Well everyone has been comparing The Emperor’s Club to Dead Poet’s Society, but in this case I did not see that movie, so there will be no comparison. What it can be compared to is all the other male boarding school films ever made because it is basically the same idea. One dedicated teacher and the one student that stands out for one reason or another and the coming of age for both. Well in this case the teacher is Kevin Kline (Life as a House) as classics professor William Hundert. In fact he is truly passionate about what he teaches and loves being a teacher. This film spans many decades but we only view one year in his life of teaching.

The film opens with the retired Hundert landing in a helicopter to some retreat where he is the guest of honor and while looking through his luggage we are taken back in time to his time as a teacher. This group of students appear no different than any other group throughout the years, some son’s of alumni, some looking to challenge authority and some looking for their own niche at the school and others just trying to be the best they can be. Over the door of his class is a history lesson that cannot be found in any book, and he always starts his class out with that lesson. Arriving late to the school is a troubled young boy, a Senator’s son, Sedgewick Bell (Emile Hirsch). This would be the student that tests this classics professor like he would never encounter again in life. The boy is disruptive and challenging. He has the ability to learn, but refuses to do what it takes to get it done. Hundert informs Sedgewick’s father (Harris Yulin, Training Day) of his behavior but makes the mistake of indicating his job is to mold his young mind and is thoroughly corrected by the Senator that his job is to teach his son, not to mold his son. In fact what is the importance of what Hundert teaches anyways? It is not math or science. Well Sedgewick gets an earful too from his father and at this point the relationship between teacher and student takes a turn. There is an annual contest for the boys and the winner is dubbed Caesar. Sedgewick takes an interest in this contest and slowly moves up the ranks until he is a finalist. The path the good teacher took in this contest not only played with the lives of other boys but also changed his own opinion of his own personal choices in life. The outcome of this contest is what brings this professor to the opening event and a chance to correct the spoils of the past or make peace with them.

Following the basic rule of story for films of this nature, The Emperor’s Club does hold true to course. What makes this film different from the rest, is nothing, so why would you want to see this Michael Hoffman directed film? Just a good story done well is the only motivation. Also appearing in this movie was Embeth Davidtz (13 Ghosts), Rob Morrow (Quiz Show), Edward Herrmann (Overboard), Paul Franklin Dano, Rishi Mehta, and Roger Rees (The Scorpion King). I can see the making of many boys’ school movies that came before this one, but I still enjoyed the story from beginning to end so I gave The Emperor’s Club an eight on the About-Movies.com scale. By the way no nudity, sex or anything remotely like it was in this film and I still enjoyed it anyway.

Last updated: Thursday, March 20, 2008 02:48:44 AM

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