Still Crazy After All These Years.

Rating: 9/10 (12 June 2008)

There is much speculation that this film is not so much a classic anymore as the political satire and dark humor it is so well known for is not relevant in today's world due to the allowance of so much more in society. While it is true that we are not as tight on censorship as we were in 1967, this film still poses many questions and themes that ring true today. If anything, The Graduate stands tall as the simple tale of a love triangle gone terribly askew.
Dustin Hoffman makes the most of his breakthrough performance as Benjamin Braddock, the neurotic, geeky, very nervous college graduate who really has no clue what to do with this life. Benjamin represents all of us in a way, especially those who have recently graduated from school or made a significant change in our lives. He finds himself ensnared in a very vicious game involving a seductive, rather unfriendly woman, Mrs. Robinson, played with remarkable flair by Anne Bancroft, and her beautiful, innocent daughter, lovely portrayed by Katharine Ross. We know, as well as Benjamin does, that having an affair with Mrs. Robinson is a mistake and can lead to nothing but trouble. So, why do it? Perhaps it is simply to try something new and exciting or branch out into the world or let off some stress. Whatever the reason, the deed is done and soon, Benjamin finds himself stuck between falling in love with the girl of his dreams and trying to escape the clutches of the controlling mother.
This film is very good for many reasons. The best being that the three leads are very good, especially Hoffman, who perfectly captures what it must have felt like to be in that situation in the late 1960s, when everything is changing, but you feel like you're standing still. The script is very funny, particularly the scenes between Hoffman and Bancroft, which almost play off like a comedic parody. The story does an almost complete changeover as Benjamin changes his interest from Mrs. Robinson to Elaine. The film then becomes a chase to see if our hero (or anti-hero) can accomplish his feat. As the audience, it is difficult to identify or cheer for any of these characters. To us, they have all put themselves in this unhappy position and deserve their fate. Still, it is very interesting to see how this all unfolds. In this reviewer's opinion, the ending is sheer perfection.
The climax feels more like an anti-climax, but that was probably the filmmakers's intentions. We see the couple we want to see, but they are not doing what we want them to do. Mike Nichols' direction is fantastic, especially from Benjamin's point of view. It all comes together to show what the cinema is capable of, and how people can ruin theirs and others' lives by one simple choice.