This film being made in 1967 when the technology is not what it is today, there is no doubt about it this film is a work of art.

Rating: 10/10 (17 September 2010)

The Graduate (1967) The movie "The Graduate" was directed by Mike Nichols and released on December 22, 1967. The film starring Dustin Hoffman and Anne Bancroft is an incredibly made film. This film is Dustin Hoffman landed his first major role in this film where he plays the part of Benjamin Braddock. Benjamin is a new college graduate that returns home from college and has a love affair with the wife of a family friend Mrs. Robinson played by Anne Bancroft. Benjamin and Mrs. Robinson have a summer affair when at the request of his parents he goes on a date with Mrs. Robinson's daughter, Elaine Robinson played by Katherine Ross, and soon falls in love with her putting Benjamin in the middle of a love triangle. This film is a comedy, drama, romance that's theme is a combination of love, sex, relationships, deception, and insecurity.
The movie starts out with Benjamin Braddock recently graduates from college and returns home. His parents have a party at their house in his honor. When the party is about over Mrs. Robinson asks Benjamin to give her a ride home. Once they are at her house she invites him in for a drink. Before the evening is over Mrs. Robinson propositions him, she is straight forward about what she wants from him she wants to have a love affair. Benjamin is very nervous and is soon able to leave the house, but Mrs. Robinson's proposal of a love affair has him thinking about it. It doesn't take him long before he calls her and takes her up on the affair. Mrs. Robinson is quite forward about wanting to seduce him. Benjamin is a young inexperienced man trying to find his way in the world. Since he is young and inexperienced with sex he has some insecurities about himself and his life. At first for Benjamin he was flattered by Mrs. Robinson's seduction, but soon becomes ashamed of what he was doing. When they got together there was no talking they just jumped in bed to have sex. Benjamin wanted more than sex he wanted a relationship to go along with the sex. Although not talking bothered Benjamin it didn't bother Mrs. Robinson. Mrs. Robinson is clearly comfortable with just having sex with Benjamin and is all right with the deception in what she is doing.
The secret love affair between Benjamin and Mrs. Robinson goes on all summer when Benjamin's father Mr. Braddock, played by William Daniels, encourages Benjamin to go on a date with Mrs. Robinson's daughter Elaine. On their date Benjamin is sure he doesn't like Elaine and at first tries to make the date miserable for her. After he succeeds at making the date a mess he feels bad when she starts crying. Something feels bad about the way he behaves and apologies to her and then they start the date over again. They end up having a great time and begin to like each other. Benjamin soon falls in love with Elaine and wants to marry her. He is determined to put his affair with her mother behind him and marry Elaine. When Elaine finds out about the affair, at first she wants nothing to do with him. Benjamin doesn't give up on her wanting to be with him. He starts following her around starting with going to the college she attends. Elaine resists him for a while even after Benjamin asks her to marry him. Elaine eventually gives into her own feelings when Benjamin comes to get her on her wedding day, she is about to marry someone else. Benjamin and Elaine run away together just before she is to be married to someone else.
The movie "The Graduate" directed Mike Nichols has won an Oscar, 19 other awards, and was nominated for 13 other awards. I can certainly see why this film won the awards and is considered a classic today. I'm not sure it is the story that makes this film so great or the editing of the film. The filming, editing, and the music all contribute greatly to the effects of the film. This film is wonderfully edited, the scenes flow smoothly from one scene to another. This film is full of great scenes. The film draws you in from the beginning and keeps your interest to the end of the movie. There are many wonderful scenes in this movie. One of my favorite scenes is when Benjamin walks out of his house, he is thinking about Mrs. Robinson, he dives into his pool and comes out of the water to slide up onto his raft. The scene shows him coming out of the water and starts sliding up on the raft and the next scene he is on top Mrs. Robinson. The next scene he is back on his raft and his father is talking to him. This is a great scene that shows illusions of what he is thinking or dreaming about. All the shots are put together to where the transitions of one shot to another flow together. The music in this film is very fitting to the movie's theme. Simon & Garfunkel's song "The Sounds of Silence" is a perfect song for this film. This song goes along with the mood of the characters in the film. The other of Simon and Garfunkel's songs "Here's to you Mrs. Robinson" is another song that goes along with the movie.
I think Mike Nichols 1967 film "The Graduate" is a true classic and one that will be watched for generations to come. In the movie the filming, music, and acting all worked wonderfully together to make this film a huge success. This film is more than a good movie especially when you look at the time era in which it was made. This film being made in 1967 when the technology is not what it is today, there is no doubt about it this film is a work of art.