To Sir, with Love
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To Sir, with Love (1967) is a British film starring Sidney Poitier that deals with social issues in an inner city school, written and directed by James Clavell and based on a novel of the same name by E.R. Braithwaite.
Cultural impact
The film is very much in a now-established genre in which an idealistic teacher is confronted with a class of cynical teenagers, disengaged from conventional schooling. The first such film had been Blackboard Jungle in 1955, a film in which, incidentally, Poitier played a disruptive pupil. The present film makes a departure in that it sets Poitier, a black teacher, in a predominantly white London school. The film touches on racial issues but concentrates on the usual tropes of teenage angst and inspirational leadership. The film portrays a sanitised and fictional Swinging London. Issues of sexual infatuation between a pupil and teacher were rather less sensitive in the 1960s than they were to become in the 21st century, as evidenced by the rather provocative strapline A story as fresh as the girls in their minis.
Subsequent films that exploited the inspirational teacher drama theme include: Stand and Deliver (1988), Lean on Me and Dead Poets Society (both in 1989), and Dangerous Minds (1995).
Plot summary (Film)
Mark Thackeray (Poitier) is a Guyanese who has raised himself from humble beginnings and trained as an engineer. While searching for suitable employment, he takes a teaching job in a working-class East End school and is appalled to find his class full of apathetic, insolent near-adults. He finds all his personal skills tested in engaging and inspiring them while avoiding the sexual advances of one of the female pupils (Judy Geeson). By sheer force of personality, he succeeds so well that the other, mostly demoralized teachers are inspired by his example to revitalize the school. His students' parents are favorably impressed, as is a pretty fellow teacher, Gillian Blanchard (Suzy Kendall). At the end of the term, he receives an offer for an engineering job. Ultimately, he has to decide which career will provide the most satisfaction.
Plot summary (Book)
Ricardo Braithwaite, a British Guiana-born communications engineer, comes to Britain in 1939 for post-graduate studies, but enlists in the RAF. After being demobilized from the service, he in unable to find work in his profession due to anti-black racism, and is advised to look at teaching as a career. He is accepted and assigned to a tough school in London's East End, where teachers come and go frequently and the pupils are mostly rebellious and unwilling to learn.
After several false starts, Braithwaite starts to gain the confidence of the pupils, as well as his fellow teachers. He is attracted to Gillian Blanchard, another new teacher, and by the end of term, they are deeply in love and plan to marry.
Quotes
Moira's mother: (gesturing at Thackeray) I wouldn't mind having this lot in my stocking for Christmas.Pamela Dare: Do you two...?(sways hips suggestively) (Students laugh) Do you two shake?
Pamela Dare: (after cleaning off Thackeray's desk) Don't worry about your desk. I'll clean it every day. Thackeray: No, it's no problem. Pamela Dare: It's all right. A woman's work is never done.
Theo Weston: Ah, so you're the new lamb for the slaughter - or should I say, black sheep?
Thackeray: I am tired of your impudence, rough behavior, and sluttish manner. There are certain things a decent woman keeps private. If you must play these disgusting games, DO THEM IN YOUR OWN HOME AND NOT IN MY CLASSROOM!!
Denham: Eh, Sir, would you mind boxing with me? Sapiano's wrenched his wrist and looked devilish. Thackeray: I think you'd better forget about that for today. Denham: I don't mind having a punch-out with you.
Ingram: Lucky punch yesterday. Denham (whirling, furiously): No it wasn't. He could have taken me down with one hand behind his back and you know it!
Denham: How many times did you hit me? Thackeray: Once. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you. I guess I just lost my temper. Denham: You could have taken me right there. I’ve had it in for you since the beginning of school. I was meaning to hurt you.
Trivia
- The film's title song "To Sir, with Love", sung by Lulu, reached number one on the U.S. pop charts.
- It was shot in London.
- A television movie sequel, To Sir, with Love II, was released in 1996.
External links
- [To Sir, with Love tribute site with stills from the film]
- [Lyrics of the theme song as sung by Lulu]
- [Internet Movie Database entry]
- [Movie Review and Information]
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