The History Boys
All the actors did a stint at the National Theatre before filming
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Tuesday, 17, Oct 2006 08:56
Directed by Nicholas Hytner, out now, in the cinema, starring Richard Griffiths, Stephen Campbell Moore and Samuel Barnett, running time 109 mins.
In a nutshell.
Funny, observant, clever, thoughtful and charming.
What's it all about?
Eight bright but thoroughly down-to-earth grammar school boys return for the now defunct "seventh term" in preparation for the Oxbridge entrance exams in history. They return to the tutelage of the eccentric Mr Hector, who encourages his students to pretend to be French prostitutes in order to learn the subjunctive verb and that A Brief Encounter is as valid an art form as Hardy.
However, with a headmaster keen to make a name for himself with a clean sweep of Oxbridge successes, the ambitious young Mr Irwin is drafted in to coach the boys through the application process, prompting one of cinema's few feature length philosophical discussions on the role of education. Meanwhile extra-curricular activities prove to be just as complex and morally challenging as a history question on contextualising the holocaust.
Who's in it?
Most of the cast arrived fresh from a run at the National Theatre, with the obvious benefit to the audience that they clearly know their characters inside and out. The boys are played by an ensemble of relative unknowns, and although many were sceptical at the men's ability to play sixth form students in close-up, the transition is a successful one. Samuel Barnett is particularly accomplished as the sensitive Posner, who enjoys one of the best lines in the film. Richard Griffiths plays Hector, where any concerns that he is in danger of being typecast as an eccentric homosexual is outweighed by the merits of his performance.
As an example.
Posner: Do you ever sit back and look at your life?
Irwin: I thought everyone did?
Posner: I'm Jewish... I'm small... I'm homosexual... and I'm from Sheffield..Basically, I'm f****d.
Likelihood of a trip to the Oscars
The odds look good that Bennett could receive a nod for the screenplay and the possibility of Griffith receiving a nomination in an acting category cannot entirely be ruled out. On balance, however, it is a very British film and will probably be ignored.
What the others say
"An ably acted, if visually uninspired film, which is more convincing in its examination of the adult characters than the History Boys themselves." - Total Film: Three stars.
"Alan Bennett's brilliant History Boys makes a triumphant crossover from stage to screen." - The Guardian.
So is it any good?
Yes. When this project was first announced some fans were concerned that it would not translate well to the big screen and even Griffith has expressed reservations. The finished project reveals their concerns to be misplaced, however, as the History Boys has transferred impressively well. It succeeds in being a school-themed film that is neither mawkish nor sentimental, as with Dead Poets Society, or juvenile, as with most American teen high school dramas.
Bennett uses Hector and Irwin to explore his own views on education, while the depth of the characters means that they are not reduced to mere stereotypes but instead remain engaging in their own right. The boys also manage to touch on the normal dramas of adolescence without the script resorting to cliche. As a skilled dramatist Bennett manages to include enough key developments to keep a potentially sleepy and claustrophobic plot moving forward, with an eye for character that means you do actually care about the boys' fate, far beyond the highly prized Oxbridge entrance exams.
8/10
Kate Webb