A rare combination of great comedy and compelling drama

Rating: 10/10 (13 May 2011)

Mike Nichols' The Graduate(1967) has all of the elements that make for a truly great film and Nichols deftly handles all of the elements in creating one of the most iconic films in the history of cinema. The acting, photography, writing, music and tone are all flawless. As a comedy or a drama alone it would shine but the film's ability to combine the two is what makes it historic. Dustin Hoffman's Benjamin Braddock represents a generation of young people who see the world far differently than their parents and grandparents and believes that the meaning of life is not found through climbing a corporate ladder or following the path that is set before you by others but by making your own way and enjoying life at every turn. This was something of a revolutionary philosophy in the 1960s and the social significance of The Graduate was just as great as it's comedy and drama.