Blackboard Jungle

So this is where inspirational education films came from. Awesome.

I found Beth McCoy's article hard to take in. More than once I rolled my eyes while reading it; she definately stretched a thing or two. Her entire discussion about Dadier protecting all of white reproduction and governance was lost on me, I didn't really buy it.

I didn't find Dadier as self motivated as her reading would imply, I don't think he was out to protect anything but the kids. He puts himself very directly in the line of fire whereas he could have as easily went to teach at a more civilized school. He has no ties to the city, no reason to stay and defend this domain where the white way is apparently being challenged.

I also find it hard to believe that he was on some sort of colonialist crusade to take over the students in the name of whiteness. If he was then I don't think he would've used as subtle teaching methods as he used, he wouldn't have tried to befriend Miller to gain his unique persuasion over the class nor would he have shown cartoons to peak their interest. In the cartoon scene he utters that he wants the students to "just think for yourselves", he isn't trying to change them in his image, but rather give them the tools to realize their own posibilities and change themselves.

Classic inspirational education movie theme. I guess I could see what the article is approaching if I try really really really, really really hard to, but it seems too far out and doesn't have enough filmic evidence to actually persuade me from my initial viewing.

As an off topic note, if you find these education movies as silly and overdone as I do (this particular film is of course immune as it was the first) check out Hamlet 2 it does some pretty interesting things with the formula while still following it. Plus it's fuckin' hilarious.