Film Appreciation

Rating: 8/10 (28 October 2010)

I think everyone young and old has heard of Mrs. Robinson and for some reason or another associate the name with lascivious romance. Well the film The Graduate is where Mr. Robinson was immortally derived. In the transition from the 60's to the 70's, her character fits right in with many a young man's desires.
Dustin Hoffman plays a college graduate named Benjamin Braddock. Benjamin is very concerned with his future. He is anxious and doesn't really know what to expect or what is expected of him. At his college graduation party a long time family friend, Mrs. Robinson, played by Anne Bancroft, approaches Ben for a ride home. He agrees reluctantly. When they get to Mrs. Robinson's home her husband is not there. She tries to seduce Ben, but he runs away scared.
After a few days he nervously calls her and sets up a secret meeting at the Taft Hotel. After working through is fears and nervousness, he proceeds with sleeping with her. It then turns into a several month affair. The conflict arises when Ben falls for Elaine, Mrs. Robinson's daughter, who is played by Katherine Ross.
The major theme of this movie is a moral or philosophical riddle. There are smaller themes can be picked up on like social changes of the 60's or coming of age, but those themes are hard to relate to in this film in this day.
One motif throughout the movie is that everyone is asking Ben what he is going to do. Mrs. Robinson is the only character that is assertive and actually tells Ben what to do. Also, there are superb transitions of Ben climbing onto a pool float and then the film instantly cuts to Ben climbing onto Mrs. Robinson.
The camera angle is used extensively to follow the emotion or the film. In the beginning the camera gives you a sense of anxiousness as it follows Ben throughout the party. There is also a scene where the camera is stuck in a wetsuit with Ben as he dives in the pool.
This film has influenced many films since 1967. If you were born in the eighties, you've probably seen Wayne's World 2. If you were ever wondering where the heck they came up with the ending for that movie where Wayne intercedes on Cassandra's wedding, Wayne stole it from Benjamin Braddock.