Robert Reich is a major name in the political world. He is most notable for his time as Secretary of Labor during the Clinton administration. Reich became one of the most prominent voices regarding economic policy, leading the push to raise minimum wage, expand job training, and strengthen workplace protections—all aimed at reducing economic inequality and creating more opportunities for American workers.
However, his most impactful role was as a professor, as his previous 40,000+ students could tell you. He has been a professor at Harvard, Brandeis, and UC Berkeley. The Last Class follows Reich as he teaches his final course on Wealth and Poverty at UC Berkeley. His Wealth and Poverty course offers a closer look at why inequalities of income and wealth have widened significantly since the late 1970s, and why this is a danger to our society.
As the semester progresses, Reich offers insight into his feelings about retirement and aging during such a critical time, not just in the United States, but worldwide. He gets deeply personal about his career and his future following his retirement. “Who are the teachers today? Who is trying to make sense of the common experiences? Are there people around who are interpreting what we have learned? I’m not sure there are. And that worries me.” This quote shows just how much Reich cares about his profession and career as a teacher. In his last semester, he could have had an “Welp, it’s my last year” attitude, but he had the complete opposite attitude. He is thinking beyond himself and thinking about the future.
This documentary does an excellent job of making Reich seem like an average professor, despite the approximate 1,000 students taking this final course. He is a man who is widely known, but he doesn’t care about that. He cares about giving his students the right tools to go out into the world. But, he also respects his students enough to let them come to their own conclusions on how to use those tools, rather than guide them to the “right” place to use them. Another quote of Reich’s that stuck out to me was, “If there are enough people who feel bullied, they begin to have power.” It is another representation of Reich and his passion for the work he does, and why it must have been so hard for him to stop teaching.
The final segment of the film is a highlight. It plays during the credits and is a perfect way to end a documentary. It is a montage of many of Reich’s TV appearances over the years. The clips are another example of Reich’s passions for his job/ career and for socioeconomic change in the United States. And it is an encapsulation of the crew’s admiration and respect for Reich. There are additional clips that show off Reich’s sillier side, showcasing his personality that makes him so likeable to his colleagues and students.
It is a beautiful tribute and send-off for Reich into his retirement journey.
Score: 4 out of 5 stars
The Last Class is an excellent documentary that shows the grief that can come with retirement and the mourning that can come with aging. There is a difficulty in having to move on from something that was a part of your life for so long, and Reich never shies away from expressing that at any point in the film. It is clear that the crew behind this project has a deep respect for Reich and holds him in high regard while working on this film.
The Last Class is now out in select theaters. Check out thelastclassfilm.com to find a screening near you.
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