in mediocre clothing

[kcrawford · 8/10 · 27 November 2002]

I can see exactly why comparisons to Dead Poets' Society abound. Having attended boarding school and developed an irrational attachment to that film at the time, I have since discarded it like an overworn leisure suit, and tried to move on to more interesting fare. But honestly, this film made me think -- in all the ways that school should have, and the DPSociety didn't even try to.

Robin Williams has never starred in a thinking man's film, which is why, in the end, the comparison between the two movies doesn't hold up. To get The Emperor's Club, you have to actually grasp why someone might be inspired by history -- by a time when men could truly fail, or conquer, or establish a foothold in eternity. The fact that we know Socrates existed is astounding. It is luck. If James Carville goes down in history it will be an accident, if a likely one. The point of this film is that difference -- the difference between men whose character demands to be remembered, and men whose character demands to be forgotten. It is also the story of two systems of reward and recognition -- one that produced Plato and one that produced Jerry Springer. That is why we study history, as the movie says. To learn from and be inspired by the great leaders who came before us, and to overcome the moral mediocrity of the modern world.

But, as the film concludes, great men are no longer chosen to lead. The Emperor's Club, while cloaked in the guise of a charming elitist flick, is actually a tale of profound disappointment and disillusionment regarding human society. The few great men who are left exist in the shadows, while the ignorant grandstanders wield political power. We elect them; we are in their hands. And it is all because of a lack of awareness, a lack of knowledge, and a lack of history. People don't vote for principle -- they vote for rhetoric. And it shows.

I was not expecting too much from this movie, other than the always pleasurable experience of watching Kevin Kline. But, wrapped up in the sentimental moralizing, there was the story of a great man doing the only great thing left: trying to bring others out the darkness. His success or failure is as immaterial as the execution of Socrates -- it really is the thought that counts.

Good luck finding a teacher like this in real life!

[CuriosityKilledShawn · 7/10 · 14 August 2005]

I can't help feel bit jealous when ever I see Private Schools in movies. My high school was unfortunately full of teachers who didn't give half a goddamn about you. And it was/is one of the most respected (read pretentious) in the country. I never learned one single thing that was actually of use to me and I believe going to such a place is mostly responsible for turning me into the faithless cynic that I am now.

In this movie Kevin Kline (a seriously underused actor) plays a history teacher who is dedicated to making sure his students grow up to be fine and morally sound, upstanding people. They all get along until Sedgewick Bell (Emile Hirsh)the hell-raising son of an arrogant Governor arrives in class. His grades are terrible but Mr. Hundert sees intelligence in the boy and struggles to push him in the right direction at the expense of the rest of the class who actually want and care for education. Over the years he comes to regret his mistakes but sees a chance to put things right again with a reunion of all his former students organised by Sedgewick who appears to want to put things right.

There are loads of Student/Teacher movies out there but what separates The Emperor's Club from the likes of Dead Poet's Society and Mr. Holland's Opus is that Mr. Hundert's teaching is never in doubt. But he is flawed. Kevin Kline is so good in the role that for most of the film I thought I was watching a real person and not a character. And doesn't he sound like Niles from Frasier?

I do wish I went to somewhere like St. Benedicts or at least had a teacher like Mr. Hundert. It seems that teachers who really care only exist in the movies As are students who are willing to learn. Or perhaps it's just my bad non-education that skews my opinion. Still, I know good movies when I see one and The Emperor's Club get's my recommendation if you're sick of Hollywood, massive budgets, overblown SFX and intrusive marketing and just want a good character drama.

Splendid and agreeable movie about the relationship between a teacher and a student

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 12 July 2005]

The movie deals with a good and idealist teacher (Kevin Kline) of Roman classic history and his relationship to a roguish and rebel pupil (Emile Hirsch) in a high class school . The teacher tries to redeem him but the continuous challenge makes that the incorrigible student (besides , being senator's son : Harris Yulin) results to be more and less difficult or impossible to dominate him . Meanwhile , the starring falls in love with an attractive , though married teacher (Embeth Davidtz) , and has problems with the college director (Edward Herrmann).

The picture is based on Ethan Canin's book titled ¨ Palace thief ¨. The story is narrated with sensitivity and intelligence and here are treated ethic and moral issues developed in great sense of ductility and fairness . As the teacher will have to face on the complex truth that can be manipulated or phony . The motion picture takes part of the School Sub-genre , whose maxim representation turns out to be the prestigious ¨Dead poet society¨ by Peter Weir . The film is displayed throughout among past and present time where we find the same characters though twenty five years later , except Kevin Kline the actors are different . The actors' interpretation is excellent , such as Kevin Kline as a mature and upright teacher who hands perfectly the role , Emile Hirsch as the rascal young is top-notch as well as Embeth Davidtz who is wonderful and enjoyable . James Newton Howard's musical score is sensitive and touching . The story was well directed by Michael Hoffman . Rating : Above average , well worth watching.

Captivating and thought provoking

[Gordon-11 · 8 October 2007]

This film is about a history teacher engraving his wisdom and virtues in his students' hearts.

According to my vote history, I watched it in around April 2003 time, and I gave it a 6. I borrowed this DVD again a few days ago from the library, not remembering I have watched it. I thought it could not have been a good film if I could not remember watching it. It was so wrong! I really like the plot of this film. It is so touching and affecting. I felt so drawn to the characters of the film. Mr Hundert's dedication and enormous enthusiasm is infectiously touching. Even Mr Hundert has such high virtues, he still made a mistake. To think that Mr Hundert must have chided himself for 25 years about not letting Martin be in the competition is almost unbearable. This contrasts Sedgewick Bell, a non conformer. He breaks all the rules and never regrets it, maybe except at the end. The two characters create such an interesting parallel, and gives much room for thought. This film touched me a lot. It is captivating and thought provoking. It truly deserves more attention than it gets.

No redemption here

[ferguson-6 · 6/10 · 9 December 2002]

Greetings again from the darkness. Being a huge fan of "Dead Poet's Society" I was anxious for this to hit the theatres. Always interested in teacher teaches student who teaches teacher storylines. While easily watchable, this film is no where near the class of "Dead Poet's Society" from either a movie or story point of view. Yes there are some attractive young actors surrounding a veteran cast, but the story rings hollow, despite Michael Huffman's direction around the beautiful campus. Did notice Jesse Eisenberg among the students. Was recently impressed with him in "Roger Dodger". His options may be somewhat limited due to his physical appearance, but he does possess a certain screen presence for a youngster. Kevin Kline is fine, if not understated in his portrayal of the lead. He seems to be alternately an eager beaver and disappointed 'parent' depending on the scene. Not a lot of depth written in. With the message, I do hope English teachers across the country do not unknowingly select this to show in classes. It has some discussion possibilities, but not the ones you would assume.

I should have gone to this school

[helpless_dancer · 7/10 · 16 March 2004]

Klein was superb as the bookish teacher intent on molding boys' characters' as well as teaching them. When he went out of his way to aid a troubled student he wound up depriving another causing some concerns for his conscience. The boy he felt he should help was the son of a bigshot politico who had no clue as to the needs of his son. Too busy being a power broker this ass arrogantly claimed he would mold his son's character. How? He's seldom around and when he is there is no communication between himself and his offspring. Like so many fathers, I wonder why they even want children knowing there is no inclination to interact with them. Brings to mind the Harry Chapin song "Cat's in the Cradle" which speaks to many, many dads. The Emma Willard School provided a nice backdrop for a very good film. 4 stars.

Unfortunately this is nothing like Dead Poets Society

[Juni78ukr · 6/10 · 8 November 2005]

Thrilled by numerous comparisons and analogies with Dead Poets Society I watched The Emperor's Club Maybe I expected too much but however I was disappointed. The promising story about a teacher who inspired his students turned out to be a far from spectacular and hardly inspiring movie with plenty of strangely prepared and rather questionable moral messages.

The movie follows a long experience of William Hundert (played by Academy award winner Kevin Kline) as a professor in a privileged and prestigious school for boys, particularly two episodes from his life divided by a long period of time. He is an idealistic teacher who believes that the main purpose of his work is moral development of his students, in his own words moving their characters. That sounds pretty good but from very beginning of the movie it meets some problems. Professor Hundert teaches history, precisely ancient Roman and Greek history. But besides this Hundert's history classes (I guess not the subject of primary importance in such schools) the movie is pretty ignorant about the rest of normal life in the school, the rest of teachers (by some minor details we can guess that not all of them share Hundert's beliefs) and students. Our group of students take Hundert's history classes every day, in their free time we can see that they're talking about them and learn by heart events and names from Roman history while they dearest ambition is a victory in a traditional school competition based on knowledge of Roman History. At least it's a bit strange and it leaves some kind of emptiness. Moreover Hundert's approaches of reaching his difficult way of moral development of his students are not very clear. Besides for a few sentences like "importance of living rightly" or "what will your contribution be" mentioned in a movie trailer most of the time we can see literally only learning of ancient history and in rare moments its interpretation, by the way, rather superficial and also questionable. The conception of moral development by only education is also a doubtful moment. There are two important scenes that bring some self-contradiction of the story. First one is when professor Hundert notices that one of his students is reading a history book about famous Carthaginian general the only words he found to say that this material is not included in school program of his course. Pretty strange for such a teacher. The second is related with main moral opponent of professor Hundert, Sedgwick Bell. Despite all above mentioned contradictions of the story it insists that before Sedgwick's arriving into that school there was a full idyll. So here we meet Sedgwick Bell, a son of a senator, who pay no attention to studying and whose behavior is rather too glaringly for others. It looks like a personal challenge for Hundert and after the first signs of understanding and possibly even sympathy between them the student eventually let him down. Here's the main movie conflict, a moral confrontation between good and evil and the beginning of future Sedgwick's moral degradation. However it's also not very clear. When Hundert meets Sedgwick's father despite his intentions (second important moment mentioned before) he comes just as a teacher complaining about a bad student and despite his attempts he is unable to rise above that. What is more the movie never shows teenage Sedgwick as an evil character. His character is too stereotypic image of modern American politics (well, not only American) but all that we can see in the movie is just a childish pranks, teenage rebellion easily expected in his age and situation. His lack of good manners in his first days in the school is obviously also signs of protest not rottenness or vicious character. The last part of the movie which obviously was supposed to show moral triumph and superiority of professor Hundert and his students over Sedgwick Bell is also has its contradictions an problem points . Now we meet new Sedgwick Bell, a successful citizen, businessman and politician. The movie asks a question what cost his social achievements were reached but the idea of re-matching school competition after many years as well as the fact that these lessons of ancient history survived in memory of former students after such a long time is far-fetched. The same thing is with an imposed impression that throughout the years all students except Sedgwick were successfully moved and inspired by professor Hundert. Using words of other authors, possible message of bad apple or leopard spots that evil is always evil meets lots of problem here. Another message about purposes and means (the end justifies the means) is looking much more suitable here.

Aside of the story there are some positive things here. The movie tries to avoid clichés usual for such a movies, cinematography is good here, some scenes are quite good and finally the acting in the movie is obviously not bad but unfortunately most likely The Emperor's Club is a movie where numerous flaws of the story and weakness of some moral messages easily outweigh all the rest. Kevin Kline and young casts have decent performances. To sum up my thoughts The Emperor's Club is a far from greatness but watchable movie, a movie full of large but unrealized ambitions and wasted opportunities. Well, at least on the contrary to majority of Hollywood production they tried to make something decent and memorable.

Dignified portrait of a principled but very human teacher

[roghache · 10/10 · 26 April 2006]

Perhaps teacher movies should be judged on their own merits, but it's human nature to compare. Although I also love Dead Poet's Society, I consider The Emperor's Club one of the most compelling movies I have ever seen. The two are actually worlds apart, with Emperor's Club definitely a more cerebral film. Dead Poets seems more student oriented (students shun conformity as a result of teacher impact) and Emperor's Club more teacher focused (teacher struggles to inspire challenging student and is faced with difficult choices). Also, they have very distinct themes, with Dead Poets focusing more on individuality and 'seizing the day', while Emperor's Club revolves around character and ethics. Unlike Dead Poets (and also Mona Lisa Smile), the Emperor's Club teacher has no controversial subject matter or approaches, just relatively traditional (though passionate & effective) teaching methods.

The story depicts Mr. Hundert, a highly respected and idealistic Classics professor at an ivy covered, prestigious boys' prep school, St. Benedict's. He tries to impart a passion for Greek & Roman history to his relatively motivated students, while also conveying the importance of principles and contribution to society. All passes smoothly until the arrival of Sedgewick Bell, the obnoxious and rebellious son of a slimy Senator (who neglects his 'nuisance' offspring and exhibits an unfortunate tendency to profanity). A battle of wills ensues between teacher and student, as Sedgewick not only disrupts the class himself but inspires rowdy disrespect among his classmates. Mr. Hundert sees the vast potential in this antagonistic student and makes every effort to motivate Sedgewick to apply himself to his studies and also to exhibit personal integrity. In the process, Mr. Hundert, himself a dedicated teacher with great integrity, neglects his other students to focus on the one. He illegitimately enables Sedgewick to participate as a finalist in the school's annual Mr. Julius Caesar Contest, secretly passing over the truly deserving student, Martin Blythe. A reunion 25 years later will depict the impact of this teacher's flawed choices on his former student's character and whether or not past injustices can finally be righted.

I don't want to give the outcome away, but this reunion provides a fascinating portrait of Mr. Hundert's students as grown men. We can examine the world's view of their success versus our own, witnessing their career choices, their wives & families, and especially their character traits...whether contributory and noble or self absorbed and dishonourable. Compelling glimpses of two of these student's offspring, Robert Bell and Martin Blythe IV, prove to be incredibly revealing.

Kevin Kline, an under rated actor, is masterfully convincing in the role of the scholarly, dignified, and conflicted Mr. Hundert, and his 25 year aging process seems well depicted. Also, the roles of the boys Martin, Louis, Deepak, and of course the unpleasant Sedgewick are all well cast, as well as their older versions.

This is not simply another great film about an extraordinary teacher who has a profound impact upon his students. What distinguishes this movie from the rest is that Mr. Hundert, though a wonderfully dedicated and moral teacher, is himself flawed and compromises his own principles. In some respects, this actually makes him a much more three dimensional, realistic, and compelling character than such previous exemplary teachers as Mr. Chips (Good Bye, Mr. Chips), Mr. Keating (Dead Poets Society), and Mr. Holland (Mr. Holland's Opus). The theme here revolves not only around Mr. Hundert's impact on the boys but also his inner conflict, actually more significant than any external struggle with the rabble rousing Sedgewick or the misguided system that focuses more on fund raising than academic excellence. The film makes the point that sometimes the moral choice is not always clear cut, that crossing an unethical boundary can appear all too justifiable, and that one unprincipled decision may lead to another. There is a subtly conveyed sense as to the extent that Mr. Hundert's unethical decisions have haunted him during the intervening decades and possibly even affected his subsequent career path, as he is passed over for the Headmaster's position and begins to question his own value as an educator.

The little sub plot is actually quite engaging (not irrelevant, as some claim) that portrays the potential romance between Mr. Hundert and Elizabeth, a lovely but married fellow teacher. Its purpose is to give another indication of Mr. Hundert's character and integrity, this time revealed through his personal life. Although these two are obviously close kindred spirits with a mutual attraction, he makes no attempt to move beyond platonic friendship. His emotional but restrained response is well conveyed when Elizabeth announces that she is moving to England with her husband, who has obtained a position at Oxford.

Personally, I found all the Greek & Roman History class scenes quite engaging and enjoyed the competition with its trio of toga clad contestants. It all made me wish I was a student myself in Mr. Hundert's Classics class, surrounded by all those busts of Cicero, Socrates, Plato, and Caesar.

The Emperor's Club is a unique, intelligent, and thought provoking film that contrasts society's misguided values with the truly meaningful and important. Very few movies today deal with ethical issues, but this one explores such moral matters as teacher favouritism, bending the rules, and cheating. It prompts discussion, encouraging the viewer to question his own views of right and wrong in these situations. The movie also challenges our thinking as to exactly what does constitute teacher success, as we watch Mr Hundert come to grips with his own personal definition. The quiet ending may be less intense and dramatic than Dead Poets Society, but is equally moving and powerful. As a former teacher myself, my hat goes off to Mr. Hundert. Although very human and with some lessons to learn himself, this dedicated teacher serves as an inspirational role model for viewers of this film as well as for his students.

Familiar theme well handled

[rosscinema · 7/10 · 29 December 2002]

Another teacher flick that is well made and Kevin Kline is perfectly cast in the lead role. We have seen these films before but the one thing that makes this one a little different is......... (If you don't know the ending, DO NOT READ)...that the teacher here fails to teach one of his most promising and brightest students. Kline does a good job of showing the disappointment and how it hits home even after years and how the college seems to have stabbed him in the back. He really feels betrayed by everyone and when his former students get back together for another contest this is where he figures out that he didn't fail and realizes a lot about himself. Kline is in perfect form here and I hear that he might get an Oscar nomination out of it. Not a great film but one that does take a familiar story and gives it a little different twist.

Tough sell of a movie

[KUAlum26 · 9/10 · 20 March 2006]

I say that this is a tough sell of a movie because it seems like most movies marketing of late have to have some catch,hook or twist about it to sell to audiences,something either sexy,violent or both. Movies that stress intellectual or moral higher pursuits are somewhat rare to come by and when they are,they either are heavy-handed(Dead Poets Society)or arcane,word-of-mouth projects(Kidco,Stand and Deliver).If they don't feature some level of arousing interest(two examples:Sirens or Kinsey,both films I greatly appreciated BTW),then they are probably going to fall under the wheels of Hollywood's promotional behemoth if they are produced for the large screen.

Such,I suspect,is the case with The Emperors Club, a Neil Tolin screenplay based on a Ethan Canin short story. The central figure is one William Hundert(Kevin KLine,perhaps never more dignified in role),a well-respected and generally popular teacher at a Catholic,boys-only academy,who teaches the classics(i.e.Roman and Greek history and culture). His long stay as an educator is put to the test(probably not the only time,but what has to be the most memorable) in the 1976-77 school year when an arrogant,selfish son of a congressman(Emile Hirsch,avec David Cassidy fro)enrolls in the school,for whom Hundert decides he's going to make a special effort to "mold" into a true student of enlightenment. His efforts then have effects on both his students and himself that stay with him long after.

Well-acted,well-scripted,thoughtful and gently guided by Michael Hoffman(who directed Kline in the pleasant Midsummer Night's Dream adaptation three years earlier),this film quietly came and went in the Autumn of 2002 and it seems like a shame,but not un-understandably so. This is a show with virtually no violence and very little(if any)sexual content and the majority of the cast are either rising young stars who haven't quite reached high acclaim yet or are older character actors,so one will enter this on virtually a blind-faith interest of the film's topic or(more likely)an appreciation for Mr.Kline. To be honest and tell on myself,when this film was out I passed it up and didn't really sit down to appreciate it until very recently,and that was a a free library rental! As is,free or not,this is clearly a unique and recommendable movie.

Why this movie failed

[caspian1978 · 6/10 · 17 June 2004]

For starters, Kevin Kline ages pretty well. Crowe's performance in A Beautiful Mind showed the transition of a man's life from his youth to his tender, elderly age. The way he walked, talked, and how he held himself was excellent. You had no trouble believing that Crowe aged with his character.Unlike Crowe, Kline never ages a day except for having some gray hair thrown in. Not having a love (a successful) interest nor having a child was part of the story, but it did not help the story either. Just like the giant deal of the Julius Caesar competition, it was hard to believe and hard to accept. Sure, the school prides itself on this tradition, but come on, how big does this competition have when only 20 students take the test in a school of 500? That too, did not help the plot. Too fictional to compare to Dead Poet's Society.

All hail Kevin Kline! I, who is about to comment and vote this film, salute you!

[au_law2001 · 10/10 · 23 January 2005]

A very significant film about a well respected teacher who tries to correct the ways of a spoiled rowdy kid in an all boys prep school. The film shows how the teacher is trying to change the son of a senator, who does not spend anytime in his studies, but focuses on girls, and does a lot of schemes. And as Mr. Hundert does his best, he believes he has changed him after he sees that he is improving on his studies and getting better grades, and decides to put him on the annual Mr. Julius Caesar, and every time he answers, it looks as though he is thinking, you know, when you put your head down, or cover your face, and after that the gives the right one. But, as he fails to answer the last question and looses, Mr. Hundert finds out the truth, Sedgewick has been cheating, he has been using fake mannerisms, and had sheets of the answers he copied from the books he borrowed from Mr. Hundert, and 25 years later he wants a rematch, and he brings a reunion which he seems to be using only to promote a campaign for him running as Senator. And once again he discovers that he is cheating, using someone to tell him the answers via transmission. He tells him he fails and gives him a final lecture regarding his ways, but Sedgewick disagrees. And at the end you see him all miserable, leaving, but all his student give him a big surprise. They give him a bat, and thank him for everything he's done. He also comes to Martin Blythe, who is said to have a legacy, yeah, his father won the Mr. Julius Caesar competition long ago, tells him that it should have been him to be in the contest long ago instead of Sedgewick. Now, as he continues teaching, a new student who is late, comes in, and finds out he is the son of Martin, and, what does he do? He does what he did at the beginning. He tells him to stand at the back and read the plaque at the wall, the sayings of Shutruk Nahunte. Overall, this is a beautiful film, with a beautiful message going out to all students and teachers all around, to value studying and paying attention and class, and to have eagerness, take pride in it. I disagree very much to what some say to this film having the anti-Bush sentiments, for there are more cheaters in this world outside politics and America. You are ignoring the 'real message' of this film, just as Sedgewick is ignoring his studies, as I said earlier, this is about valuing our teachers, and studies, for you will never know, that it will help you one day as you grow, get a job, get married and have kids, you will use the virtues given to you and practice and preach what you've been taught. And to me, some of it is a bit like the episode of The Twilight Zone Changing of the Guard, about the professor who is resigned, feels his life has been wasted, then the ghosts of his students, tell him he has more contribution and he taught them values that made them great people, and war heroes, and that his teachings were not in vain, and his life has not been wasted. All hail The Emperor's Club, I, who is about to end, recommends this to the whole family, to students, and teachers!

Thank you Mr. Kline, thank you Mr. Hoffman For an inspirational story, though a bit cliché, convincing acting, and stunning performances of Emile Hirsch, Jesse Eisenberg, Paul Dano, and Rishi Mehta, I grade this an A.

Superficially pleasant, but critically flawed...

[TeachStuph · 6/10 · 6 August 2008]

Many of us (myself included) are drawn to stories of timeless truths - in fact, it is the very basis for entire theories of historical interpretation and educational instructional pedagogy. The problem is, the more we are educated as to how the vast majority of people actually learn, the "classic" interpretation is shown to be critically flawed.

Although Kevin Kline is indeed stellar in this film, and points are scored for the overarching post-9/11 discussion regarding virtue and its tempering of the blind seeking of ambition and power, the beat-me-over-the-head-with-the-symbolism-bat mentality of the movie and the flawed premise of the timeless beauty of a classical approach to instructional pedagogy kills the film (for me) on a critical basis, and becomes nothing more than manipulative dreck disguised as intellectual gold.

Contention One: You don't have to beat me with a bat. I get it. The senator (and then his son) who loves cigars, civil-war era guns, ordering his secretaries around, and generally abusing the power of his high office is bad because his is a naked, unadulterated ambition. He gets what he wants, but at what cost? This is repeated over and over and over again in the film. I get it. Say it once, show me the American flag fluttering at the end, and let's have a discussion about it. Drag it out, show me a disappointed child who has overheard a conversation in the bathroom, and mix in some classical references to the Greeks, Romans, and paths we should walk on, and I'm done with it.

The problem? Well, we simply can't ignore the fact that Julius Caesar (along with many of the other 'greats' mentioned so reverently in the film) acted mainly out of... yep... naked, unadulterated ambition. And people will say "Yes, but what about his great contributions?" Well, many evil, evil people (Hitler, for example) made contributions, too. The inspiration for America's interstate highway system (if you can even consider that a great contribution given the headaches it has caused) was inspired by the ruthless efficiency of Nazi Germany. This is just an example, but history is not so black and white - and even Socrates and Plato didn't have the market cornered on selfless sacrifice.

Contention Two: People don't learn the way Mr. H. teaches. 10% of the people might learn very well through rote memorization and drill-and-test style instructional pedagogy. This is the "classic" way of learning, right? Many of us learned to play this game. Unfortunately, what happens with the other 90% of society who aren't attending St. Benedict's? Part of us is forced to agree with young Mr. Bell when he says: "Who gives a s...?"

As someone who loves and reads about the classics (and reads voraciously on a number of subjects), I will state here and now that only a small fraction of the population can walk the path Mr. H. so steadfastly praises. I can teach about honesty, virtue, and right thinking and living without even touching Socrates, Plato, or the whole of Western Civilization for that matter. Confucius and Lao Tse might want to get in on the discussion, as well. So believe me that while I sympathize with the overarching message, I am horrified by the fact that we are encouraging people to watch this film and say: "Yes, that's how all children should be educated in America, by golly! We have to get back to the basics!"

All of our emerging knowledge of teaching and learning styles and pedagogically-sound instructional practices SCREAMS against the rows of desks, endless rote memorization, quiz- show style assessments, and class rankings that for the vast majority of the population NO LONGER HOLD A USEFUL PURPOSE.

On the surface, this is a calm, beautiful film that should inspire us to go back to the great works and read them. Underneath, however, are critical flaws that doom the enterprise and should make us shiver to the core of our being for being drawn into the charade in the first place.

This review is right and everyone else is wrong.

[sajacoff · 1/10 · 23 October 2006]

Let me explain to all of you why this movie sucks.

1. It's grossly naive.

2. It's culturally chauvinist to the point that it's offensive.

3. It's based on ideas about how history works, and how people work, that are antiquated and ignorant.

4. Every line in this movie is a cliché or sappy or both.

5. Kline's character is a repressive (and repressed) authoritarian figure who refuses to let his students express themselves or experience life in any way, yet the film expects us to take his side throughout.

6. Goddamnit people need to stop making such crappy movies.

This movie is predicated on the idea that there are such things as great people, whose names and dates will be indelibly incised into history, and not-great people, who will be forgotten. The emperors of Rome were great, today's corrupt politicians are not, and it's the job of high school teachers everywhere to mold the rotten youth of today back into classical-era heroes. The naiveté here is so thick it's like being smacked in the face. The fact of the matter is, statesmen two thousand years ago, along with philosophers, teachers, and the rest, were no less driven by self-interest than their counterparts today. They lied, stole, killed, raped, supported bigotry, neglected duties, broke laws, made unjust laws, insulted each other, betrayed each other, and committed all the trivial and nontrivial day to day cruelties that are a part of the human experience. Yes, cultural pressures were different then, but it wasn't a utopia by any stretch of the imagination, and people were just as flawed as they are today.

Kline's character, a teacher has a quote on the wall of his classroom by some ruler from the 12th century b.c. who boasts about conquering some place that no longer exists. His name is not remembered by history, Kline tells his students, because, though he conquered, he didn't contribute anything to humanity. He was not a great person, whereas Socrates and Julias Caesar were. Quite to the contrary, we know of important Greeak and Roman figures not at all because they were great in some abstract sense, but precisely because the Romans, who valued and preserved Greek culture, were far and away the dominant political power in Europe and the Middle East for hundreds of years, up until Medieval times. It is because of that dominance that their art and history survive, and that they were pedestalized by the elite classes of the people who came after them. We remember them because they were conquerers. The author of Kline's plaque is forgotten not because he was any less great than Julias Caesar, but because he was worse at establishing lasting empires.

The result of this movie's ignorant mistaking of the morally arbitrary machinations of political power throughout history and the chance changes in how history is retold that come with cultural shifts for an ideal system that preserves true greatness and filters out everything else is that the movie is pretty much culturally bigoted. In other words, according to the movie only Europeans from Greco-Roman antiquity, and possibly American founding fathers, can be great people. Yes, Greco-Roman antiquity is the subject Kline's character teaches and he would primarily take examples from it, but he basically defines greatness as belonging to that specific culture, that to be great you must be like the people of that culture, and the implication is that people from cultures that the great Greek and Roman leaders conquered are not only not remembered because they lost, but also because they're not worth remembering. Similarly, people from other places altogether, whose cultures don't conform to Greco-Roman standards, are inferior and not worth mentioning. Kline's character never cites historical figures from ancient China or Mexico or India or Mali or anywhere else in the world, and if you've seen the movie, can you honestly imagine him ever thinking it was worth his time to even learn their names? As viewers, this movie asks us to embrace what Kline embraces, to join him in his love of the greatness of our culture's heritage, and implicitly, to join him in disregarding the rest of the cultures of the world.

Finally, this movie is basically just goofy. So this guy has one mediocre student. I'm sorry, but that's not going to do it for me. If his student was really having problems, the was real kids often do, then maybe that would be a bit more compelling. But this kid is just "bad" because he isn't studious, he tries to have fun, and he thinks about girls sometimes. Cry me a river. The truth is, he's right in a lot of ways: when his friends are adults, they'll be a lot more happier that they snuck off one day and rowed to the girls' school across the lake and had an actual life experience than that they once memorized the names and dates of some Roman emperors (which, from what we see, is basically the extent of what Kline's character actually teaches).

Basically, this film is not only crushingly sappy and not compelling, it's wrongheaded and a bit offensive too. And all you people who like it have bad taste and should stop reviewing things online; you might mislead someone.

4/5 Stars

[MovieAddict2016 · 17 June 2003]

"The Emperor's Club" is a lot different than you would think. It does run a bit on cheesy sentimentality, but the ending is more than surprising considering the type of film this is.

It is a period-piece about a teacher (Kevin Kline) at a prestigious school for boys, and how he tries to "mould" a strong-willed fifteen-year-old boy. And if you want a hint at the surprise ending, don't read any farther, because I cannot control telling you that in the end he does not change the boy. Which is what truly amazed me. Most of the time in films like these, we see the free-spirited kid become proper and respectful. But not so here. This tale doesn't have a perfect teacher turning a bad boy into a perfect boy. It has a flawed teacher wasting years on one student. Years later at a party, he tells the boy, Sedgewick (now an adult), "as a teacher I have failed you." And that's what is so very different about this movie. It isn't as heavy on the drama as I thought it would be, and comes across a bit cheesy and fluffy at times, but the ending is more surprising than "The Sixth Sense" ever will be. It doesn't rely on tried-and-used methods, but goes for a new route. And just when you think that it's as depressing as it can get, the very, very end gives your spirit a bit of a boost.

Kline realizes that in those years that Sedgewick attended his class, he ignored the other students who were trying - and actually cared - about what they were doing. It kind of sheds a new light on the films where a teacher devotes time to one student in particular, because after seeing this film, I bet ten bucks next time you watch a film of the same roots you'll realize that the teacher is ignoring the other students. And "The Emperor's Club" exposes this. Kline's character is flawed, and while he is a good teacher, he makes mistakes, such as spending so much time on Sedgewick and bumping a smarter kid off of the school toga challenge, just so he can put Sedgewick in it (the challenge).

Kevin Kline isn't Otto here. "A$$hole!" is not a motto here. We've got Kline giving a thoroughly convincing performance as a 1970s all-boys school teacher. Kline's makeup at the end of the film is quite good as well, as opposed to something like "The Dish" where Sam Neil's makeup looks like it's about to fall off his face and his wig is about to be plucked off by a gust of wind.

I also liked the student actors in this film. The actors they got to play the various students were pretty good; in fact, many of them were very good. I hope their careers continue after this film, and as hateable as Sedgewick was in this film, the kid who played him was pretty convincing. You always know this when you start to like or dislike a character, much less hate or love them.

At the end of the film, I like the subtle differences in years. In the 1970s, a group of boys travel across a lake to check out the all-girls school, where nuns shoo them away. 28 years later, as Kline's character walks towards his schoolroom, we see boys and girls walking around. In 28 years society has changed, and it's funny to wonder if that group of boys from the 1970s ever thought that in 28 years, what they were paddling across a lake for would be right next to them.

Good, but not all I hoped

[KritterJ · 6/10 · 24 October 2002]

I really did like this movie. I was able to finagle my way into a sneak preview for an audience of teachers.

When I first saw the trailer, I had two thoughts. One was that any movie with Kevin Kline is a good thing. (Life as a House was amazing.) My second thought was that the concept seemed reminiscent of Dead Poet's Society, which also is a good thing.

The movie itself was slightly less than I hoped for. Mr. Kline still gave a solid performance, yet it lacked the quality or maybe punch of his Life as a House role. Don't get me wrong, he is still wonderful and one of the best actors out there. It's just that a couple times, I thought I caught him indicating... an acting term where the actor does what is the too-obvious action or reaction. EX. If you are tired, you yawn and rub your eyes. For instance, one time his character was thinking and reacting to something given to him and he wrinkled his brow and moved his eyes around in an obvious and exaggerated thinking posture. Picky, I know. I am just mentioning it.

As for the Dead Poet's Society thought, maybe I was just unfair to think it in the first place. Can anything really compare? A private boys school and the wonderful teacher who effects their lives. The boys in this movie were a few years younger and maybe that is why their character development didn't touch those of our beloved Dead Poets. Our main boy was under the pressure of his father in a similar way and the way he deals with the stress is similar, but different and maybe somewhat more clichéd. Still, our step to the future with the boys in the Emperor's Club was interesting. The best part of which was the exchange with Martin Blythe. Of course, it was wonderful to see Sedgwick get nailed (and I won't so more out of respect for those who have not seen the movie).

In regards to the theme- I am still thinking about it and I am not sure if that is a good thing or not. You don't want to hit the audience over the head with your point, but do you want it so obscure that they are still trying to figure it out 24 hours later? Yes, yes, I get the general point- it was said in the beginning of the movie when Kline first started his class and had Martin read about the general on the plaque above the door. It was demonstrated at the first Julius Caesar contest. Why take us to the second one in the future and show us the same thing? In the end, who was right? Sedgwick or Hundert? Whose morals carried them farther? Or is that for each audience member to decide?

In summary, when I left the movie, I knew I had seen a good film, but I was unsatisfied. Whether it be because I had set my expectations too high or because the movie really did lack something, that is for other viewers to decide.

This Would have Made a Good Movie of the Week

[shannons-3 · 6/10 · 21 November 2002]

With its cardboard characters, paint by numbers plot and earnest pretention, The Emperor's Club would have made a good Hallmark Hall of Fame special or Movie of the Week. Even with star power lent by a very wooden Kevin Kline in the lead role, The Emperor's Club never quite feels like a fully-realized feature film.

On one note, I think the Producers missed a great opportunity for Political Satire. When about half-way through this film I started substituting George W. Bush for Sedgewick Bell, the movie became much more entertaining and enjoyable.

Not as good as Dead Poet's Society

[Kelly_Britcher · 6/10 · 10 December 2002]

I saw the previews for this movie and was desperately torn. Kevin Kline is my favorite actor, but it was already apparent that The Emporer's Club was awfully close to Dead Poet Society...and I admit that Kline is no Robin Williams. However, I went to see the film anyway. Other than a few differences, Kline's movie feels just like Dead Poet Society. The school, the uniforms, the children. The only difference lies in the (spoilers) main student. Instead of a studious wonder (like in DPS), you get a rebel. Both are under their father's thumb and feel trapped (yet ANOTHER similarity).

I'd say if you liked DPS you will like this movie also. However, if you are a HUGE fan of DPS beware. You may come away angry that it's such an obvious rip off for the most part.

VERY good movie

[dr71956 · 8/10 · 31 December 2004]

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. I don't care if others think it was predictable - so what? Wasn't Jaws predictable? How about Alien? Once in a while a movie has a lesson in it - like this one. Even if it is a lesson that gets played over and over.

I really didn't care for the mildly romantic banter between Kline's character and his female interest. Maybe the purpose of the character was to show Dr. Hundert was not gay - but that seems awfully shallow to me. If this movie was not about a gay teacher, why did the writer feel obligate to prove the reverse? All in all though, this was a GOOD movie - very good.

Not Dead Poets Society

[lvoock · 7/10 · 21 November 2002]

I went in thinking about how the campus looked in Dead Poets Society and how Robin Williams may have looked in that suite. Thankfully that mental picture did not last long as the movie spread away from the old standing on the desk antics. Kevin Kline does well in this movie but it is not a seasoned performance like '93's Dave. Comedy is clearly his strong suit. I walked away feeling like a rainy day matinee would have been a better time to see the movie. Don't be afraid to spend your money on this, but don't worry about not finding good seats either.

Kevin Kline at his best

[redkiwi · 8/10 · 9 December 2002]

There is no doubt that Kevin Kline is both a funny man and a fine comedic actor. However, as he has proved yet again, anything other than dramatic roles is a waste of his acting talent.

In the finest film he has made, he is superb in his role as school teacher and mentor to a generation of boys -- including one particular bad egg.

Excellently cast, scripted and acted, this is a must see.

The art of rhetoric well done.

[bluestylus · 7/10 · 7 December 2002]

A teleology that is well woven and true to classical form. Artful writing on the part of Canin and Tolkin. If you are familiar with political philosophy, history and rhetoric you will appreciate the Emperor's Club more than the average movie-goer. Unfortunately, it lacks strong female characters - where is our Cleopatra, our Hypathia, our intelligent women who were solid and outspoken? They historically exist, but remain buried for all the intents and purposes of this film.

Better than "Dead Poets"

[truemythmedia · 8/10 · 16 September 2019]

This film is told from the perspective of Mr. Hundert (Kevin Kline, "Wild Wild West"). He teaches Classics at an all boys boarding school. In fact, he is such a highly esteemed member of the faculty that he is Assistant Headmaster and will most likely take over for the Headmaster when he retires.

The film begins as a new school year does, with Mr. Hundert meeting his new students and teaching the first lessons of the Greeks and Romans. Some short time into the semester, a new student, Sedgewick Bell (Emile Hirsch, "Into the Wild"), joins the class. Sedgewick quickly establishes himself as a bit of a problem student. He's smart but doesn't care and spends more time looking at Playboy and sneaking to the girl's school across the lake than he does studying.

Classic setup. A great teacher must inspire a disinterested student. From here we know how the story goes. Some struggles but eventually the teacher gets through and the students grades improve. In fact, he ends up competing for one of the highest Academic Honors at the school: The Mr. Julius Caesar Award.This is where most films of this kind would end but there is more to this film in several ways.

First, "The Emperor's Club" is about more of the students than just Sedgewick Bell. In fact one of the reasons I like this film better than "Dead Poets Society" is that the students are more relatable, likable, and better acted by Paul Dano ("There Will Be Blood"), Jesse Eisenberg ("The Social Network"), and Emile Hirsch. Each of them are struggling along the same lines as Mr. Bell but in different ways. Mr Hundert, on the other hand, seems to care mostly for Sedgewick and seems to forget that he has other students at times.

Another reason this film stands apart to me is that we get to see the rest of the story. Many movies which are about teaching will feature the students in highschool and maybe a scene or two of epilogue from them once they have grown up. "The Emperor's Club" spends fully a third of the film with the kids once they have grown up as they hold a rematch of the Mr. Julius Caesar contest, moderated by a now retired Mr. Hundert. We get to see where their lives have gone and to what degree their lives were changed by their time in school, but even more important, we get to see Mr. Hundert take stock of his life and muse about what the value of it all was, despite it not all being happy endings.

The film ends up being about the meaning of morality, ethics, and life itself. Now, you know that's my bread and butter so I love this movie. In the most classic twist of all Mr. Hundert finds that while he was teaching his students about the Greeks and Romans, they were teaching him about life.

It's not a film that leaves you all smiles. It's not a film that forces you to cry. More, it forces you to appreciate the complexity of life that doesn't fit into neat categories. It presents you with situations that seem very real and challenges you to draw lessons from them. It's a film about living a life of principle and purpose rather than one concerned only with self and pragmatism

My major criticism is really the voice over at the end of the film. I don't know why so many artists think they have to hit their audience over the head with the "moral of the story" but this one does it with a heavy handed narration that, while well written at least, is really unnecessary.

In some ways it is the anti-"Dead Poets Society." In others, it is a marvelous complement to it. Regardless of your opinion of that movie, I think you'll find "The Emperor's Club" a worthwhile watch.

Looks Like Dead Poets Society Meets Mr. Holland's Opus...But This Time the Teacher Gets "Schooled"

[kubrick4277 · 7/10 · 27 November 2002]

The film may look like a remake of Dead Poet's Society from the trailer or a theatrical take on one of those CBS Sunday Night Movies, but in actuality...it starts out like that, but then the twists occur (something that no TV movie can pull off unless it's on cable). I'm not going to comment on the unexpected happenings in the film in hopes that those reading this will be interested enough to go see the film. Everybody in the film does a good job with their roles. Kevin Kline is amazing, even though he looks like he aged maybe 10 years when he's supposed to have aged 25 in the present day sequences of the film. All problems with makeup aside, "The Emperor's Club" delivers an unusual middle and end to what seems to be a run-of-the-mill teacher inspiring rowdy kids to achieve (although the film is not devoid of that aspect). I would have to agree with the laundry list of critics who enjoyed the film. It was well-directed, well-acted, and enjoyable all around. Now earlier, when I said there's twists in the story, they're not major those that are more intuitive than I will probably pick up on them although I found them rather surprising. Check it out. It's definitely worthy of the $6-10 admission at your local theater. Enjoy!

Club less than Classical

[dustindmorrow-1 · 4/10 · 25 November 2002]

Forgive the disappointment. Maybe I was hoping to see Dead Poet's Society Meets Mr. Chips. What I saw looked more like Catcher in the Rye on Prozac.

It was difficult to make any emotional attachment to the characters, and I really wanted to. It was difficult to believe that Kline's Hundert inspired the "Holden Caulfield" of his Classics class, and I really wanted to. It was difficult to root for Sedgewick Bell, and I really wanted to.

You see, the library of film based on boarding schools with loving and unconventional headmasters that inspire their students to reach beyond themselves wears heavy on this film. Something is missing. Maybe it is a decent script. None of the supporting characters were developed in any sense. Maybe it is a decent director. The film has no pace, and a few scenes (in fact all of the scenes involving Rob Morrow and Embeth Davidtz) grind the film to an absolute halt before stalling out and trying to catch up. (Cut to obligatory shot of family member nodding and smiling.)

Possibly, the film is missing actors. At times you can see Kevin Kline actually acting. Sitting in the theatre, I am watching Kline swing on the front porch, rubbing his eyes, and I get the feeling that he is preparing for a scene. And that is a microcosm of the entire film, not acting preparing to act.

Forget the disappointment ... this film is just not good.