Stuck in a corner

Rating: 10/10 (26 January 2006)

Despite having a terribly flawed plot line, The Graduate's actors and direction make this film one to be loved by all. Mike Nichols did an outstanding job with portraying Dustin Hoffman as a confused graduate suffocating from the pressure of the real world after college. The start of the movie shows him going through the motions of life without a motive. Benjamin Braddock desperately tries to find meaning or a purpose in his existence, but ends up settling on the wrong option. Mrs. Robinson seduces him at his lowest point, and when he is vulnerable enough, he gives in to the pressure of boredom by starting an affair.
Water plays a huge role in the image of entrapment that Braddock feels. In the first scene we see a fish tank behind his head symbolizing the contained amount of pressure he feels upon first graduating. However, once Mrs. Robinson throws his keys in the water, showing how she throws him in over his head, Braddock is now shown in his pool. This is a much bigger fish tank to stifle him. The scuba outfit given to him for his birthday provides a comic image of the pressure he is feeling from all angles because he does not know what his future holds for him. There is only a small window with no sound but the heavy breathing apparatus. He is pushed back into the water by his father, which places appropriate blame on where most of the pressure in his life is coming from. The most poignant theme of water was the bathroom scene. He is standing at the mirror shaving with the steam surrounding him. His mother walks in and questions him about what he is doing with his nights. She is cornering him in the steam of the bathroom. Eventually he cuts himself with the razor when the conversation has gotten to the point of his mother being in danger of finding out about the affair. This parallels the people cornering him with questions about his future. He is backed up as far as he can go, until he starts to hurt himself with the affair. By hurting himself, he also ends up hurting those that he loves by losing the trust of his mother, and respect from Elaine.
Nichols direction with this film is incredibly appropriate for depicting Dustin Hoffman's character correctly. There are many scenes where Braddock is shown from afar coming toward the camera, whether it is walking to the hotel room or running to the church. He is the focus of the movie, but the camera, like all of the other people in his life, could care less about him. In sync with the attitude of people in his surroundings, the camera allows people to walk in front of him. At the zoo even the monkeys take precedence over the focus of his face. One of the most powerful images for me was Braddock shown between Mrs. Robinson's legs telling her she's trying to seduce him. Nichols also highlights the mindlessness of the affair with the talking scene. Ben wants to have a conversation with Mrs. Robinson, but she has no interest in him finding out about her shattered life. The light turns on when he realizes why she married him as if a light bulb turns on in his head. After the fight, the lights go off, showing the return to a meaningless relationship.