Organnall
Too much about the plot just didn't add up, the writing was bad, some of the scenes were cringey and awkward,
jacksgirl1959
We find many British films to be layered and realistic with humor woven in. This does not disappoint! The boys are fun and trying to find their way into Cambridge. They are accepting of each other without bullying which is refreshing. Most of the boys went on to act in blockbusters like Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, and Harry Potter series...fun to see them so young here. Just a nice way to spend a couple of hours enjoying a great movie from the U.K.
shireenvw
I think the film did not just show the traditions of the old method of teaching but also the new way which teaching has taken a turn for and how they both can be linked together to form a master piece of teaching styles and enjoyment. The drama in the film on the other hand I have to admit I felt as though Hector is the personality of both sex teachers because even female teachers find themselves in the role of wanting their younger students even though they cant really help themselves they still fight their way through it regardless. Therefore I feel that Hector can not be seen just as a man but as a teacher figure head of those that struggle and do not wish to admit it to themselves I think it might even be common enough where teachers should have counselling sessions regarding these unwanted feelings, however yes we cannot say for sure that those are unwanted. I think that the film was extremely funny but had some serious moments and life changing decisions took place without anyone actually taking the first step to realizing the outcome of their moves.
Apologi
Many people seem to condemn this movie on a value basis as homophilic propaganda. I personally am a religious conservative opposing gay marriage, but nevertheless recognize this as a quality film.What I most enjoyed in this movie were the multiple intellectual discussions on the philosophy of history, i.e. what "history" in its essence is. Having done academic work with the history of ideas many questions and different types of approach were familiar to me from the Academy. Some people find the intellectual banter of the boys, laced with absurd situation humor, untenable, but I can personally testify, that a lot of wordplay like this takes place at academic circles when there are enough people immersed in certain discipline around. It is rare to find this at a regular high school, because usually one class carries only a couple of persons destined to humanistic studies on university level. But the setting of the film was in my view just to explain, what might happen, when such rare occurrence takes place among youngsters.The second point, which many viewers condemned as unrealistic was the strong sexual tone of the film. Now I do agree, that the film promotes a homosexualist agenda, but does that make the portrayal unrealistic? Yongsters coming at age are actually very much brimming with their sexuality, and it is not a rare thing they come up with direct proposals to their teachers. Been there, had the wisdom to decline, but the scenes between Dakin and Irwin are something that in my opinion is fairly common at least in heterosexual relations, as girls are exploring the limits of the power of their sexuality on an authority figure. Now what I do find justifiable in the criticism of the film is, whether the same dynamic applies to homosexual youth, as in their case the recognition and expression of one's orientation might be a much more difficult progress. In this I am no expert to comment, but at least in a heterosexual setting the same dynamic is realistic and in my opinion it is a strength of the film as a piece of art to explore this very dynamic, in spite the society might wish to pretend it does not exist. Is it not a marker of quality art that it explores issues of human nature which are difficult to touch and would be wished away by many in other forms of public discussion? There is of course also the question whether it is believable, that the two best history teachers of the movie happen to be gay. One can of course see this as an attempt to show homosexualism in an idealized light. However, I do have a few friends who have done graduate studies at Oxford, and in their account the old universities indeed do have a sizable number of eccentric gay persons in their faculty - some of whom are also using their position to get in the pants of the younger scholars. It is contemptible that such things happen, but again I make the point, that it is the task of art to show humanity as it is. In spite of the fact that I find homosexual sex in general and especially adult teachers fondling younger boys quite repulsive, in my opinion as a Christian it is important also to see the redeeming qualities of each person. The movie shows us, that neither Hector nor Irwin have had an easy life: they are no idealized romantic subjects, but have been forced to descend to objectible measures to get even one touch from the objects of their longing, or to repress their sexuality, both condemned to a loveless life. However, especially Hector has come into terms with his situation through art and poetry, an objective quality which we can recognize in him. This recognition is not an approval of his deeds, but a recognition of that persons are more complex than just carriers of sexual identities, which should be a think to keep in mind amid all the cultural wars that tend to make everything either glorified of horrified.
user-117-64456
It is worth noting that if you were a victim of abuse in your childhood this movie is not for you.The lack of appropriate action taken against the abuser in question as well as the displays of sexual harassment have the potential to upset viewers."The History Boys" handles the issue of the true value of literature well and challenges the audience in much the same way as "The Dead Poets Society". However, this theme is regularly eclipsed by the exploration of the sexual misconduct of one of the teachers. My review is this: if you are someone who was abused by another person in authority over you and that abuse was not stopped (despite it being known by more senior people) this movie will just be distressing for you.
