The Emperor's Club (2002)

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. I don't care if others think it was predictable - so what? Wasn't Jaws predictable? How about Alien? Once in a while a movie has a lesson in it - like this one. Even if it is a lesson that gets played over and over.

I really didn't care for the mildly romantic banter between Kline's character and his female interest. Maybe the purpose of the character was to show Dr. Hundert was not gay - but that seems awfully shallow to me. If this movie was not about a gay teacher, why did the writer feel obligate to prove the reverse? All in all though, this was a GOOD movie - very good.

Fmovies: There is no doubt that Kevin Kline is both a funny man and a fine comedic actor. However, as he has proved yet again, anything other than dramatic roles is a waste of his acting talent.

In the finest film he has made, he is superb in his role as school teacher and mentor to a generation of boys -- including one particular bad egg.

Excellently cast, scripted and acted, this is a must see.

The movie deals with a good and idealist teacher (Kevin Kline) of Roman classic history and his relationship to a roguish and rebel pupil (Emile Hirsch) in a high class school . The teacher tries to redeem him but the continuous challenge makes that the incorrigible student (besides , being senator's son : Harris Yulin) results to be more and less difficult or impossible to dominate him . Meanwhile , the starring falls in love with an attractive , though married teacher (Embeth Davidtz) , and has problems with the college director (Edward Herrmann).

The picture is based on Ethan Canin's book titled ¨ Palace thief ¨. The story is narrated with sensitivity and intelligence and here are treated ethic and moral issues developed in great sense of ductility and fairness . As the teacher will have to face on the complex truth that can be manipulated or phony . The motion picture takes part of the School Sub-genre , whose maxim representation turns out to be the prestigious ¨Dead poet society¨ by Peter Weir . The film is displayed throughout among past and present time where we find the same characters though twenty five years later , except Kevin Kline the actors are different . The actors' interpretation is excellent , such as Kevin Kline as a mature and upright teacher who hands perfectly the role , Emile Hirsch as the rascal young is top-notch as well as Embeth Davidtz who is wonderful and enjoyable . James Newton Howard's musical score is sensitive and touching . The story was well directed by Michael Hoffman . Rating : Above average , well worth watching.

The Emperor's Club fmovies. I can't help feel bit jealous when ever I see Private Schools in movies. My high school was unfortunately full of teachers who didn't give half a goddamn about you. And it was/is one of the most respected (read pretentious) in the country. I never learned one single thing that was actually of use to me and I believe going to such a place is mostly responsible for turning me into the faithless cynic that I am now.

In this movie Kevin Kline (a seriously underused actor) plays a history teacher who is dedicated to making sure his students grow up to be fine and morally sound, upstanding people. They all get along until Sedgewick Bell (Emile Hirsh)the hell-raising son of an arrogant Governor arrives in class. His grades are terrible but Mr. Hundert sees intelligence in the boy and struggles to push him in the right direction at the expense of the rest of the class who actually want and care for education. Over the years he comes to regret his mistakes but sees a chance to put things right again with a reunion of all his former students organised by Sedgewick who appears to want to put things right.

There are loads of Student/Teacher movies out there but what separates The Emperor's Club from the likes of Dead Poet's Society and Mr. Holland's Opus is that Mr. Hundert's teaching is never in doubt. But he is flawed. Kevin Kline is so good in the role that for most of the film I thought I was watching a real person and not a character. And doesn't he sound like Niles from Frasier?

I do wish I went to somewhere like St. Benedicts or at least had a teacher like Mr. Hundert. It seems that teachers who really care only exist in the movies As are students who are willing to learn. Or perhaps it's just my bad non-education that skews my opinion. Still, I know good movies when I see one and The Emperor's Club get's my recommendation if you're sick of Hollywood, massive budgets, overblown SFX and intrusive marketing and just want a good character drama.

From `Goodbye Mr. Chips' in the 1930's to `Dead Poet's Society' in the 1980's, the movies have had a long-running love affair with inspirational, sentimental stories set at ivy-covered, collegiate-gothic, all-male prep schools. These films inevitably center around a beloved teacher and the lifelong bond he forges with his devoted students.

The latest addition to the genre – a successful one – is `The Emperor's Club,' with Kevin Kline assuming the role of the teacher who considers it his duty not only to instruct his students in the details of classical history but to mold them into men of integrity and character in the process. `The Emperor's Club' follows the standard formula up to a point. William Hundert is the most highly respected faculty member at St. Benedict's Academy. He is able to bring the history of the ancient Greeks and Romans to vivid life for his admittedly highly motivated young charges. Then, one day, into his classroom strides Sedgwick Bell, a bright, highly unmotivated student who would rather mock the stuffiness of education and inspire his buddies to feats of rabblerousing than devote his life to the serious pursuit of academia. It, thus, becomes Hundert's job to turn Sedgwick around, a feat that always seems much easier to accomplish in the movies than it ever is in real life.

`The Emperor's Club,' after its rather conventional beginning, deviates from its predecessors in one key respect: Hundert, though a man of values and integrity, is not above compromise himself, and he winds up making a very serious one, the ramifications of which he has to live with for many years to come. Rather than showing him as some sort of saintly figure, screenwriter Neil Tolkin (working from a short story by Ethan Canin) and director Michael Hoffman allow Hundert's humanity to shine through. He is a flawed individual who permits personal feelings to cloud his judgments and who is willing, once he has created a problem, to allow the truth of his own guilt to remain hidden even when innocent victims suffer as a result of his actions. `The Emperor's Club' is also notable for its clear-eyed recognition that not all situations in life need have a satisfying resolution, that some people simply do not acknowledge their own failings and, therefore, never develop into morally superior people no matter how many experiences life throws at them. Yet, what breaks Hundert's heart is the recognition he comes to that such a person is often times more highly rewarded by the world than the man who follows along the straight-and-narrow path all his life.

Kline gives a superb performance as Hundert, capturing the quiet dignity, understated passion and conflicted conscience of a man who loves his boys and who tries to do the right thing but who, like the rest of us, doesn't always succeed in doing so. Emile Hirsch is also excellent as young Sedgwick, the boy whose need for attention and lack of moral guidance from his father lead him to accept the winning-at-all-cost philosophy to get him through life.

`The Emperor's Club,' despite having its roots firmly planted in a grand storytelling tradition, still manages to take us into new territory from time to time – and its recognition of the importance of education and academics (we actually get to learn a little about Roman history while watching the movie) makes it virtually unique among films of its time.

This film is about a history teacher engraving his wisdom and virtues in his students' hearts.

According to my vote history, I watched it in around April 2003 time, and I gave it a 6. I borrowed this DVD again a few days ago from the library, not remembering I have watched it. I thought it could not have been a good film if I could not remember watching it. It was so wrong! I really like the plot of this film. It is so touching and affecting. I felt so drawn to the characters of the film. Mr Hundert's dedication and enormous enthusiasm is infectiously touching. Even Mr Hundert has such high virtues, he still made a mistake. To think that Mr Hundert must have chided himself for 25 years about not letting Martin be in the competition is almost unbearable. This contrasts Sedgewick Bell, a non conformer. He breaks all the rules and never regrets it, maybe except at the end. The two characters create such an interesting parallel, and gives much room for thought. This film touched me a lot. It is captivating and thought provoking. It truly deserves more attention than it gets.