"This is Benjamin. He's a little worried about his future."

Rating: 9/10 (3 July 2007)

Now we come upon a true classic of American cinema. Singlehandedly defining an entire era of film-making, 'The Graduate' brought director Mike Nichols (with only his second film, after 'Whose Afraid of Virginia Woolf?') recognition as a major new talent, and launched the remarkable acting career of Dustin Hoffman. The film received seven Oscar nominations  including Best Picture and three in the acting categories  though it walked away with just one award, for Best Director. Often overlooked as a highly-effective comedy, 'The Graduate' features a remarkable performance from Hoffman (who, at the age of thirty years, convincingly played a 21-year-old), as well as Anne Bancroft as the bored, domineering housewife who seduces him during a vulnerable period of his life.
Benjamin Braddock (Hoffman), having just graduated from college (presumably Williams College, where the author of the novel, Charles Webb, attended, and also because Ben is seen wearing a Williams College tie at the beginning of the film), is uncertain about his future. Pushed to success by his slightly overbearing parents, Ben is confused about where his life is heading, desperately fumbling for an answer whenever one of his parents' friends asks him "what are you going to do next?" He stares mournfully into his fish tank, perhaps likening himself to the fish dwelling within it. He is trapped in this glass cube, able to see the world outside but incapable of any meaningful interaction with it. This analogy is reinforced when, for his 21st birthday present, his parents gift him with a metal water diving suit, in which he clunks to the water's edge and sinks mournfully to the bottom of the pool. Unsure of his future, Ben is simply drifting through life: "Well, I would say that I'm just drifting. Here in the pool it's very comfortable just to drift here."
Into Ben's neurotic, confused life comes Mrs. Robinson (Bancroft), whose failing marriage to Mr. Robinson (Murray Hamilton) has enticed her to seek sexual gratification elsewhere. Despite Ben being half her age (in actual fact, just six years separated Bancroft, 36, from Hoffman, 30), she deviously maneuvers a vulnerable Ben into a compromising position and exploitively attempts to seduce him. Their relationship continues for many weeks in complete secrecy, though the two share absolutely no connection beyond a physical attraction. When Ben is coaxed by Mr. Robinson and his own parents (William Daniels and Elizabeth Wilson) into dating young Elaine Robinson (Katharine Ross), he haphazardly tries to ruin any chance of this relationship ever working, in the process falling in love with Elaine. Trapped amidst one of the most awkward triangular relationships in cinema history  a boy, a girl and her mother  Ben must ultimately make a choice about who he would rather be with. Instead of merely drifting along, he must decide what he wants and take control of his life.
'The Graduate' appealed very much to younger audiences in its day. With its disapproving attitudes towards the older generation's complete belief in materialism (epitomised by Mr. McGuire's (Walter Brooke) one-word recipe for happiness  "plastics!"), the film shows a wide rift between the young and old, making Ben's relationship with Mr. Robinson seem all the more shocking and scandalous. Only the younger characters in the film (Ben and Elaine) are afforded first names, likely a deliberate choice to clarify the clear distinction between the two generations. In 1967, Simon and Garfunkel were at the height of their fame, and Nichols exploited this to its full potential. By blending newly-performed tracks ("Mrs. Robinson") with those already popular with audiences ("The Sounds of Silence"/"Scarborough Fair"), he created a highly memorable soundtrack, whose songs are now universally associated with the themes and particular scenes of the film. "The Sounds of Silence," considering it was written before 'The Graduate' was produced, is a perfect accompaniment to the film, effectively translating Ben's overwhelming feelings of loneliness and alienation.
Considering I was expecting a straight-out drama, 'The Graduate' has its own share of hilariously comedic moments, most arising from Ben's pathetic impulsive actions when placed in a confusing situation. My favourite (supposedly improvised by Hoffman to prevent his own laughter from showing on camera) involves Ben dejectedly retreating to the back of the room to bang his head repeatedly against a wall after his pathetic attempt to grope an undressing Mrs. Robinson's chest. Revolutionary, funny, dramatic and memorable, 'The Graduate' is a deserving all-time American classic.