Third Time's the Charm.

Rating: 8/10 (12 May 2015)

I had seen The Graduate two other times prior to this most recent viewing and I wasn't much of a fan. There was such a high expectation established prior to my first viewing that I was inevitably let down when the film was over and nothing that special happened. I used to consider myself a film buff because I had seen a lot of movies. After disliking a revered film like this I began to question my taste in films. Why did I dislike it? After some time to let my initial impressions digest I decided to give it another watch and much like the first time I just didn't 'get' it. What was I missing?
The third viewing was different from the first two because I had what I was previously missing, context. On this occasion instead of expecting the film to entertain me, I broke the film apart to see what made it special. It's when taking the time to observe the clever editing and overall flow of this film that I was able to see what everybody was talking about.
The key difference I didn't even think to look for the first couple times was the generational gap theme throughout. I had misinterpreted it as simple teenage angst or apathy, but in reality it was a much more complex emotion. Recognizing this along with being able to recognize the unique cuts used gave me a new appreciation of what I was watching.
One thing that I still was unable to shake is the fact that the music becomes incredibly repetitive throughout. I believe there were about three songs throughout that were repeated. Sound of Silence/Scarborough Fair and Mrs. Robinson. The quality of these tunes is inarguable, but the lack of variety is hard to ignore.
Overall I can now say I'm a fan of this film, though it isn't quite strong enough for me to consider it one of my all-time favorites.