El graduado

What a ride....This is a perfect example of what art can generate if one puts soul and wit into it. Firstly, I find human emotions and life issues depicted in a bitter-comic manner to be a charming combination.Love,sex,insecurity,family relationships,shyness,deception are treated with great humor and witty dialog in this movie.Long and elaborated shots,incredible story-telling creativity (like 1-st person camera views,long still frames,distance frames),video-clip like sequences (beautifully sustained by Simon and Garfunkel's heart-warming poetry and sad irony).There is enough creative film work in The Graduate to suffice for 10 movies.The dialog is excellent and the acting pure genius.And, oh...the time frame...the sixties...don't get me started.The 2000's are like an insurance seminar compared to that... No need to praise this movie anymore, it speaks for itself.It is not,however,a movie for the masses.This is no Ben-Hur type of flick,with spectacular imagery and epic storyline.It is an epic of the inner soul.It requires a bit of meditation, it is only entertaining if you get in touch with your inner self and not expect to watch the screen and BE entertained. Despite its comic appearance,I always felt that it touched a sensitive somehow sad chord in me.It's kinda like:"Haha very funny, but I felt those type of emotions and they didn't seem funny then."It's also so easy to laugh at other people's feelings,torments and emotions, but when you realize that you are also part of that old human comedy and drama, your laughing becomes more restrained.More mature.I always connected with this movie, and with Mike Nichols.Too bad they don't make'em like this anymore.We live in an era where people like John Woo and Michael Bay are starting to dictate what we will be watching more and more.What a shame....

I saw this film for the first time in September 1968, after working for just one year as a professional cinematographer. I rapidly saw it five more times, in order to observe technical details of the photography of the film, but every time I completely forgot to look at those details, since I became so absorbed by the film every time. Now, after more than 35 years as a cinematographer and film teacher, I still marvel at Mike Nichols' and Robert Surtees' work every time I see the film. Almost everything you can do with a camera can be seen in this film, and everything is perfectly right for the story. The Graduate is groundbreaking in more areas than the photography. The casting, writing, acting, picture and sound editing are all exceptionally good, and have influenced film-making ever since. I was very happy when I saw that The Graduate reached the 7th position in the American Film Institute's voting of the best American films in history.

If there is one movie from the 1960's that my family loves to rave about, it's this film, the Graduate. I can see why my family loves this film. It's a coming-of-age film set in the time period my parents grew up. A childhood classic, my father would say. As for myself, a generation or two later, I found this to be mostly a great film. If I had a complaint, I would say the film is very outdated and it grew old…..fast. But the themes of post-college troubles are very much prevalent in today's world. I liked this film not only because of resonating themes, it's the movie that introduced us to the careers of a legendary director in Mike Nichols and a fantastic actor in Dustin Hoffman. I also liked the soundtrack created by the folk-rock duo, Simon and Garfunkel. Their songs are very catchy and easy to hum along to. Of course, now we all know where the song, "Mrs. Robinson" comes from.

Mike Nichol's film is about a young man named Ben who has just graduated from college. His parents expect great things out of him. At a homecoming party, he drives the wife of his father's business partner home and he begins an affair with Mrs. Robinson. But things get complicated when he falls for a girl named Elaine. But Elaine happens to be the daughter of Mrs. Robinson!

The film is very well-acted. Anne Bancroft does a wonderful job as the sexy, manipulative Mrs. Robinson. Dustin Hoffman shows everyone why he is a great actor. He kills every scene he is in. I think Katherine Ross did a solid job as Elaine, although we don't meet her until late in the film. For those who are fans of the 90's TV Show "Boy Meets World," you may recognize Mr. Feeney himself, William Daniels as Ben's father.

Overall, The Graduate may be a bit old and weary, but it tells such a wise story with great acting and fantastic music, that it's hard to not see pass those rusty pipes. As I said before, this film has themes that are easily prevalent nearly fifty years after the film's release. It's one of those coming-of-age stories that shall stand the test of time, even if only because of the themes. This is a very memorable film to say the least.

My Grade: B+

What I like the most about old movies like this one, are the subjects (Nowadays) that are quite controversial and that very little will likely be dealt with. The movie is good but bothered me a little because it seemed a little forced, there are many funny scenes the character Ben represents well the nervousness of "being a virgin" on the first night, I believe this movie was an inspiration for American Pie.

What would you do, after coming back from college, a transition is required, to expand and fill your knowledge, you're not sure just what you want, with this new world, in which you haunt, and you feel a touch distressed - as Mrs. R. slips off her dress. You make a run and disappear, uncomfortable, abashed, there's fear, but days later you have courage, which you find is not discouraged, rendezvous are orchestrated, passions sated, unabated - there is mutual satisfaction, until the train loses some traction. The ladies daughter is a spanner, and you become somewhat enamoured, but you just will not be warned, the dangers of a cougar scorned, as her claws unsheathed like daggers, scythe you from, immortal swagger, and all your futures take a turn (again), as your fingers feel the burn.

Benjamin Braddock is snared by the older Mrs. Robinson as he struggles and juggles with his transition into a post college world that only emerges gradually, and then never really reveals itself in total, although everyone else seems to know what's good for him and the paths that he should take. A timeless classic, as relevant today as it was back when it was made, and sometime before, albeit the older lady scenario not one most young men would encounter, no matter how much they would like it to.