To Sir with Love

The film “To Sir with Love” directed by James Clavell is a drama. It portrays the relationships of an unexperienced teacher Mark Thackeray (Sidney Poitier) and his class of cynical teenagers at the North Quay Secondary School in the East End of London. In a nutshell, the film deals with problems of growing up and teenager angst. What is more, it touches upon racial issues.

Thackeray finds himself in the situation, when everyone mocks the culture or, better to say, when both the class and the teachers forgot the benefit of being cultural. It seems to them like an excess for the poor, who have to struggle to survive. There is no way back for the teacher and he chooses the only right position in his situation.

Thackeyay tells the pupils of his own background. It turned out that he was poor too and had to work as a washer (or something like that) to enable himself education. «But you talk porsh! , – exclaims Potter. It seems like a discovery for them that mere determination and craving for knowledge are able to change a man a lot. They are used to see thr teachers just like theit gym teacher Mr. Bell or head Evans. Possibly these people are quite decent, but they are apt to play teachers and seem tired of their occupation. Mr. Thackeray has a kind of inner power which helps him to act according to his principles. But he does it not because of pride, but owing to love of people. They feel and appreciate it.

To conclude, the film “To Sir with Love”, in my view, is a touching and truthworthy drama, which is a must for us as intending teachers. In Russia we have a film “Bolshaya Peremena” (by Al. Corneev, 1972). It has «an inspirational teacher drama theme as well. The main character of it Nestor Petrovich Severov (M. Kononov) – a young teacher of history is trying to find common language with his diverse puplis. This film became classics of Russian cinema, just like “To Sir with Love” became classics of British and American one.