Movie Review - The Emperor's Club
Directed by: Michael Hoffman
Genre: Drama/Coming of Age
Release date: September 29, 2002
Produced by: Marc Abraham
Andrew S. Harsch
Michael O'Niell
Based on: Short story by "The Palace of Thief" by Ethan Canin
II. MAIN CHARACTERS:
1. Mr. William Hundert - He is the professor at a once-all-boys school who teaches students about history, especially that of Rome. He is a man with great critical thinking and is loved by his students.
2. Sedgewick Bell - a rebellious son of a senator who transferred to St. Benedict's. He is a prankster who encourages his peers to violate school protocol. He was believed to be a smart student, but was later found guilty of cheating. Mr. Hundert believed in him, but was deeply disappointed.
3. Martin Blythe - the remarkable student who should have been on the spot of Sedgewick in the Julius Caesar competition. He was righteous and deserving for it but lost the spot because Mr. Hundert chose to put Bell instead.
III. SYNOPSIS
In the school of St. Benedict, Mr. Hundert taught History to students who loved him because of his skill and they all respected him. One day, a new students joins his class that made him very interested, Sedgewick Bell is a son of a senator and is a very rude rule-breaker. He also didn't like to study. Mr. Hundert helped him by interesting him in his subject, to which Bell followed.
From time to time, St. Benedict's does a battle of Minds for selected students of Mr. Hundert, the quiz master. He was astonished to see that Sedgewick was going up high in rank to be able to participate in the competition. One night, as Mr. Hundert was assessing the works of his students, he finished that Sedgewick was only a few points lower than Martin Blythe, an intelligent student whose father was once a winner of the competitions. Touched by his thinking that he is inspiring Sedgewick to study better, Mr. Hundert exchanged the placed of Martin and him. making Blythe devastated. During the actual competition, Hundert noticed that Sedgewick was cheating by having notes on his sleeve and faking a thinking position to look at them. Mr. Hundert reported this but the chairman said to let it slide because Senator Bell was there. To stop Sedgewick from winning, he purposely asked a different question that he is certain not in the notes. Hundert was so disappointed and regretted his decision, even up to the present that he quit teaching.
25 years later, Hundert was invited by Bell to a reunion he organized. Bell wanted a rematch of the games and invited Mr. Hundert to be quiz master once again. The old professor obliged. He went and saw his students once again, with their families now. The rematch was being held and Hundert once again caught Bell cheating. He was then again disappointed and asked a question in which he was sure the boy could not answer so he wouldn't win. Hundert confronted him about this in the restroom, and Sedgewick answered with the same immorality as 25 years before. A bathroom door creaks open and there was his eldest son who overheard their conversation.
Hundert then apologized to Martin Blythe and admitted the whole truth.
IV. GUIDE QUESTIONS
1. If you were Mr. Hundert, would you have given the final slot to the Julius Caesar contest to the boy who earned it (Martin Blythe) or to the boy whom you hope to redeem himself if given the chance (Sedgewick Bell)? Why?
Answer: If I were Mr. Hundert, clueless and hopeful, I would, without a doubt, would do the same. As a mediocre student in my school who rarely gets awarded, I think that students like Sedgewick need a little spotlight, especially if it is evident that he is exerting a lot of effort.
2. Choose two (2) statements that were mentioned in the movie. Relate to this statement a lesson from one of the philosophers that you learned in class. What is the significance of this statement in your present status as a Senior High School student?
Answer: First is "A man's character is his Fate" -- It is by Heraclitus that teaches my generation that what we are as humans, how we act, and our morality, will do so much for our future. This teaches that in order to have a happy future, you must be a good person in character. Next is "Great ambition and conquest without contribution is without significance."-- This can be related to the Philosophy of Aristotle wherein there is a Prime Mover who enables us to make effort in order to achieve what we want. This passage teaches that We can dream any amount of ambition, but without the action and effort to achieve them, we will never go anywhere.
3. Answer and reflect on this question: Do you want to live a good and examined life or do you want to be successful at any cost? Why?
Answer: I would, without any hesitation, choose the examined life. By having this lifestyle, we are able to live while accepting the hardships of life, recognizing ourselves more, and experience everything that the world can give. With an examined life, we will reminisce on good memories as we get old.
4. Which character can you relate with the most? Why? Narrate a personal experience which makes you relate with the character.
Answer: I can say that I relate so much to Mr. Hundert. I tend to trust people easily and like him, I believe that each and every one of us has potential and is deserving of multiple chances in life. I am like that to my friends, If one disappoints me, I give him/her another chance, because they're my friends who are very dear to me.
5. What insights did you gain from the experience of watching the movie? How are these insights relevant to you as a Senior High School student at Saint Joseph’s Academy? How will these insights guide you as your pursue your goals in life?
Answer: It made me realize the significance of a developing character in our lives. As humans, we need to improve as time passes, more importantly, we need to mature each day. Reversal of this is wrong. As a senior high school student, I am reminded that in each day that I wake up to, there is always a chance to start again, make a difference, and improve myself. If I follow this, I will become a better person than I am in the present.
V. MOVIE RATING: 4.5 STARS
I rate this a 4.5 because of the meaningful plot, and its ability to make viewers think an many ways. It is a great film to watch with moral lesson. It is not perfect because I was bummed by the ending that Sedgewick was never a good person. As a jolly and happy student, he was lovable and adored, much more when he deceived us all by his intelligence. I wish he got to even slightly redeem himself. He was such a great character and to see him walk to the darkness (and not come back) is unfortunate.
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