Movie Review - Emperor's Club

Emperor’s Club

"The Emperor's Club" tells the story of a teacher who fixes the results of an academic competition and twice allows a well-connected student to get away with cheating. Because he privately tells the cheater he is a heel, the film presents him as a great educator, but he is correct when he tells that student: "I failed you." The chief curiosity of the film is how it seems to present one view of the teacher, but cannot prevent itself from revealing another. Source: https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-emperors-club-2002

Characters

William Hundert – a classic teacher who taught students the history of Rome and all of the emperors of Rome. He also tries his best to teach his students the importance of character, principles and virtue.

  

Sedgewick Bell – an ill-behaved, troublemaking student of William Hundert. Despite his rebellious nature, he appeared to be improving over the course of the movie, William Hundert chose him to be one of the contestants of the Julius Caesar Contest in which he cheated and lost William Hundert’s trust in the process.

Martin Blythe – a diligent student which in the first day of class, William Hundert let Blythe read a sign on the top of the door. Sedgewick Bell was chosen instead of him to participate the Julius Caesar Contest.

Deepak Mehta – the most intelligent student of William Hundert’s class. He won the first Julius Caesar contest even though Sedgewick Bell was cheating.

Louis Masoudi – one of the intelligent students of William Hundert, he is one of Sedgewick Bell’s friend.

Elizabeth – wife of William Hundert.

Summary
      The emperor’s club is a story of a teacher and his students teaching them classic 101. The teacher’s name is William Hundert. He doesn’t only teach about the Romans and the Greeks but he also teaches his students the importance of character to a person and is very passionate about teaching it. Every year, all students of the St. Benedict’s Academy are inspired to one of the participants of the Julius Caesar of the year. On the early days of the school, Mr. Hundert was only handling disciplined and well behaved students until Sedgewick Bell came. He was different from the other students, He is cocky and spoiled. Mr hundert attempted to reach out to Bell, even talking to his father, Senator Bell and told the senator that it is his job to mold Sedgewick but Senator Bell countered it by telling Mr Hundert that his only job was to teach his son facts from the book. This encouraged Mr. Hundert to change and to make Bell a better student and improve his character. He supported him and reached out to him and guided him towards improvement and he did improve. Bell improved his studies slowly but it was progressing. He believed that Bell just needed encouragement and support. As time went by, it was already time for the annual competition of the Julius Caesar. There was the scene in the movie where Bell was ranked 4^th and Blythe was ranked 3^rd. Mr. Hundert believing that Bell can and will change and win the contest, changed his grade and put higher grades putting him on the 3^rd rank. As the contest went on, the three were battling with their knowledge, Mr. Hundert noticed Bell putting his hands on his forehead and thought he was cheating. He didn’t know what to do so he looked at the Headmaster and told him to continue. He gave Bell a question that wasn’t on the textbook. This caused Bell to lose to Deepak Mehta. Mr Hundert went on to bell’s room and Bell showed Hundert the cheat codes that was attached to his toga. This broke Mr. Hundert’s trust in Sedgewick Bell. Time went by, Mr Hundert already became the Headmaster and after 17 years of working he was forced to resign by the innovating St. Benedict’s Academy. 25 years later, Sedgewick Bell arranges a rematch for the Mr. Julius Caesar” and invites his classmates and especially Mr. Hundert. The contest started and Hundert noticed that there was something at Bell’s ear, an earpiece and he noticed something at the back. Then again, he changed the final question and Bell lost to Deepak Mehta again. Hundert was really disappointed to Sedgewick cheating for the second time, just pointed out that he never learned anything from his teacher. Mr. Hundert wanted to apologize for Blythe for doing the bad things he had done 25 years ago, he thought that Blythe would be angry at him but instead he let his son be taught by him.

Movie Review & Critique

 A.  These are the three of the many virtues that were highlighted in the movie, Honesty. As the Mr. Julius Caesar Contest went on, Sedgewick Bell was caught cheating and Mr Hundert was disappointed in Bell. Courage, As Mr Hundert was decided to help Bell and giving him a chance to change and to prove that he can be number one he bent the rules and increased the grades of Bell in order for him to be able to join the contest. Mr. Hundert knew to himself that he needed to give Bell a chance for him to change. But this backfired and lead him getting betrayed by Bell. Lastly, Discipline, the responsibility to know something, As shown in the movie when Louis and Bell and Mehta were growing to be like Bell and disrespecting Mr. Hundert. He also said that willful ignorance is intolerable.

B. If I were Mr. Hundert, I would still have given the final slot to the Julius Caesar contest to Sedgewick Bell. I really think that people like him should change for the better, the way he deals with other people should improve. As shown in the movie he never changed he still as ill-behaved as then, but that doesn’t change my mind because I believe that there is still something in all of us that could change us and it doesn’t except Bell. While Blythe is a good well-behaved student.

C.   “It is not living that is important, but living well”

     How do we live well? By the way we treat others? Ourselves? By how we manage our time? By the things we do? For me I think that living well resides in our mind. None of the things we do matters unless we give meaning to it. Just as Socrates had said, The unexamined life is not worth living. You can live a thousand lives and it would be worthless if you don't give meaning to it. Our happiness is decided by how interpret the things we do to our mind. Some may say that something that we do as a waste of time while we think of it as the best time of our lives. I think that happiness is relative.

      “Great ambition and conquest without contribution is without significance”

    No matter how successful a person is if he doesn’t have good character, principle or virtues and the way he deals with people is bad then all of those hard works is without significance. Just like Socrates, he understands the virtue of humility and respect for all the people around him. Now that I am a senior high school student, I should be mature enough to contribute to the people around me.

      D.   Do you want to live a good and examined life or do you want to be successful at any           cost? Why?
       

        I would like to live a good and examined life rather than doing what ever I can just to get what successful means for others, I think that success depends on how you think of it. I would rather be good that to be bad just to get what I want. Good things are the ones that are worth it and will forever be. I want to be remembered as a good man. Not a successful man that wanted to be successful at any cost. I would not sacrifice my virtues and principles to be “successful”.

      E.   Which Character you can relate with the most? Why?

         The character I relate with the most is Louis. A character that is just living on average. Easy to get affected by peers but still have my own life. I think I am just a person who can be replaced easily. In my group of friends I think that I am that friend who can be there and not there and it doesn’t matter.

      F. What insights did you gain from watching the movie?

           I learned that our character makes us who we are, how perceive ourselves as,  and how we treat others, and what does it really mean to live a examined life. It doesn’t matter what we do as long as we don’t hurt others in the process. As long as we give meaning to the things that we do , it does mean something. Immature, we can still outgrow it, ignorance we can teach but stupidity lasts forever. A man without character will never be successful. These insights will help me to know what is my purpose in life, and to know what it really mean to live a good life. We can never be too happy in our lives, bad things will happen, and it is up to us whether to move on or stay like that. This movie taught me that character determines our fate.

Rating: