This could have been a good film. it had all the ingredients, but is ultimately ruined by two thousand times overused clichés which seem to have become fashionable again nowadays (see, for instance 'Brokeback Mountain' or the French 'Le clan'):the first one: the old homosexual teacher, OF COURSE, had to die at the end (the fact that is is a motorcycle accident and not a bashing doesn't matter, finally...); the fact that everyone mourns him at the end does not matter, the moral is safe, he finally 'paid for his sins'. The second one: the fact that the repressed (or maybe just hesitant) gay temporary teacher Mr Irwin, OF COURSE, succumbs to the offer of Dakin, the most disgusting jerk in the film, degrading himself just in order to satisfy some desire he could satisfy with any given (and probably much more honest) prostitute. because here, this is no matter of feeling, Dakin's 'offer' is not, as he so kindly expresses it, a favour he gives Irwin in order to thank him for his admittance at Oxford, it is an attempt made by an immoral being in order to confirm to himself that he can control and manipulate others by exploiting their secrets. I am really extremely disappointed that the British too seem to have succumbed to that crappy Hollywood-type moral and ending. Deleting these two scenes from the film would have been far more appropriate.AND MUCH MORE ORIGINAL.