It is a performances centric movie

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

A lot of fun.

Blistering performances.

Sidney Poitier as we know is a legend, and he truly shows in this movie that why he's respected that way. Everything about this movie is superb, from the starting where the teacher enters the class and sees the plight of those unfortunate, undisciplined children to the way he transforms them to a fine, disciplined lot. Along the way, the teacher encounters many obstructions in fulfilling his objective but nonetheless he tries to learn from those obstructions and achieves it with flying colours!!... Actually this movie along with entertainment is a kind of educational movie too which shows that how important moral values actually are for the over all development of a society. I highly recommend it to anyone, especially children and teenagers!!...

British film 'To Sir with love' is set in a poor school located in east London where a substitute teacher comes to replace his colleague who has left the school. The new teacher is absolutely determined to make some difference in the lives of school children. He is somewhat saddened to hear negative remarks about children from his school colleagues. Although he witnesses a lot of discipline related issues at the school, he is able to put some sense in the minds of students who end up becoming "responsible adults". While watching 'To Sir with love', viewers would clearly observe that the white kids from London's poor neighborhoods do not have any special problems in accepting a black person as their teacher. Hence the issue of racism does not arise. This film makes a sad commentary about the people who would like to choose teaching profession for all the wrong reasons in the world. One should not treat teaching profession as a temporary job which can be done while one's search for another lucrative position is under way. American actor sir Sidney Poitier dazzles as Mr. Thackeray- a teacher who is able to win students' love and affection by treating them as equal as well as respecting them. He does not favor them openly but he is aware of their importance too. The social relevance of this film continues to be felt as keenly as ever due to the fact that English schools are still extremely unruly where students make a lot of noise.

Mark Thackeray (Sidney Poitier) is an unemployed engineer from British Guiana originally and a few years in California. Unable to get an engineering job, he reluctantly takes a teaching job at the North Quay Secondary School in the lower class East End neighborhood of London. His class is compose of some of the worst rejects from other schools.The cockney accent is quite thick but the movie is mostly understandable. Poitier is doing his stoic acting with some flashes of power. The kids are generally nice looking trying to act tough. None of them has any real edge especially compared to modern movies. It may actually be the idea that these are good kids trying to be bad. It plays more like a less intense sentimental movie. The song is great though. I don't want to say the movie is too soft. Just by having Poitier, the race issue is being dealt with. The main thing is that Poitier is never truly outmatched by the kids. He projects so much presence that the kids don't have anything equal to him.

I've seen this film several times over the years and I really don't think that it dates much. Poitier is brilliant and the supporting cast of mostly untried youngsters are all excellent. It may not be 'Blackboard Jungle' but it's still bloody good, with great performances from the principals and today's teenagers could learn a lesson or two from it, if they could be bothered to watch and learn. Some of the odd support, such as the ubiquitous Rita Webb, do their usual turns and the 1960s East End atmosphere is well re-created. Judy Geeson is an excellent, though much too old, female lead as a besotted kid in the classroom, while Suzy Kendall is much more suited to her role as an awed teacher. Having been at school in the 1960s, I can see so much that resonates that I'm always attracted to this film. Great music too with Lulu making a name for herself as both a singer and a half-decent actress.As a by the way, it's quite amusing to see 'Mrs Bucket' as one of the teachers in her earlier days, as well as 'Catweazle' without his make-up. It all just goes to show how life can change over the years.