This Robin Williams classic used to have muddy dialogue, but a new 4K reissue just solved the problem almost completely
Dead Poets Society is a lovely tearjerker
There's a certain type of late 80s, more 1990s film that feels like it doesn't get made anymore, even if that's not really all that true, and I'd say Robin Williams is a great mascot for that slightly made-up genre. He fronted a bunch of mid-budget ensemble movies in his time, from Good Will Hunting to derided efforts like Flubber, and as it happens, two of his most iconic roles just got 4K reissues.
Mrs Doubtfire has perhaps aged a little less gracefully (in political terms, anyway), but Dead Poets Society is a more enduring hit, and when the film arrived with me this week, I did something unprecedented – I watched it that very same evening. There was something immediately attractive about its cosy setting and heartwarming (then tearjerking) subject matter.
We're in a really great period right now when it comes to 4K remasters of beloved films, and if it's been a while since you watched Peter Weir's movie, then I can't really recommend a better way than this new version.
It cleans up the image remarkably, but still keeps a real sense of film-stock soul for the film, with obvious grain and an enduring amount of character on evidence. It's the sort of remastering effort that makes you realise just how pretty some of its best shots are, from gorgeous sunrises over the school grounds to a vertical staircase full of boys on their way to class.
I had also completely forgotten how young everyone in this film is – not just the boys in the society, famously featuring a youthful Ethan Hawke, but even Williams himself is right at his peak. Thankfully, every detail of their expressions is maintained and ptu across beautifully with the amount of resolution and clarity it deserves.
What I think is really upgraded most substantially, though, is the audio. I wouldn't have had a Dolby Atmos mix that high up my wishlist for what's basically a dialogue-heavy movie, but it really does come out quite beautifully in the watching.
In some cases that means busy scenes have a real vibrancy to them (particularly when many of the students are bustling about at once). Where it's even better, though, is when dialogue gets a little muddy. This is a classic problem for slightly older movies, and it's always nice to see a remaster improve things.
Between Williams and some of the older faculty in the film, there are plenty of slightly mumbled deliveries or moments when the audio wasn't perfect, but this remaster makes the whole thing drastically easier to listen to and properly understand. Sure, you won't really miss out on essential plot by watching an older scan, but I still think this makes a real difference.
This new version literally just became available, so I can't pretend it's a cheap option right now (and the 4K scan will probably filter through to digital rentals pretty soon, too). Still, if you're a Robin Williams fan, it feels like a fairly essential addition to any physical collection, and I had a whale of a time taking the road less travelled with it.
