This research aims to find out how disciplinary power operates through internalized rules and indirect forms of surveillance within the educational setting portrayed in The Holdovers, particularly in relation to the teacher’s role as a representative of institutional authority.
In conducting this research, the researcher applied Michel Foucault's theory of disciplinary power and the Panopticon as the theoretical framework to analyze the film. The study explores how the teacher, Paul Hunham, acts as an agent of institutional control, enforcing educational norms, and fostering self-discipline through internalized expectations and indirect forms of surveillance.
From the analysis, the researcher finds that Hunham’s character embodies the subtle yet pervasive ways in which power operates within educational institutions, encouraging students to internalize disciplinary expectations and regulate their own conduct. The film also depicts tensions between authority and resistance, as well as moments of empathy and personal transformation that challenge rigid institutional structures. These dynamics reveal how disciplinary power is not only imposed but also negotiated within the school environment. Cinematographic elements further reinforce these themes by visually conveying the emotional and social atmosphere of the period