I think the most terrifying and devastating thing about Charlie's character arc is how quickly he became the defender, the hero, the fucking white knight. As soon as Neil was gone it was like he wanted to do EVERYTHING in his power to keep the others above water. No matter what.
It's like. You see this character where, the whole time, he has a cocky exterior, this evident facade—but despite that, it's so apparent that all that matters to him is his friends. And he doesn't know who he is, he doesn't know what he wants, but now one of them is gone—and his INNATE ROLE is to pick up the pieces. Because that's what he knows. In his eyes, it's his one and only value. Because if he can't be good for himself, he can be good for them.
And that's why his punishment earlier in the film gets me. Because he has to be okay. He has to keep himself from breaking. Because he's the brave one. If he breaks, they do too. It's because of that scene that everything he does at the end makes perfect sense. He was destined to fall. Just like Neil was.
Man killed himself exactly how I expect a theater kid would. Dramatic ass.
i try to get dolled up every day so no matter when i die I'll be a pretty ghost
my personal experience with DPS and other ramblings
my mother introduced me to the film when I was about 13 or so and I immediately latched onto it and made it part of my personality. i became an extremely pretentious high schooler and would unironically say shit about sucking the marrow out of life (and yes I am embarrassed about it now)
but when I was applying for colleges and I told my mom I wanted to be a theatre major she kinda lost her shit and told me that it was a stupid waste of time and money and i was absolutely GOING THROUGH IT
fast forward to now, I'm a junior in college (theatre major) and I watched DPS with my mom and my brother (his first time watching it) and I realized that my mom fundamentally misunderstood the point of the movie
I will never forget her telling me that she AGREED WITH NEIL'S DAD AND THAT KEATING WAS A DANGEROUS PERSON AND A BAD EDUCATOR
my brother who is into stem and is unappreciative of the arts anyway said that Neil was just kinda stupid and that the movie wasn't that good (????? major side eye on that one but whatever)
i just got so sad for little 17 year old me. she was incredibly sensitive and fragile and I just wonder had my mother been even just slightly harsher about me being a theatre major what would have happened to me?
then a few weeks ago I was talking to my friend. she's the type of person you don't have casual conversations with, you immediately dive into philosophy and morals and art and knowing each other's souls.
we got to the topic of dead poets society and the people who "just don't get it". the people who watch it once and never think about it again. the people who are so content that they are happy to remain stagnant. those who don't yearn for change, or to be known, to make art. those who are content to live and not
Live!!!!
and I'll never understand them and they'll never understand me. and the world will continue on like this. there will be people who stand still and those who can't stop moving
“that character is problematic” i am sick and twisted. next
My favorite tag I've ever come across