To Sir, with Love (1967) - film review

Unable to find work as an engineer, science graduate Mark Thackeray takes a temporary job as a teacher in a rough East London school.  Mark is black, a native of British Guyana, but this is the least of his problems when he takes on a class of disruptive teenagers who are determined to break his spirit.  At first, it looks as if the unwilling students are going to win, but Mark decides to try another, less orthodox. approach to teaching.  Putting the text books to one side, he decides to offer practical advice and experience, to better prepare his pupils for the adult world which they shall be joining in a few weeks’ time.  Mark’s fellow teachers are sceptical that he will succeed but he perseveres, and his results exceed even his expectations...

One of the most successful films in the sub-genre in which an idealistic young teacher turns around a rebellious class of no-hopers, To Sir, with Love is memorable for two things: a superlative performance from Sidney Poitier (totally convincing in the lead role) and the theme song (sung by Lulu in her film debut) which went on to become a chart topper.  Sanitised to what now appears ludicrous proportions, the film is seriously lacking in realism but overflows with charm and good intentions.   You could easily believe the film was made by the Department of Education to boost teacher recruitment.

Remarkably, To Sir, with Love was an extraordinary box office hit.  Even the film’s distributors couldn’t work out why it was so successful: it cost a mere $0.6 million to make but grossed over $19 million through its international release.  Today the film sometimes feels almost unbearably kitsch and corny, yet it still delivers a palpable emotional punch, and its underlying themes, such as racial tolerance and adults winning the cooperation of youngsters through mutual respect, are still highly relevant.  Poitier’s dignified portrayal of a teacher who fought and won the class war on two fronts is an inspiration to us all.

© filmsdefrance.com 2009

Write a review for this film...

What do you think of this film?