Movie Analysis: The Graduate

The film Graduate begins with the protagonist a recent college graduate, whom is looked upon as a hero by his family members and expect great things from him. His name is Ben and struggles with what plans he has for the future. Although, Ben develops a sexual relationship with Mrs. Robinson but she is the antagonist. She doesn’t allow Ben to continue dating Elaine and represent unhappiness with an uncaring marriage, and resorts to alcoholism. The non-diegetic sounds in this film is taken place for the audience to help interpret the feelings in the character of Ben by adding music. The film is followed by diegetic communication with his father and Elaine. The audience can see his father tell Ben to come out and surprise the family with his scuba

suit, Ben replies but is not shown in scene until he come from out the house. More diegetic sounds are created when the viewpoints are changed into his perspective and jumps in the pool, with heaving breathing and bubble noises. The sequence of events that tell the narrative of the film is narrative conflict. Ben is conflicted internally and externally. His decisions on his future plans and what his parents want him to do.
To analyze The Graduate, the initial outlook is the setting that is taken place in the movie.

The film is based during the early 1960’s, with transportation of muscle cars, with the pin up hair styles of women and with the social smoking and drinking with no restrictions. The element in lighting is important that makes an influence on the Misc en scene based on the characters. Since Ben is constantly contemplating with his life, he is over whelmed with his purpose of what to do after college. Low key lighting is used from the start on Ben of the movie to show desperation, and sadness. Deep shadows are the main focus in his face and the film contains dims light to almost no lights in certain frames for analytical meaning. For instance, when Mr. Robinson confronts Ben in his dorm, the room stays dark and eerie, he could have easily turned on the light. The audience will interpret the conflicts/climax that something bad is about to happen. As a result, Mr. Robison tells Ben he must stay away from his daughter. The character’s personalities are describing in their clothing, the elegant dresses and sharp suits are shown to show of that person’s rich class. In particular Ben begins a relationship with a married older woman, Mrs. Robinson whom wears animal print clothing’s, also interpreted as a cougar. I also took into consideration when Ben used the cross (prop) as a form of weapon to flee the church, I believe he used it to show that their parents strict rules, religious or are

no longer attached to them. During the wedding ceremony the film takes a drastic change to high key lighting, Elaine chooses to be with Ben which than creates joy.
The Sound of Silence is attached to Ben from the beginning of the movie. In similar words the song explains how depressed he is in life, as he continues to want to isolate himself from his controlling parents and overwhelming family. Ben is controlled by his parents and what they want him to be instead of what he wants. The song is played three times during the film before his party, in bed after he slept with Mr. Robinson, and lastly the ending when he leaves with Elaine. The audio is placed for Ben when he is thinking about his life as either unhappy or content with his life decisions that he has made or has to make. The song is played in the end and their facial expressions are shown by thinking if they made the right decision in being together, or because they wanted to escape their uncompromising parents. Which lead them to rebel.
Cinematography is cleverly used in film with much of what I learned in classed.

The film contains an extreme amount of zoom to show that Ben battled with agoraphobia at his own party. The audience could feel him begin to panic as his family members continued to approach him with questions that he can’t answer. Long shots were used before this scene of Ben not wanting to go down stairs to his party, with just showing his facial expressions and his father comes to interrupts his isolation and long shot. 1st person camera view known as POV is amazingly used in the pool, when his parents pressured him to get in. The audience can hear and see his slow breathing, as he gets lower and lower to the bottom of the pool. He omits the yelling of his dad to let himself “drown” himself to the escape reality. Water is used throughout the movie from the fish tank, the pool and the rain. Distance frames are also used and one of the most famous shots that was taught in class is Ben running to the church where his soon to be is getting married. This shot is used with a telephoto lens that compressed the background and gave more suspension of him trying to make it in time before she gets

married.
To further illustrate the story of each character the film contains edits of cuts, and transitions. When Mrs. Robinson throws the keys at Ben its cuts from one shot to another while he was in motion. Cross cuts are also included in the hotel during the second phone call where Mrs. Robinson and Ben go back and forth making a plan for the “lovely” meet up. This cut also throws in cuts of water to show what’s going inside Ben head when he contemplates his life. Since water usually represent life. A transition is made from floating in the water landing to landing on top of Mrs. Robinson.

In all the movie contained several interpretations from the director, producer and editor to make this film pleasing to watch. I enjoyed watching the awkwardness in Ben and comparing how much society has changed from the 1960’s until now on how we view infidelity.