Funny, literate and sentimental, The History Boys never sacrifices its brain to pander to its audience. The boys in this particular English school aren't from a social background that considers higher education a birthright. They must work hard to get the kind of grades that will attract the top schools. The headmaster drives them toward this success for the prestige factor alone. Their beloved teacher Hector gives them such a well-rounded humanist appreciation of life and history that they forgive his obsolete habits (swatting them in class) and his more serious -- even if benign -- sexual behavior.

Hector's reckless habit may be "harmless" or a justification for immediate dismissal, but it isn't the main conflict in the story. The students can work up a good pretense of cynicism but they are also interested in learning the truth. When Irwin steers them to impress interviewers with superficial flash, an entertaining style and the 'right' responses, the boys have to come to terms with what their education really means to them.

The boys are well drawn, considering that each is given a handy label. One is the pretty boy attractive to both women and men. One is religious, one is unsure of his sexuality and another is a jock who barely got into the special class and can't see himself academically impressing anybody. A black student and an Indian aren't given much distinction beyond their ethnic origin, but are at least given their fair share of playwright Bennett's smart dialogue.

The history masters (teachers) are very well drawn. Curiously, none of them attended the prestigious colleges, and they remember their school days with great affection. Hector clearly has thrown his entire soul into his teaching. He runs a stimulating and inspiring class and is so respected by his student that they accept his bad sex habit. Mrs. Lintott is efficient and motivated but feels constricted by the male-dominated school structure. Mr. Irwin comes into the school as a specialist to help the boys hit one goal -- ace the essays and impress the interviewers -- and is subtly influenced by Hector's humanist values.

The boys recite from poetry and literature but their classroom also becomes a performance stage. They sing old standards and recite fun scenes from movies, all of which parallel the sexual tensions within the group. Possibly more stylized in the stage presentation, the emphasis on gay sexuality plays as a bit too strange, and most viewers are likely to reject the film's tolerant attitude toward all the sex play in a school situation. On film, Hector's behavior is blatantly unacceptable. Although the film has no sex scenes, it is verbally graphic and not for children. Nobody mentions it, but we can't help but feel that the boys might be better adjusted if the school system were coeducational. Perhaps the distraction of girls would prevent the boys from concentrating on their studies.

Unlike the standardized 'magic teacher' formula, there is no big game or concert or other rigged finale to work up to a faked emotional crisis. The boys instead go off to their college interviews and we see the impressive yards and buildings of England's most prestigious schools. There are perhaps a few too many separate resolutions, including an abstract scene where we learn what will be in store for the overachieving graduates.

As can be expected, all of the actors are exceptionally good. Frances de la Tour and Stephen Campbell Moore make striking impressions while Richard Griffiths gets top honors for his flawed but loveable Hector. Director Hytner re-stages the play well for the camera; even his musical montage segues are tastefully done. The camerawork is attractive but unfussy.

Fox's DVD of The History Boys looks fine although the compression bit rate might be a little light; even in the first scene the image is soft. As this is a specially prepared early screener and not final product, there's not much point in evaluating image quality.

This disc does appear to have a full complement of extras. Writer Alan Bennett and director Nicholas Hynter share an informative track addressing the changes made to the play but, sadly, do not discuss the interesting cast in personal detail. More information on the cast of The History Boys appears in two featurettes. History Boys around the World: Tour Diaries covers their touring engagements with the play in the Far East, Australia and New York. It's structured like fast-paced TV fluff, while the piece on the making of the film Pass It On: The History Boys on Screen is less rushed, giving us more input from the various personalities.

On a scale of Excellent, Good, Fair, and Poor, The History Boys rates:
Movie: Excellent
Video: Excellent
Sound: Excellent
Supplements: Audio Commentary with director Nicholas Hytner and writer Alan Bennett; Featurette docus History Boys around the World: Tour Diaries and Pass it On: The History Boys on Screen
Packaging: Keep case
Reviewed: March 30, 2007