The inspirational education movie Dead Poet's Society was a surprise hit, capturing the wonder of learning and the joy of seizing the day and making it in to something of your own.
Maurice Jarre's score played no small part in conveying that thrilling sense of intellectual excitement in the film, as it soared with the spirits of the film's teenage boys and, yes, it followed them in their moments of weakness, too. And that is why Dead Poet's Society is an effective -- even electrifying -- listen as an album. It has enough drama and passion to make you forget that it is incidental music for a film. And it never, never seems like it is merely incidental music -- it has a vivacious spirit all its own. ~ Rodney Batdorf