It’s about time a new film was released that talks about the woeful state of education in modern society. The History Boys is the film we’ve been waiting for. Eight young men and 3 teachers cross our paths and tell us so much about youth and learning and the state of education today and you would expect it to be heralded but alas it is not. Although The History Boys was celebrated in London and on Broadway, the film which should jolt larger audiences out of their slumber has hardly generated the rave reviews it deserves.
The film uses the original cast and has the benefit of Nicholas Hytner as a director, yet film reviewers didn’t embrace this film properly and it’s easy to see why. The critics have been watching too much television because they run away from the smaller theme that runs through it which is that sexuality is alive and well in our schools and they are frightened of it. The History Boys deals with knowledge as it is presented to our young, whether it is classical knowledge or the kind of teaching that earns one a place in higher education and not only does it well but challenges our concepts of what those things are. The radioactive part of the film deals with sexuality and it makes American audiences very uncomforable.
The students and the teachers here not only have dialogue but acknowledge the lure of physical as well as emotional exchanges between students and teachers. Who amongst us cannot remember being bored in grade school, high school or college with our minds occupied with our crushes on fellow students as well as our teachers. The History Boys talks openly about all of those things, and because we have an all boys class we confront male sexuality in all its forms which is not only fascinating but some is also taboo.
The performances are stupendous, these actors honed their characters onstage from months to years perfecting their motivations and Alan Bennett’s writing is remarkable. The marriage of these two with Hytner’s direction are sublime. I heartily recommend this film for everyone. If you are looking for a provocative treatise on a myriad of subjects treated with humor and heart, The History Boys is the film for you.
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