Thinking in Chorus

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In an attempt to justify this 2006 film via review, the reviewer realizes why it took her so long to write a review on her most favorite film of all time.

Probably the most amazing thing about Nicholas Hytner’s The History Boys (I call it that because I am talking about the 2006 film as opposed to Alan Bennett’s The History Boys, the stage play from which this film is based on, though Hytner did direct the original stage play as well) is the sheer magnitude of themes and issues the film tackles.  It covers topics as broad as the value of education to much more personal themes like the pains of self-discovery and self-realization.  The depth and scope of this film does remain unmatched in my modest repertoire of motion picture. 

The premise of the film is simple enough: a motley crew of eight grammar school boys endures an extra term, the end goal of which would be to prepare them for, and eventually earn them a spot, in either Oxford or Cambridge.  In order to boost their chances, their ratty headmaster hires a teacher meant to give them, as he calls it, an “edge” in the admission proceedings and disguises them as a History teacher (to be fair, all the boys are applying to read History).  Generally, things are shaken up by a conflict in the ideologies of their two teachers: their new History teacher Irwin believes in results, their old (in every sense of the word) “General Studies” teacher believes in learning as a process and cares little for results. It is through this clash of ideologies that the boys’ (and the staff’s) own personal challenges are revealed. 

What makes the film shine is the sheer intelligence possess in discussing those topics it sets out to shed light to.  Given that the film is called The History Boys, its nods to history and the historical issues it tackles are enough to leave the viewer itching for the nearest history book if just to understand the references this film makes.  The literature enthusiast will also find his home in this film with the numerous, lengthy quotations of English poetry it makes.  In a way, The History Boys is a juxtaposition of the two written sources from which our knowledge of the past is formed.  And it does so to a beautiful effect.

But The History Boys is not a two-hour film made for the entertainment of the high-brow and specially-informed.  In fact one of the strongest qualities of this film is the humor that drives it forward.  To quote a character from the film “sheer calculated silliness”.  Granted it is of the dry sort that greatly informs British entertainment, but penis jokes and sarcasm, and physical comedy find a comfortable home here.

So how does one discuss The History Boys?  Given the sheer number of themes it tackles, it is difficult to pick just one.  In the discussion of theme, therefore, one approaches it via the discussion of more technical elements in order to sift out areas of focus.  I shall therefore being to discuss the writing and acting in the film (as previous reviews would show: my areas of special interest, and arguably the film’s strongest points) and pray that some discussion of theme would surface.

The writing in The History Boys is for a lack of better words, flawless. Having not seen the original stage production, I am taking the entire stage play-film adaptation debate down.  The amazing thing about the writing in The History Boys is that with all its potential to become politicized, in such a sense that it could push for a certain ideology, it remains satisfactorily neutral.  This allows great room for the audience to take sides in the play.  Sympathies may be cast either which way and withdrawn at a moment’s notice.  I believe this to be an effect of the staggering believability of the situation and of the characters in the situation.  The History Boys is basically an exploration and debate on life itself and the equality the characters are given in terms of flaws and development (most characters, anyway) is both a testament to Bennett’s genius as well as to the genius of the film itself. 

Let us take a case in point.  Posner (if you do not find it in your heart to sympathize with Posner it is invaluable evidence that you may have no heart) is the youngest boy of the bunch and is hopelessly in love with Dakin.  Though his storyline mainly discusses the pains of unrequited love, his most memorable scene is that with Hector, wherein they sit opposite each other and discuss a poem  (Drummer Hodge by Thomas Hardy).  To the unobservant viewer, the two are talking about a poet and his poem, but in their discussion of Hardy, one sees a heartbreaking revelation from Hector and the possibility of Posner growing up to become like Hector might be more possible than otherwise.  It is this subtlety and implicitly that wins the film all its gold stars.

Given then that the script abounds in its development and subtlety, the acting likewise does not disappoint.  The highly nuanced and masterful performances, I believe, is due to the film’s cast being entirely composed of the original stage cast.  The veterans (Richard Griffiths and Frances de la Tour to name a few) are absolutely on fire in this film and give performances like I have never seen them give.  But the film’s highlight is arguably the History Boys themselves, each giving a career-defining performance (in fact, Russell Tovey, James Corden, and Dominic Cooper are now household names all over the world).  To say the least about their believability, one still sees them as grammar-school boys despite the entire cast being in their mid-twenties during the making of this film.  Special mention must be made of Samuel Barnett (for those who have detected a bias, congratulations) who rightly brings the heart and delicacy to such a testosterone-fueled show.  His quiet innocence and heartfelt sadness stands out and is easily a head and shoulders above the rest. 

To conclude, I wish to state something I have realized in the writing of this review: that I have written relatively nothing about the massive terrain that is The History Boys.  For all its attention to words (something else to be praised! Each scene is practically poetry) I have said very little about what The History Boys has to offer.  I feel the need to say though that some knowledge of the British education system and the admission processes of Oxford and Cambridge may be necessary to understand the film (some French would be helpful too). But this is, in all truth, my most favorite film of all time and the one I can watch until the sun burns out without getting tired of it.  Each rewatch yields a new discovery about the film and about life in such a way that no two viewings of The History Boys is exactly the same.  A must-see for anyone who breaths and would like to continue breathing knowing such an amazing piece of film exists in the world.

(Source: sabrinatakesovertheworld)