Something that ironically stuck with me upon my first viewing of Dead Poets society was the scene of which the birds flying away after being chased. What at first glance seems like an insignificant scene meant solely to enhance the movie's visual effects ended up having deeper meaning than I had anticipated.

Birds are often associated with freedom and possibly unity due to their flocking behaviour. The lack of personality that the boys experience is symbolised by these birds. The birds are nearly always depicted in groups. With few differences between each individual bird, they move as a single unit. This is a representation of the boys' mindless compliance that their parents, the school, and, to some extent, even themselves, demand of them. In one moment in the movie, numerous flocks of birds are shown flying away. As the boys descend the crowded stairs on their first day, the boys' bickering is layered on top of the birds' bickering. The boys and the birds travel in unison with the flock, not asking any questions about their destination or reason. The boys are directly compared to birds in this scene. Despite the birds ability to fly out and be free in any direction, they are particularly compared to a flock of birds who stick together and mimic the flight patterns of those in authority. The boys can frequently be seen scattering the birds by running into them, forcing the birds to make their own judgements (as we can see with Knox riding towards them forcing the birds to move more haphazardly and by their own decisions) as they progress and adopt some of Mr. Keating's principles. In the end, this symbolises the boys' development and their foray into independent thought, showing them that they are capable of thinking for themselves and defying the herd in addition to holding on to conventional beliefs and flying with the flock.

To me, it's just beautiful how much effort was put into this film to bring it to life. How much meaning every frame holds.