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Student Name

Professor Name

The Emperors Club

24 September 2012 The Emperors Club

Based on Canins story The Palace Thief, Michael Hoffmans The Emperors

Club (2002) is a fount of moral and ethical issues. Though some critics call it a storywithout

surprises (in Overstreet, 2008), the film claims to be classics of the genre, like well-known The

Razors Edge or Dead Poets Society. The issues covered in the film vary from simple, like

cheating in exam, to much more complex, like the search for lifes path and people influencing

it.

The Emperors Club depicts the life in St. Benedicts Academy. The school would not

stand out among similar, if not William Hundert, a passionate professor of Classics. In

St. Benedicts School, he is the inspirer of the Emperors Club uniting the most talented and

prospective students.

In fact, Kevin Kline met the challenge of creating the image of a righteous man, but

with the tendency to take the temptation (Alonsabe, 2011). The image of Mr. Hundert is

ambiguous; it raises many moral and ethical issues. On the one hand, a viewer meets with

Mr. Hundert a coryphaeus. He is an outstanding professional who knows how to inspire his

students to hard work and perfect results. His Emperor Club is meant not for cherishing pride of

particular students, but for encouraging them to expand their knowledge horizons and achieve

good results. The Emperors Club has also become a symbolic link between the generations. The

father of Martin Blythe, one of Mr. Hunderts best students, was once crowned as Mr. Julius

Caesar; and it is not surprising that Martin himself seeks to obtain this high title.

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Being an excellent pedagogue, Mr. Humbert creates an atmosphere of friendship and

mutual help in his class. This can, probably, be called one of his greatest achievements. Twenty-

five years after their graduation, Hunderts students give him a party. They are univocal:

Mr. Hunderts lessons imprinted their further development and ensured their success in life.

On the other hand, there is a situation when William Hundert has to yield his principles.

This happens when Sedgewick Bell enters St. Benedicts Academy. Mr. Hundert perceives his

new student as a talented and vulnerable young man, rather than disturber of the school order.

The professor does his best to make Bell one of his most prospective students, and his hard work

brings good results: the student is among the candidates for participating in the Emperors

Club. It must be admitted, though, that Mr. Hundert makes a deal with his conscience: he

overestimates Bells essay, so the young man can find himself among the schools best students:

Louis Masoudi, Martin Blythe, and Deepak Mehta. That is when the professor takes the

temptation (Alonsabe, 2011).

Mr. Hunderts action cannot be assessed univocally. On the one hand, he realizes Bells

potential and wants him to live the life which differs from the one which Sedgewicks father

lives. Ironically, the professors help has an opposite effect: the young man continues his fathers

traditions. Seeking to satisfy his ambitions, Sedgewick Bell cheats in the contest. That is the time

when Mr. Hundert realizes an established truth: Great ambition and contest without contribution

is without significance (in Overstreet, 2008).

The image and the life of Sedgewick Bell is the same ambiguous. Initially, the boy lives

in a hostile atmosphere. His high-ranking father is hardly interested in Sedgewick. The man lives

in the world of his political ambitions and intrigues. He believes that end justifies the means.

Growing up in the atmosphere of deceit and squabbles, Sedgewick Bells turns in the young

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devil (Overstreet, 2008). Entering the school, he ignores its discipline, breaks rules, and soon

some other students support Bell in his destructive activity.

Professor Hundert becomes, probably, the first person who understands what hides under

the guise of arrogant young man. He overestimates Bells essay, thus, giving him an opportunity

to take part in the contest. The professor becomes the first person who declares: I believe in

you.

Twenty-five years later, Mr. Hundert meets with his rebellious student again. He is now a

respectable politician who could satisfy almost all his ambitious; all except one. Mr. Julius

Caesar title is one of his few unrealized ambitions. His main competitor is Mehta, a professor

now. Like quarter of a century ago, Bell cheats, but still cannot win the title. Deepak Mehta

confirms Mr. Julius Caesar title.

Bell is very sensitive to his failure. He understands that Mr. Hundert caught him in a lie.

He wants to justify himself by telling that all his goals were achieved the same way. One may

think that Sadgewick Bell is proud being insistent and impenetrable. He has almost everything

he wanted and he believes he will not reach anything unless lying and cheating. One may even

think that Bell puts this to the credit. This is, however, far from truth. Bell is confused when he

notices his son who has heard all the conversation with the professor. Obviously, he wants the

young boy to follow the road of justice - the one, which he has turned off once. He wants his son

to follow the path (in Overstreet, 2008), that is why he sends him to St. Benedicts Academy.

The film raises an issue, if a mans character is his fate (in Overstreet, 2008). On the

one hand, the life of Sadgewick Bell confirms the old proverb: Like father like son. Though

not taking an active part in his education, Senator Bell influenced the life of his son significantly.

Sedgewick became the same deceitful and unprincipled. On the other hand, the life of Bell

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proves the idea that a man can influence his character and his fate. Sedgewick understands all the

meanness of his actions and wants to change something about his life. Making his son

Mr. Hunderts new student is a gross positive change in the life of Sedgewick Bell.

Depicting the life of William Hundert in close connection with the life of his students, the

film raises the problem of life choices. The professor wonders if his life choice was correct,

when he meets with his grown-up and mature students. He can, definitely, be proud with Deepak

Mehta who has become a professor, like his mentor, but he can hardly be proud of Bell. The

professor feels a great responsibility for raising this devil (Overstreet, 2008); he thinks he

lacked skills and patience to forward his student in the right direction. The last conversation with

Sedgewick Bell encourages Mr. Hundert to leave his profession; he does not feel the desire to

follow the path (Overstreet, 2008) anymore. The party with his students sets everything in its

places. The achievements of his students convince him to continue his lifework. This scene

proves another established truth: every action is worthwhile, if its good consequences overweight

the bad ones.

So, the idea of a persons path is the leitmotif of the film. Following his path, a person

becomes an excellent professional who can inspire other people and change life for better. Being

a passionate professional, Mr. Hundert touches the soul of his every student encouraging them to

achieve great results in their professional and personal development.

Following his path, the professor feels himself the indispensable member of his

community. He inculcates the same feeling to his every student. The latter pass it to their

children. Follow the path (Overstreet, 2008) means to connect generations in eternal aspiration

to make life vibrant, meaningful, and better.

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Works Cited

Alonsabe, O. Franz reflection on Emperors Club movie. Teaching Methodologies of Learning Areas, September 2, 2011. Web.

Overstreet, J. The Emperors Club. Looking Closer, 2008. Web.