THE GRADUATE

I put off watching Casablanca for years because I didn’t imagine it could ever live up to the hype and adoration that are heaped on it. I was mistaken. I put off seeing The Graduate for much the same reason. Turns out I was mistaken again! I am in awe of this film and cannot wait to give it a second go-around.

The story is a rather simple coming-of-age tale. Benjamin Braddock (Dustin Hoffman) has returned home after graduating college. One of his parent’s friends, Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft) is a bored and alcoholic housewife who cajoles Benjamin into having an affair with her. At first, he is quite pleased with the situation. But soon the novelty and hollowness of the scenario begins to wear off and he realizes he wants more out of life. And despite his initial caddish behavior, Benjamin discovers that he is emotionally fulfilled and captivated by Mrs. Robinson’s daughter Elaine. This is a relationship that Benjamin’s parents have dreamed of, but it is also a paring that Mrs. Robinson had expressly forbade.

The Graduate (1967) is so dynamic and purposeful with its framing and editing that I was left in awe. The filming style is so exquisite that I imagine I could watch the movie with no sound and still be enthralled with it. And though it seems a tad dated; the reality is that it serves up as a time capsule of what life was like in the late sixties. Or rather, what life was like for upper-middle-class white Americans at that time.

Though I hadn’t watched the full film before, I certainly was familiar with the “Mrs. Robinson you’re trying to seduce me” line, uttered by a bewildered Benjamin. But I never knew how truly marvelous the scene was once the rest of the story surrounded it. The cat-and-mouse music as Anne Bancroft spins her web is perfection! And the camera framing through her legs, making the viewer an instant voyeur…. Genius!! Mrs. Robinson reminded me of an R-rated version of Julie Newmar’s Catwoman. She’s fully in charge, knows what she wants, and is going to get it!

The camera work is in a league of its own. When we first see Benjamin, it’s a full headshot, but soon the camera is panned out and Benjamin seems less significant. Then we watch him ride the automated walkway through the airport… an example of how his life is on autopilot. The filming is rich with illustrated examples of Benjamin’s lack of rudder or purpose, and on occasion, this is exhibited with a subjective camera (experiencing things through the character’s eyes/ears). One hilarious scene has Benjamin forced into scuba gear for his parent’s benefit, who want to show him off to their friends. We, the audience, look out through the goggles Ben is wearing and see other characters yapping it up, but all we hear is the sound of Benjamin’s heavy breathing. His isolation is fully conveyed.

Director Mike Nichols turns the camera into an instrument of revelation. He can deftly dart back and forth from close-ups to long shots, enhancing our understanding of the character’s state of mind. He is equally adept at quickly transitioning the story from hilarity and absurdity to emotional drama. Under his helm, The Graduate is one of those movies where all parts fit perfectly together, despite seeming like they shouldn’t. Oh, and did I mention the Simon and Garfunkel-infused soundtrack? It’s the perfect gel for melding Benjamin’s hippy-dippy journey all together. As I noted before, I'm really looking forward to giving this film a second viewing.

(TRIVIA! In the movie poster you see here, the leg is NOT Anne Bancroft! A stand-in was used for the photo. That stand-in model was Linda Gray who would later go on to big fame herself portraying Sue Ellen Ewing on the popular television show, Dallas! She was paid $25 for the photo gig!)