"The History Boys" (2006) - Movie Review

I caught on to the word “conveyor belt routine” when one of the then boys in the The Up Series (14Up) says about the industrial process of educational system from high school to Oxford and then to the popularized careers in the then London. It makes you think about it when the boys in this film bend over backwards for getting into Oxford or Cambridge. “The History Boys” is adapted from the Tony Award winning play of the same name written by Alan Bennett and the directed by Nicholas Hytner. I did not know that when I was watching the film and it made sense why there is this bouncing words and literature play around in a visibly choreographed manner yet suitable enough.

The history boys as termed are the promising young talents in the grammar school of Shefferfield in 1983. Eight students with two old teachers with their techniques of inspiration are Mr. Hector (Richard Griffiths) and Mrs. Lintott (Frances de la Tour). Hector of course is the more inspiring one and has sessions of doing what really need to be learned for the purpose of knowledge than to excel in the man made exams of success. The boys know their possibilities but they are flamboyant and outspoken in nature, thanks again to the way of Hector’s teaching. Headmaster (Clive Merrison) is worried about the manners they show and hence bring a young and pragmatic, guide to your life changing exams, Mr. Irwin (Stephen Campbell Moore). Seen as a potential competitor and obviously the breach in the territory of his arena and also viewed egoistically on the facet of subtle incompetence over him, the fights are subtle too in between Hector and Irwin.

Every body in the film are eloquent, grammatically immaculate and intellectually locked, loaded and ready to fire up. The history is defined in their terms of perspective and the knowledge shared. In between these are the real lessons happening and to be learned from. The morality, the tension and the ethics, but it is more about what the society wants than the independent choice. It is reflected in a rather hypocritical manner through the character of Rudge (Russell Tovey). Hector is huge, old and has the habit of giving lift to his students in his bike. The habit goes further on groping them inappropriately. When Dakin (Dominic Cooper), a charmer and an opportunist says that to Posner (Samuel Barnett), it is of disbelief to us due to the manner he says in such a funny tone and Hector does not fit the profile. We learn he does and are constantly questioned by the action and as every one else who would see that easily mar the influence he has made on the student and on us too. The film proves its points on morality handles it with the man who is looked upon for that wisdom of thoughts; irony, thoughtful and enlightening.

There is a sexual tension in between Dakin and the new teacher Irwin. Dakin claims to be straight but he is man who wants to be loved even if it involves altering his sexuality a bit. But as in the film they say, it is a phase just that it seems to be more than that. Posner is in love with Dakin and quite frank about it too. With history been in the dissecting table, the physiological attention of these coming of age kids and the grown ups are remarkably handled. Quotations, poetries, songs are given in surplus and in the myriad details of it; sometimes we get lost of ignorance and pace.

Irwin is the right man for the job but wrong man for the real intention of teaching, even though he is capable of it. The same goes for Hector only that it is in opposite way. There are punctuations in this essay of these characters of emotional cavity as when Hector and Posner share a poem depicting them after Hector being confronted and the after hour calls up by head master to put Mrs. Lintott, Irwin and Hector in pairs to see their missed life, the missing moments and the actual product of this exercise.

The art of wonderful dialogues is not to be clever. It is how when any one is not able to put something in words for the feeling unexplained and to come up with rightly punching it in the minds to explain it in very few beautiful words is what makes dialogues or any sentence an art of literature. And the character which speaks those should be appropriate enough to be taken seriously or it would not only be shamefully laughable but miss its sanctity of its words. When you see it been matched so perfectly for numerous characters which would have fitted, Hector and Posner resonate the thought in unison.

The twelfth standard (or twelfth grade) exam in India by the time I was studying typically designs your path of success as many said and the one I believed too. The margin of error is unforgivable and the slightest deviation from the path of getting into a well known Engineering college basically can be assumed as the end of your life. Everything spins around it and as these guys go through the short cuts of education, it is even shorter in my case. A number changed in math problem considered out of syllabus, such a crooked chiseling of the brain. While I did not flourish as expected, it landed me in a so-so college and here I am. All these years I always believed the defining moments of that period of time. One question, 10 marks and my life would have changed forever. “The History Boys” reminded it is all history.