Review of “The History Boys”

There is something eminently disconcerting that occurs when plays are retrofitted to the silver screen.

Live theater has one given. Except in the most experimental theater, the play must proceed within the parameters of the proscenium. Thus the creations of serious theater tend toward the wordy and static. Most of the time this doesn’t extrapolate well when retrofitted to film stock.

So it was with trepidation that I went to see “The History Boys,” which was all the rage on stage in London. It is the story of a group of enlightened boys in Yorkshire who have the opportunity to take the exams for admittance to Oxford and Cambridge.

So they are extra-schooled by their mentors.

At first it was obvious the film had fallen into some of the usual traps. The scenes tend toward being long and wordy, lots of sitting around abnormally while exposition takes place. The boys’ characters are performed by their original creators. While each of the fellows knows his role inside and out, these guys are now a bit long in the tooth for a high schoolers. It remains disconcerting, but not fatally so.

Their main muse is Hector, a morbidly obese teacher played in award-quality fashion by Richard Griffiths. It has been said by others that his girth has hindered recognition during the award season. Who am I to disagree? His performance is of the highest quality. Intelligent — as is the entire film. Deep. Real. Heart wrenching.

It is a pity that more recognition hasn’t come his way. It’s not like Griffiths is going to be a leading man anytime soon, though he does have seventy films to his credit. His characterization is as good as any other by a male actor in 2006.

Also deserving of acclaim which hasn’t manifested is Frances de la Tour, who plays another of the boys teachers in a knowing, worldly and weary fashion. She is wise and insightful. It is lovely to watch.

Like many films, “The History Boys” should have ended a couple of scenes before it did. The finale is an affectation. Why the author feels compelled to exposit on the future of the boys beyond college defies explanation. It’s way too tidy and reminiscent of “American Graffiti,” where the trick at least had some relevance.

Bottom line is that “The History Boys” is full of flaws. But surprisingly none of them affects the totality of experiencing the film. This movie deals smartly with issues which aren’t just given sound bites. The ruminations are allowed to linger as they would around the dinner table. Which is something to be cherished in this age of McDialog.

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