The Graduate
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The Graduate was a film that surprised me in more than one way. First I would have never expected it to be funny. The film deals with an affair, but it does so in a very comedic way. I laughed so hard during the film, that I completely forgot it was a film from 1967. I didn’t know they could make them that funny back then. The second thing and perhaps the most important thing that I look for in a movie that surprised me about The Graduate was the acting. I have a very hard time watching movies older than 1980, simply because the acting is usually not to par with today’s acting. This film had wonderful performances from both Dustin Hoffman, and Anne Bancroft. Dustin Hoffman does a very good job at playing the often distanced Benjamin who doesn’t quite know what he wants to do in life. Anne Bancroft delivers a truly seductive performance as Mrs. Robinson, but is well metamorphosed into the antagonist once she learns that Benjamin wants to date her daughter. She goes from being the ideal sexy cougar, to a rather evil woman willing to do anything to stop Benjamin from seeing her daughter anymore.
One part of the movie that I found very delightful was the editing. I don’t I have quite seen a movie with such innovative editing as this one. My favorite scene is still the one in which Mrs. Robinson walks in the room nude and tells Benjamin that she is there for him for whenever he needs to. Now the innovative part about that scene and what I though to be the highlight of the film for me was the way they edited the scene. We know that Mrs. Robinson is nude, and yet we don’t get to see anything. Well sort of, as she stands in front of Benjamin, we get to see flashes of her breasts, but for only a fraction of a second, which is enough to show, but with a very suggestive feeling to it. There are wonderful pieces of editing throughout the entire movie.
Another equally innovative aspect, that I have seen in other movies but was quite never aware of was the advance sound editing. The start of a sound at the end of one scene from the beginning of the next scene works very well for transitioning from scene to scene. I thought that was very innovative, and smart. Suddenly I started seeing film resemble other mediums. Film, with The Graduate, suddenly became like literature filled with literary devices engineered to work magic. I loved The Graduate, and while it’s not the best movie I have ever seen, the ending was quite not certain for me, I have huge appreciation for it. This may not be my favorite Mike Nichols movie, that belongs to Closer, but I see why the director is such a respectable figure in the film industry. Of course he’s been nominated for five Academy Awards, and actually won Best Director for The Graduate.
As innovative as The Graduate is, it still at some point becomes another picture fitting of the Classical Hollywood Cinema. It starts out very existentialist, and suddenly as our lead character develops a goal, to be with Mrs. Robinson’s daughter Elaine, the film starts falling into the system. Our protagonist suddenly becomes goal oriented, and Mrs. Robinson willing to stop this at any cost becomes a clear antagonist. The conflict escalates when Elaine finds out about Benjamin’s romance with her mother, and then it all follows the conventions of the Classical Hollywood Cinema. Benjamin goes after her, and is confronted with obstacle after obstacle only to end epically (climax) with him running away with Elaine on her wedding day to some other guy. Through all this the film is full with innovative camera use, brilliant editing, and that wonderful technique of sound advance. There is definitely more to The Graduate than one would normally think.
Everyone watch this iconic film, it will be one of the most unforgettable experiences you have.
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