The movie is based on a play written over 50 years ago that details the life of a teacher in an English boarding school. While there have been several versions of the play that hit the big screen, the 1994 version, starring the wonderfully talented Albert Finney as Andrew Crocker-Harris, a Classics literature teacher who feels the weight of the world on his shoulders. In an age where everything modern is considered appealing, he stands alone in trying to keep the classics alive. His method of teaching is harsh and he is single-minded in his approach to life. In his mind, civilization is built on a study of long dead languages and the discipline it brings. The school is following a more modern curriculum and effectively forces his retirement, tentatively based on medical reasons, in order to make this happen. Crocker-Harris believes in his mission and pays no mind to calls for updating those facets of education he honestly thinks make the world a better place. He is unpopular as a result and the movie looks at his last days with the school.

He comes to the realization that nothing in his life has any meaning; his wife is unfaithful, his students abhor him (calling him Hitler), and even the faculty is disrespectful of him (regardless of his 18 years of faithful service). He's being sent away without a pension and his life is in shambles. When he runs across former students that have gone on to very successful lives, based at least in part to his teachings, he finds that they are afraid of him (one being very highly ranked in the military and the other a businessman). Only one student seems to appreciate him and that one may well be doing so to curry favor. With a few days left before leaving, the question is whether or not the man will realize his faults and if those around him will see him for what he is, other than a cranky old man.

The acting and direction were very solid here. I haven't seen the first version of the movie (made decades ago) to compare but Finney was excellent in this drama about the decline of education in Western society. Also solid is the performance given by the student, Taplow (Ben Silverstone), who makes him realize that his efforts over the years were not in vain, and his contribution to the lives of many was far more than anyone cared to accept. Greta Scacchi as the shrewish wife was in fine form as well but supporting cast Matthew Modine and Julian Sands weren't given much to work with this time.

The movie was worth a rating of Highly Recommended based on the content and technical values although there was a complete lack of real extras here. It was slow paced and not what modern audiences seem to appreciate the most these days but the underlying themes of loyalty, the need for educators to do the right thing more than the popular thing, and how those who fail to adapt are often taken for granted were portrayed without the mechanical plodding so many similar productions have.

Picture: The picture was presented in 2.35:1 ratio anamorphic widescreen color, as originally shot. It had some grain and minor mosquito noise in a few spots but otherwise looked good. A lot of attention to detail was taken here and it shows in subtle ways throughout the movie.

Sound: The audio was presented with a choice of either a 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround English track, a 2.0 Dolby track in English, or a stereo French track. English subtitles were optional as well. In general, the vocals and music were expertly mixed and crisp and clear to the ear. There was not a lot of separation between the channels (I can't say I recall a single sequence where the rear channels were utilized for more than background noise) but the movie doesn't rely on such things to tell the story.

Extras: There was a paper insert with the chapters listed.

Final Thoughts: I wish there had been more extras included, maybe an audio commentary track or interviews with the cast, or even the original version included as a bonus for comparison purposes, but as a mid-level price feature, I can live with the feature being so well made as to negate the actual need for them. If you're in the market for this type of movie, you could do a whole lot worse (and not much better) in seeing this one.