The Spoiler Alert: The Graduate
The Essentials: Category: Comedy, Drama, Romance| Director and Writer: Mike Nichols (who also directed Catch-22, Working Girl, The Birdcage, Closer, and Charlie Wilson’s War).
Surely this movie has been dissected by every college film class in the country, and wikipedia has it covered, so I’ll be brief. But here’s my two cents (and don’t call me Shirley):
The Plot: Mrs. Robinson, you are one twisted lady! I feel like this woman had some pretty slick moves, actually. She inches her way through to our young lost soul of a college graduate, Benjamin.
Oh Benjamin, have a drink. Help me with my dress. Would you drive me home?
What a saucy vixen! She’s very glamorous and I loved all her fake eyelashes and wispy hair and her somber demeanor.
When her husband comes home and starts encouraging Benjamin ‘to sow his wild oats’, or however he puts it, for a second I thought he knew Mrs. Robinson was up to something and was supportive of it. Like, maybe they just had an agreement? But that was not the case, oh no.
Even though Mrs. Robinson’s first attempt at seduction fails (he’s mortified and runs home in panic), eventually he calls her one night and decides to pursue the affair. So while I wouldn’t put this movie in the romance category, it’s definitely comedic. The first night of the affair is also Benjamin’s first time ever. Awk.
At times it it reminded me of Garden State. The two movies are sort of similar and yet surprisingly, I tend to remember Garden State as the more depressing of the two. But in fact, it has a very optimistic ending and message, whereas The Graduate definitely does not. At least in Garden State, our main character is dealing with depression and apathy — but we have insight as to why, and we join him in his transformation, and we see him grow in new love with someone.
With Benjamin, there is no development at all. It reminded me of this quote, which is an excerpt from Shakespeare’s Macbeth:
Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player,
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.
I really enjoyed the last 5 minutes of the movie, which were action-packed, slightly violent, and strangely gratifying. Benjamin thinks he’s fallen in love with Elaine Robinson, Mrs. Robinson’s daughter, and is determined to interrupt her wedding and steal her away. And he does so successfully and with hutzpah. Banging on glass screaming Elaine’s name in a church, Benjamin gets his girl and scorns his ex-lover all in one fell swoop. They run off in a fury and jump onto a city bus, and as their smiles quickly fade, silence sets in. We are left with their iconic truth: everything is exactly the same, and just so fucked up.
The music: Simply delightful. I didn’t know Simon and Garfunkel dominated the soundtrack to this movie and I was actually under a deadline for a painting, so I was painting while watching this movie and listening a teensy bit more than I was watching. And, how delightful. It was just perfect. I also don’t think anyone else can get away with playing the same song THREE TIMES in one movie. Well done, sirs.
The only other time I’ve so-appreciated “The Sound of Silence” in a film was it’s artful presence in Old School.
Until next time, my dears.
-Rebecca
Originally published at medium.com on March 1, 2016.
