6070 (6070) wrote, @ 2007-03-21 20:17:00

THE GRADUATE (1967)
In 1967, the country was about to teeter on the brink of a revolution. Having survived the JFK assassination, the slide into the Vietnam War began to divide the country. Many began to wonder if the war was worth it. Students on college campuses began to organize and protest. The very meaning of America started to be questioned. Youth began to have their own culture. Rock 'n Roll became the dominant music and form of expression. Old Values were beginning to be questioned. Drugs and sex became more prevelant in the world of young people. A conflict between the parents who lived through World War II and their children begins to manifest itself.

THE GRADUATE was extraordinarily influential when it came out. It revolutionized how many people looked at an American drama and redefined what a love story could be.

There are many things interesting about the film. The opening song is "The Sounds of Silence" with lyrics that would never have been in a movie made a decade before. What else makes this film so different from the other films you've seen so far? How does the confusion of the 1960s reveal itself in what you are seeing on the screen in the guise of the characters Benjamin, Elaine and Mrs. Robinson?

This film also is unique in how it looks. Its cinematic style is also revolutionary. The camera is almost a character as well in The Graduate expressing Benjamin's outlook on life in WHAT we see through its lens. Please comment on its use of photography, sound, editing or even the story itself. What came to mind when you saw these things and WHY did the filmmaker choose to include them? In other words, what was the effect on the viewer about HOW this film was put together? How does the style of the film echo the themes of alienation.

Oh yeah...if you want, you can check out the screenplay to THE GRADUATE on-line! Would-be screenwriters study this script and it is immitated often!

http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/8200/graduate.txt

Erika Cerda (Anonymous) 2007-03-22 14:53 (link)

This was a very good movie! It was better than the Tha Sadist and A Hard Days Night. I really enjoyed watching this movie. Everything about it was good. In my opinion I think that Mrs Robinson had all of the planned out because she new that Benjamin like her daughter Elaine. Mrs. Robinson knew that when her daughter came back from Berkley Benjamin would go look for Elaine and Mrs Robinson didn't like Benjamin for her daughter. That is why Mre Robinson seduced Benjamin so that when Elaine came back she could manipulate him by threatening him on telling Elaine what had happened between them. But regardless of the chaos between Mrs. Robinson and Benjamin, the truth was that Elaine and Benajmin loved each other. In conclusion this film was by far the best shown in this class so far. I hope you show us more moviles like this because I really enjoyed this love story. I proves that love can overcome many obsticles in live no matter how big they may be. (Reply to this) (Thread)

Brookshield Tran (Anonymous) 2007-03-22 20:28 (link)

Overall I though The Graduate was a creative and interesting movie. I like the beginning scenes best, where a confused looking Benjamin was coming home from college and the song “The Sounds of Silence” (played 4 different times) captured my attention, drawing me into the movie. I sort of listened to the lyrics and I thought that it was a good song for the movie because it’s about how people are starting to realize things without anybody else telling/informing them. Like how the youths of the late 60’s realized what was going on and began to organize and protest before the adults. There are a few parts in the movie that I thought were funny and some were just too much for my eyes. And there were some parts that I felt like slapping Benjamin in the head, especially when he starts asking all those annoying questions. I also liked the last scene where Benjamin disrupted the wedding and stole the bride (a typical scene). When he was banging on the window calling Elaine, it reminded me of how Homer’s dad from the Simpson was banging on the window calling Marge’s mom, disrupting the wedding and stole the bride and left on a bus. This is the first movie that I saw with such wonderful editing. At first, I didn’t know what was going on and got lost but I eventually found my way and got it. I like how the editing was done in the scenes where Benjamin reached for the towel in his house and ended up in the hotel bathroom, how he was jumping out of the swimming pool and ended on top of Mrs. Robinson, how he was laying in different areas, and how he shut his parents out by closing the door. The editing was so good that each scene flow into another and you couldn’t tell that it was jumping from one scene to another. It must’ve taken a long time to produce editing like that. I think that the filmmaker had edited it in this way so that we could see the two sides of Benjamin. The side where he was just a lazy youth living with his parents and their rules and the other side where he broke all the rules and led a sexual life with Mrs. Robinson, something that was unthinkable to the youth of the early 60’s. It showed us that the 60’s were a time when things split/fell apart and things aren’t what they seem and that is being discovered. It represented the growing gap between the adults and youth of the 60’s and its confusion (because the editing confuses you, giving you the feelings that the youths were going to when they were trying to figure out what was going on). Through Benjamin you see the themes of alienation. He has completed all his goals and doesn’t know his purpose of life anymore. He goes home and is further confused by everyone’s different advice and feels that he doesn’t know anything or anyone anymore. He feels alone and alienated from everyone else especially at the party that his parents throw so that he could be congratulated by everyone who wants to meet him, who all turn out to be way older him. He is the only youth. He feels uncomfortable and leaves to his room when everyone begins to talk about his many accomplishments because he feels that because of his past everyone has different expectations of him and sees him as something extraordinary. He feels like he is his parent’s trophy and he feels that things had change. He doesn’t recognize his home and life anymore. Everything was of the unknown and something new for him to explore. He came home to find himself only to find that he is more confused than ever (I hope that make sense…). (Reply to this) (Thread)

Brookshield Tran continues... (Anonymous) 2007-03-22 20:28 (link)

Elaine represented the right and Mrs. Robinson represented the wrong of the 60’s. And Benjamin represented the confused youth. The youth of the 60’s began to realize that what their parents were doing were wrong so they rebelled and began to fight for what they thought was right. Just like Benjamin realize that what he was doing with Mrs. Robinson was wrong and must be ended. (Their age difference was made obvious when Benjamin asked all those questions and grew angry at Mrs. Robinson.) So he went against her wishes and went after Elaine. When Elaine found out about the relationship between Benjamin and her mother (because he did the right thing by telling her before things got serious) she pushed him away. At first he didn’t know what to do and was lost (just like the youths were confused) and then he realized that the right thing for him to do (like protests of the wrongs) is to find Elaine, win her over and marry her. Elaine represented the knowledge that was obtained by the youth as well. And Mrs. Robinson also represented the adults of the 60’s. Mrs. Robinson and Benjamin’s relationship represented the gap between the adults and the youths of the 60’s. At first they were familiar with one another (knew each other through Benjamin’s parents), than they got close (the sexual relationship between Benjamin and Mrs. Robinson), and then they grew apart when the youth gained knowledge (Benjamin meet Elaine) in which the adults try to stop them. Like the scene where Benjamin was waving the cross to keep everyone else away. I thought that this represented the confusion in the 60’s. The adults are trying to stop the youth from getting knowledge and the youth are confuse and are keeping the adults away creating a gap all they are holding on to is faith. (Reply to this) (Thread)

angie gonzalez (Anonymous) 2007-03-22 20:32 (link)

what makes this film different is the camera's angles. like this on particular scene, before benjamin is about to jump in the water, all he is doing is staring at the water, and thats all you see, the water. then he goes into the water, later going underwater, and you see everything from his point of view. its as if you are in benjamins shoes, as he floats back up to the surface. also, you hear what he is hearing. because he has that water mask thingy on, all you hear is him breathing and sounding like darth vader. all of the other outside noises of everyone talking to him and telling him to jump in the water seems to be put on mute. also, i remember you told us to keep an eye on this other particular sequence with the weird and cool editing. that part, i liked. it goes from one place to another, to another, and to another. at first you think hes jump laying in bed, then it changes to another place, then hes in the water about to jump on the raft, then when he actually does jump out of the water onto the raft, you see him ontop of a girl when he looks up. its all constantly changing. you'd think it would end in a particular spot, but it all continues. that part was pretty cool. it was something really different that i have never seen before. the story was alright. what really inerested me was the editing, the sound, the photography, basically what made the film. the story itself was okay. what came to mind when i saw the editing was, the filmmaker must've been very creative because ive never seen anything like it. it kept me interested in the film. all of the different angles were very unique. i think the filmmaker put particular sounds and edited it in a certain way just to do something different from before. i guess not to have the same thing in every film that was done before, but to be kind of like a new trend, sort of. the style of the film echoes the theme of alienation because since we saw everything in benjamin's perspective, we kind of got a feeling of what he was going through and feeling as well, since he was feeling isolated. (Reply to this) (Thread)

Patricia Silva (Anonymous) 2007-03-22 21:48 (link)

This film was like a mixture of the two pervious films we watched, bad things and good things. The other two films were either just showing the bad things about the 60s or the good while in this film you get to see first love but then you also see lies and mistakes getting in the way. I really liked the film but at parts it made me feel depressed. In the beginning Benjamin's uncertainty about his future helped to show the confusion that was present in the 60s. He was constantly being crowded by people who kept asking him what he would do in his future. You can see how everybody is suffocating him and that is probably why he goes to Mrs. Robinson, someone who doesn't question him about his future. Ms. Robinson also shows that she feels isolated being in a marriage that wasn't based on love. In this time if you get preganant and you don't love the father of the baby you have the option of not getting married but not back then. Through Mrs.Robinson you get to see the hardships of how it feels to hide your feelings because it is the proper thing to do. Elaine also had her moment of confusion between picking what she wanted(Benjamin) or picking what was right(the guy she married). But then it wasn't even as simple as that because not only was her family against Benjamin but I could imagine that it would be hard to trust someone that had slept with your mother. The way the film was shot helped to give a feeling of isolation at times. The scene I thought did this the best was when Benjamin came out with his scuba suit. As soon as he comes out you get to see everything from his point of view but you can only hear his breathing. You can defenitily tell that everybody is being loud by the way their mouths are moving but all that noise is blocked out. Then when Benjamin stays under the pool it seems as if the whole world disappeared. The beginning also did a good job in showing the suffocation Benjamin was feeling. It's really cool how the camera just shows a close up of adult after adult with their smiling faces yet you hardly see Benjamin but you can still feel his discomfort. (Reply to this) (Thread)

Borath Long (Anonymous) 2007-03-22 22:32 (link)

I was surprised to see a movie from the 60s which so much drama. I like how the movie didn’t hold back by showing the real sides of those characters. One of the scenes I like was when Benjamin was in the hotel for the first time with Mrs. Robinson and how all of his thoughts were played out by clips. For example, he closed the door on his parents which meant that he didn’t care about his parents’ feelings or thoughts anymore and that he was going to do what he wanted and that was to sleep with Mrs. Robinson even though he knew it was wrong to mess with a married woman. The scene where he was just laying in the pool showed how he was wasting his life away and making bad decisions with his personal life. He slowly was changing and the emptiness was starting to show in him. He allowed himself to get manipulated by Mrs. Robinson and soon after that, she managed to make him feel inferior in that he was not right for her daughter. The song used in the movie matched perfectly to Benjamin’s state of mind. Another scene that was interesting was towards the end when the camera showed a close up of Elaine’s parents and the guy she was going to marry. The camera showed how mean and self-fish they looked, they only cared about their own happiness and when Elaine looked at them for a while, she knew she had to stop caring about what they wanted for her and that is why she took off with Benjamin. She would have ended up miserable like her parents if she went along with the marriage because she didn’t really love that guy. Another good scene I liked was at the zoo. I liked how the movie compared the monkeys with Benjamin. It showed two monkeys together looking happy and one big monkey alone which was Benjamin and that time. Seeing the lonely monkey pushed him to go for what he wanted or else he would end up like the lonely monkey for the rest of his life. I liked this movie because it shows the beginning of the rebellious generation, no more doing whatever their parents wanted and going for their own happiness. I like movies like this one because it shows the main characters Benjamin and Elaine staying true to themselves. What was different about this movie from the other ones that were made during those times is that it wasn’t about a picture perfect family. It showed the reality in that most people are not as happy as they seem to be. (Reply to this) (Thread)

Ivan Almario (Anonymous) 2007-03-22 22:34 (link)

The Graduate, in my opinion, is one of the greatest film ever put in the movie theaters. It had a scene that everyone is very famous. The scene where Ben yells for Elain in the church is very original. This movie is so different from "the Sadist" because for one its not horror and it has music that personally that i really like. "the Graduate" is also different from " A hard Day's Night" because the graduate is a person's life and his love life. A hard days night was taken in England after WWII and this one is taken in the U.S. after JFK's assassination that shocked america. The music in this movie is not just good, it also fits the story. When ever there were silent, the song "The sounds of silence" comes and play. This song, i believe, is one song that will go on till i get old. The effect for the hotel scene was incredible. I have so many of that now but never as good as the one in the Graduate. The camera followed Ben where ever he was. (Reply to this) (Thread)

Michelle Jara (Anonymous) 2007-03-22 23:15 (link)

I thought this film was amazing. It started off in a an unsual but intresting way. You have this young boy coming out of college with a sense of confusion and un settle feeling. He becomes seduce by this women. An when he is at her house . you have this actions ..where if it were another movie you would have had a character such as benjamin..left a long time ago after seeing mrs. robinson intention.Yet, in this movie you see a young man entering a world unknow to him, not much in the sense of collge but more of his personal and sexual life!hes intrigued by what he see and feels..with a feeling of curiosity but guilt because he knows what is being develop in this relationship between them!I thought this film was well written and film..the scenes are kept real yet discreet..where it leaves te imagination to be put to work and reality to be set in and apply..=D. the confusion of the 1960s reaveals in the guise of the characters Benjamin, Elaine and Mrs. Robinson that you have this era where boundaries where being crossed and rules are beening broken. You have this all american families with wealth, education ,but no room for mistakes. like you said Old Values were beginning are questionedand Drugs and sex were becoming something new to the youth and to be still kept alive in the future.You have this characters that get caught up in the commotions of insticts and feelings..that they dont have morals or values and live their lives wildy till destruction starts to make its way in there life. mrs.robinson seduction and intentions. Benjamin affair and lies. and Elaine action in the church!when i saw some of this scenes such as mrs.robinson seduction and the date with elaine and benjamin despearte desire to marry and declare his love to elaine, i thought it was enjoyable.This film is so involved in drama and the whole "REAL LOVE" story with its twist and funny events. You have this film that shows the relationship of a family,marriage,friendship,..be all mixed up and only have the strongest one surving in the end! when i saw this film i felt like people could relate it to somehting similar as in today communication and relationship among today society and how this film is so extardionary ..it really reflects on how people are today.and their vlaues and traditions.How the youth of 1670 was invoving and creating a change in its way!what also came to my mind was classical things that we have to today such as the chuch scene! where benjamin and elaine run away! benjamin and mrs.robinson affair and their meeting spot at a hotel!to keep it a secret. Another thing that came to my mind was the classical scene of benjaming driving all the way to berkely to find elaine and tell her he loves her! this movie just generally made me reflect in todays youth and our way of living!The way this film was compose and written i thought was really good. You have th scenes go with the music and the mood of the situations. The scenes are kept in a moving sequence as in to not distract the viewver but to add a touch of deligtment to the whole drame! it was all liek ohhh..and awww..=D..i thought it was agood movie..way better than the sadist..which was great movie but this film i think i could relate to it way more..=] (Reply to this) (Thread)

RiiCahrd Rodriguez (Anonymous) 2007-03-22 23:56 (link)

The Graduate was a unique film to me because it is a romantic film with a diffrent prospective then other modern romantic films. It grew apart from the classical type of films that had a typical couple falling in love and living beautifully after, in the film benjamin had to fight for ealines love and he pushed until he got what he had really wanted. The one thing I noticed about the film that was influenced by the 60`s was how benjamin was becoming lazy and ignored his parents.Their was a big tear between his parents and himself. The editing on the film was excellent because during the first sex scene with benjamin and Mrs robinson, it was repleced with scenes of benjamins life after he had sex with her. The way the camera was used as a first person point of view showed how Benjamin saw life and what he went trough each day. I dont know much about editing, photography and sound but I think it was a movie well put together. the story was cool because it has been the first time i saw a story that had a guy get involved with a mother and her daughter. It was a completely new story for me and i was at times shocked to what happened in the movie. It must have been a deep impacted film in the 1960`s because it's the first time a film has shown a college studfent have ab affair with a grown married women. It may have also create assumption within neighbors ,families, and other community people about each other. The men may have been more cautious of how was able to be around thjeir wives and who was able to go out with their daughters. I best believe that this film could have inflicted damage like that in families of the 1960`s. (Reply to this) (Thread)

Lily I. (Anonymous) 2007-03-23 00:12 (link)

This film is put together very interestingly. First, all the songs that are played in different scenes of the movie have meaning to them and they go along with what is happening with the characters. When Benjamin is quiet and is just alone, thinking about things, we hear the song "The Sounds of Silence". Also, the woman he sleeps with is "Mrs. Robinson" and the song "Mrs. Robinson" is included in the film as well. Because of the music going with the film, one can tell that these songs were chosen carefully, to go along with the story. This made the story a bit more real, or believable. The photography and editing techniques used in this film are awesome because they tell a bit more and add to the story. When Mrs. Robinson is naked in front of Benjamin in Elaine’s room, the audience knows that Benjamin is nervous and feels very awkward, not only because of how his voice sounds and how he reacts, but also because of the editing that and photography that is going on in this scene: We (the audience) see what is happening through both Mrs. Robinson's and Benjamin's eyes. 3 seconds we are seeing what Benjamin sees and the next three seconds we see what Mrs. Robinson sees. When we see the story through Benjamin's point of view, we see Mrs. Robinson's face and then we see quick images of Mrs. Robinson's "naked" body, without really having time to know what we are seeing. This type of editing is done because Benjamin is very nervous and he looks at her face and quickly looks at other parts of her body, but he does it so quick so that Mrs. Robinson won’t notice that he is curious to see her naked body. The director does this purposefully so that the audience can feel like they are in Benjamin's "shoes". Then ending of this film was very different than other American love films. Usually, the story ends in a "happily ever after" mode, with the two people in love kissing, or getting married, or they are doing something while they are happy. If the film does not end in a "happily ever after " mode, there is usually an explanation of what happens after the tragedy, etc. In this film, the ending is neither happy nor sad; is is actually a bit of both, with mystery at the same time. So, Benjamin goes and "steals" the bride from the groom, and the happily run away together. They catch a bus, after a while of running, and they sit all the way in the back. When the bus starts moving, the "lovers" are no longer happy, but they express a face without emotion, and with confusion. This makes the audience think many different things. The movie ends there. There is no "happily ever after" kiss, or smiles on the lovers' faces, not a word between them, not one word at all. The director ends this film this way because he wants the audience to open their imaginations and to think what ever they want to happen in the end. He does not want to make this film end in complete happiness because in a real life situation, Elaine would not have run away with Benjamin so easily, not after everything that had happened. Elaine could have had second thoughts about going away with a man that slept with her mother. Then again, Elaine could have forgiven Benjamin and she really loved him, which could have leaded them into living "happily ever after". What happens to the characters at the end of the film really is up to the audience to decide for themselves, and I think that this makes the film more interesting than it already is. (Reply to this) (Thread)

Lily I. (continued) (Anonymous) 2007-03-23 00:14 (link)

I really enjoyed watching this film. Benjamin was really confused about what he wanted , and what his future would be like. He wanted to sleep with Mr. Robinson, and at the same time he didn't want to do it. Mr. Robinson thought she would be happier sleeping with a younger man, but she was wrong because her "fling" turned her whole life around, causing a divorce between her and her husband. Elaine was especially confused. She told both the Dr. and Benjamin that she "might" marry them. That's crazy. She was really confused because she didn't know who she really wanted to marry, or who she really loved or wanted to be with. At the end of the film, she had already married the Dr., and then she ran off with Benjamin. Benjamin and Elaine were both happy when they ran off together, but once they sat next to each other in the bus, reality hit them, and they realized they still felt confused, incomplete, and that running off together had not solved any of their problems or what made them confused. I had already seen this film once, but this second time, I understood the characters better, including everything that was going on. I would have liked to see what happened next. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

Davis Tran (Anonymous) 2007-03-23 00:45 (link)

What makes this film (the Graduate) so different from the other movies that I seen is that the cameras are mostly close up view. The cameras position is mostly aiming at the characters face. In the beginning of the movie, while Benjamin was having his graduate party, the camera would always zoom up on his face, capturing all of his face expressions. There are some occasion were the camera would zoom out and let us see the characters whole body figure. Also this film showed us almost everything through Benjamin point of view. I like when he was in his scuba diving gear, walking and looking around slowly, while everyone was cheering him on. While Benjamin was in his scuba diving suit we saw and heard everything from his perspective. I thought Benjamin was smart and somewhat mature, but I was wrong. He was a stalker and a perverted man. He touched Mrs. Robinson’s boobs and regretted it afterward. I thought it was a funny scene, Benjamin looked so hilarious. Benjamin is also a stalker because he followed and “peeked” at Elaine. Benjamin was “keep an eye” on Elaine where ever she went. Like the time he was hiding behind some bushes when Elaine was leaving to Berkeley. He also followed her all the way to Berkeley just to talk and see her. But I can’t blame him for being a stalker because he’ll do anything for love. In my opinion I thought Mrs. Robinson was a horny lady. SHE WANTS SEX. I thought it was quite funny when Mrs. Robinson was seducing Benjamin. At first Benjamin was frustrated about the whole situation, and he didn’t fell for it. But Mrs. Robinson was acting like nothing was happening. She made Benjamin look like an idiot. Benjamin eventually fell for it and couldn’t resist the temptation of lust. I would describe Elaine as forgiving, because she forgave Benjamin (for having sexual intercourse with her mother) for true love. I think that the Graduate represent the confusion and the snapping point of the youth in the sixties which is portrayed in the character of Benjamin. An example would be when he was in the stripper club and he wanted to drive Elaine away because he was forced to go on a date with her, and because he promised Mrs. Robinson that he wouldn’t date her. When he saw her cry something snapped in him and he pushed the stripper away and tried to explain to Elaine why he was being such so rude. Eventually he realized that he enjoyed Elaine’s company and decided to end his relationship with Mrs. Robinson. (Reply to this) (Thread)

Robyann Jumaoas (Anonymous) 2007-03-23 01:22 (link)

I thought this movie was funny and also weird. Perhaps it was because of Benjamin’s behavior. He seemed like a gullible, insecure guy that doesn’t know where he’s going. I like the idea of using the lens to view what the character is seeing and feeling. Also, the way that the camera swerves and becomes blurry to indicate the character’s reaction. I’m referring to that seen where Mrs. Robinson comes into Elaine’s bedroom naked with her horrific tan line. The camera shows us how Benjamin is feeling—his reaction. The effect of flashing the camera from showing parts of her body and then quickly changing in to another seen gave us the understanding that Benjamin is confused and scared at that moment and he’s just thinking “What is she doing?” I think they added this affect to the movie to gain an understanding of gullible Benjamin and how manipulative Mrs. Robinson is. This movie is different than the previous movies we’ve seen because there are different concepts to this film. This film is not only, always happy, or not always sad; it had mixed emotions and moods. There were ups and there were downs. I think the relationship between the characters reflected the confusion of the 60s. I mean, first of all, you’re presented with a graduate, sneaking around with a long time, good family friend. It just isn’t right. I guess this is how bad things were in the 60s. Also, I think Benjamin’s insecurities were also a reflection of that era. So many things were going on during that time; I think Benjamin’s attitude and no direction in life presented how the teenagers must have felt in the 60s. I noticed that the song playing said ‘sound of silence’. Ironic song title but it completely relates to that scene in the movie. I also love how before that “sex scene” how some parts will cut off and go the other scenes of Benjamin’s life. How in one scene he lays on his pool when he’s really lying on his bed. Also, when he was about to close the door and he sees his mom and dad there. That symbolizes that he knows what he’s doing is wrong and that’s him shutting his parents off and leaving his past life and entering his new life of risks and mistakes. I think that would have to be my favorite part of the movie. It deceives you but in a cool, entertaining way. I think this scene symbolizes his alienation. I think when Benjamin is with Mrs. Robinson is when he’s really lonely because he calls her for comfort and insurance. (Reply to this) (Thread)

lizzay casillas (Anonymous) 2007-03-23 01:41 (link)

its shocking to see a film created during the 60’s so openly spoken about sex. You’d expect this type of film to have been created during the 70’s; for that The Graduate seems to be like a preparation for the 60’s to transition into the sexual 70’s. as mrs. Robinson studies Benjamins social character, she finds him as a perfect opportunity to seduce. Through reverse psychology she captures him and gets what she’d been yearning for. Desperate, Benjamin is reeled in. soon after, Elaine comes into the picture and builds a sincere friendship with Benjamin. To his surprise he feels hes just experienced true love, so in hope of maintaining that he trys his best to stop the affair with mrs robinson. This short summary seems surreal right? That’s what makes the film so unique! the structure helped demonstrate the plot of the movie which is what makes it interesting. No one could have ever guessed that something so wrong could ever lead to something so right. In a sense if it wasn’t for mrs. Robinson , Benjamin probably would have never gotten the courage to build a more intimate relationship with Elaine. (Reply to this) (Thread)

Marthina Cinco (Anonymous) 2007-03-23 01:57 (link)

I noticed that in the beginning that it was all head shots. You never really saw anything else but someone's head. To me, it showed how maybe Benjamin felt like he was being suffocated, because of all of the people and all of the attention. He seemed very stressed out and he always wanted to leave, or step out, not wanting to be bothered. He was bothered and I think this is what the filmmaker wanted to show to the audience. With these shots, we're able to feel Benjamin's need to be alone. Once this is done, the scenes following are no longer head shots and I think it shows that Benjamin is more relaxed, or less worried about what is going on. I think the editing was creative, especially during the sex scene with Benjamin and Mrs. Robinson. I think it would have been too much if the movie showed the sex scene, so instead it showed Benjamin in the pool. I think Benjamin in the pool also symbolizes how relaxing it was for him, since he was very stressed out about the idea. The whole idea of sex was stressful and nerveracking, but once he did it, the stress was taken away. I also think that the scenes of Benjamin on the bed either on his back or on his stomach symbolizes his positions. Instead of showing the sex scene, the film shows it through metaphors, which in turn, strengthens the point the filmmaker is trying to make. In some ways, I think the filmmaker decided to use these metaphors to leave it open for interpretation upon the viewers. They could take it away way they wanted it to, but also that it was put there so that only those who know, would understand. I think the story itself must have been shocking to many who watched the film when it first came out. A college graduate having an affair with his parents' friend, married and who also is twice his age. Then he falls in love with her daughter. It's a crazy story because in the end, Benjamin still wins Elaine's heart and it ends with a "happily ever after" type of thing, where they run off together. Yet, I think this film was a stepping stone for the movie industry because it's not afraid to touch up on issues that are really happening, things that people want to keep secret. Many things were censored back then, even the idea of not showing couples sleeping on the same bed in tv, so showing this film opened the eyes of the country. This is imitated, because Wayne's World 2 imitated the scene going to the gas station, running out of gas, the running scene, the church scene and running away after, also using the same song when he was running out of gas. So, I thought that was really cool. Fun FACT! :] (Reply to this) (Thread)

Luis Tamayo (Anonymous) 2007-03-23 02:06 (link)

What struck me the most fascinating about this film was how it was shot during the first 5 minutes. The audience is looking through the eyes of one of the characters, or so I think. I think that you are watching Ben move around, through the eyes of Mrs. Robinson. This may signify how Mrs. Robinson begins to view Ben in a sexual way, rather than her friend’s son. Compared to the other films, THE GRADUATE seems to have a more comedic outlook on the time. Everyone can relate to Ben the main character; because we have all have had our parents pester us about what we are going to do next. In addition I also enjoyed how during the first sex scene, the camera kept switching to scenes of Ben's memories. This film may have been the spawn of the teenage rebellions. The ending is classic, and has been seen several times in films. It’s great, because Ben has to run in order to save the girl of his dreams from getting married. Haven’t we all seen this before? Some may get confused as to why Elaine simply ran off, and that seems to puzzle but you can’t help but cheer it on. Ben’s alienation is echoed through his search for himself. He is constantly searching for purpose and what he is supposed to do in life. Ben is shut off from his parents, and Mrs. Robinson guides in finding him self. What’s funny about the film is how after all those tribulations and almost losing the girl he loves, Ben and Elaine end up happily together. (Reply to this) (Thread)

Shannon "BB" Page (Anonymous) 2007-03-23 02:15 (link)

I thought that this movie was very interesting and I definately noticed the impact that this film gave out versus the last two films that we watched. It was witty and different because I felt that I could tell that this movie was almost extreme and fresh when it came out because of it's themes. It was interesting AFTER watching the movie because when I went home my grandparents asked what movie I watched and when I told them The Graduate, they laughed and smiled, "Oh you did? That was a great movie...."(granni), "Yeah, that was when Dustin Hoffman was almost a teenager..."(granpa). It was funny to hear their reactions of the film. The film was very blunt and straightforward and that's one of the things that I noticed was different and I loved it. Not very movies are at all like that. It's what kept the movie going at a fast pace. It felt like the movie was short because of it. The music. The music gave the movie a special touch and I can see why some of those songs wouldn't have been in any movies years before that. They are so controversial, well back then they must've been. I wonder how people back then would react to the music that we have now? The movie gave a feeling of free spirit because of some of the scenes and the themes of love and love affairs with peoples mothers and it wasn't an innocent film at all. Even though The Sadist had a killer in it that wasn't so innocent, the victims acted as though they were super innocent. Also in A Hard Days Night, it was so innocent that you just want to live in the film itself and never come out. The confusion of the 1960's reveal itself through the characters by Benjamin because all through the beginning of the film he was worried about his future and he was confused and that couldve been like the American country itself with the youth. How everyone was confused about the future and questioning the past and trying to make their own conclusions. Elaine is like the nice girl that becomes more open to herself to Benjamin on their date. She was upset at the beginning of the date because Benjamin was like forcing her to go into that bar/burlesque show and she didn't feel at all comfortable, upset. She was like the old fashioned America that became upset at things that were controversial, that were beginning to be questionable. As for Ms. Robinson, she could have revealed that older audiences wanted to stay they way they were with no changes. With nothing to become conflicts, so that everything is easy. The film was indeed unique as in the editing and close up shots. It was crazy how when Benjamin was introduced with having the affair with Ms. Robinson in the hotel room and how they had a sort of routine. The film revealed that Benjamin had started to drift away like in the pool when he was talking about how he felt comfortable just drifting. He wasn't doing anything with himself, but rather just sleeping with Ms. Robinson on a routine basis. When it closed up on his face, his facial expression was always blank and empty, like there wasn't anything exciting and it was expressing just how it was. It gave the sense that it was empty and that's how I felt the effect was. (Reply to this) (Thread)

MoNiiKaY ZaVaLa (Anonymous) 2007-03-23 03:01 (link)

this was my second time watching "The Graduate", so I was able to pay more attention to the cinematic style and the editing like you asked us to. I loved how the beginning was edited where he went from jumping into the pool, right onto Mrs. Robinson. the cuts were amazing, and it allowed the viewer to experience what Ben was going through on a much deeper level. Ben was such a confused college graduate, but I felt that I could relate to him, because I feel as if Im at the end of the road, and like Ben, I am unsure of which direction my life will go next. I also enjoyed the part where Ben was in the scuba diving outfit, and all you hear is him breathing heavily, and when he just jumped into the bottom of the pool and remained there- i thought that was awesome. Its as if he has to remain under water in order for his parents to leave him alone. In the beginning of the movie, I felt like Ben was more of an observer of his own life, rather than living it, because it seemed as if his parents and everyone else tried to control his life. I guess his affair with Mrs. Robinson was his way of gaining some type of control in his life, because he was making the decisions as far as meeting up with Mrs. Robinson every evening. I liked the part where Ben asked Mrs. Robinson why the automatically jump into bed together every evening without saying a word to each other. I think that's what happens in today's society, people are always in such a rush to get to the "good stuff" that they lose sight of the simple, yet important things in life, like talking and getting to know a person. I think Ben was so intent on finding Elaine and marrying her because it was a decision that he actually made on his own. He knew that she was the one for him and that was enough to make him drive up to Berkeley and eventually back down to Santa Barbara in order to stop her from marrying that guy. Which leads me to the BEST part of the movie, when Elaine screams out "BEN" after she just married the blonde guy. This scene was super intense, but it was amazing. I loved how Mrs. Robinson, Mr. Robinson, and Elaine's husband were shown yelling at Ben! you could see the intensity of their words in their faces, yet you were not able to HEAR the actual words they were saying, which I thought was very clever. It leaves it up to the viewer's imagination as to what curse words and other words they were saying! I really enjoyed watching this film, and it was better the second time around! =) (Reply to this) (Thread)

Cilla!! (Anonymous) 2007-03-23 03:13 (link)

I really enjoyed watching The Graduate, the story line, characters, music, and the photography of the movie as a whole made the whole entire movie very worthwhile to see. What I liked about this film that was different from the other two movies that we watched before was that the story line to the whole movie was much more interesting and people can almost relate it to their lives. This film brought the audience to smile, frown, excite, frustrate, and even make them fall in love with the whole idea of "love". The most funniest part I had to say was when Ben's mother screamed when Ben told his parents that he was getting married. I bet no one expected her to scream so loud as she did. She almost made it seem like the GREAT news was Bad. I just loved how everything was put in its place throughout the whole movie and catched the audience's attention from the beginning. The film did a great representation of how the American Culture was. Every character in the movie had their own little story that helped the audience understand their actions. Let me start off with Mrs.Robinson. At first, I knew from the beginning when she was inside Ben's room that she was trying to seduce him. Mrs.Robinson is the typical rich old wife that wants more excitement in her life (or should I say more sex) to make herself feel much better about herself. She sees Ben very troubled and confused, so she knows he is the best candidate for her trap. We all knew Ben was going to fall for her trap. Ben pretty much represented typical American twenty year olds who are confused about their future and fall into the trap of SEXUAL DESIRES. Ben didnt think about his future and that is what led him to have an affair with Mrs. Robinson even though it caused him great guilt. His parents also wanted the best for Ben and that is why they were telling him that he should start dating Elaine and also to start thinking about going to graduate school. As soon as Ben started dating Elaine, it so happens that they both fell in love which made his life much more complicated than it already was. From there it was all a BIG roller coaster for Ben and he soon finally got to realize what he wanted. I liked how right when Ben was about to have sex with Mrs. Robinson, you see different transitions from where he was in the pool to where his parents are talking to him about his future. The film mostly focused through Ben's perspective and how every action he made changed his outlook of his future. I also liked how throughout the whole movie they kept on playing the same song when Ben fell in love with Elaine. The whole movie just brought intense to the audience and the film. Ben finally got to make his own choices in the end and ended the movie with Elaine by his side in her wedding dress...now thats a LOVE story :] (Reply to this) (Thread)

shivani narayan (Anonymous) 2007-03-23 04:36 (link)

I really liked this movie. There are so many funny scenes in this movie, its just the way that Benjamin acted. The song "The Sounds Of Silence" is so catchy, the song wasn't that bad. I wouldn't expect those lyrics to be in any song. This movie was really interesting, because you would see how a college graduate thinks and reacts. In the Beginning of the movie Ben was feeling uneasy and he wanted to leave the party as soon as possible. He was unsure about what hes going to do, he seemed to be a bit confused. He didn't like the presence of everyone at the party because they kept on talking about his future. The way he reacted was like a childish way showed that something was really bothering him. He knew that Mrs. Robinson was trying to seduce him, but he kept on believing that she wouldn't do such a thing. There were many scenes where you could tell that Mrs. Robinson intentions were wrong. She came upstairs and asked him where the bathroom was, and once he told her she still stayed in the room talking to him. Then she ask him to drop her home, then she tells him to come by the door. After that she tells him to come inside the house, she offers him a drink, she tells him to bring the purse, then she takes him to Elaines room. He should have know what her intentions were. He wasn't able to accept Mrs. Robinsons intentions. In the beginning of the movie i realized that the cameras were only close up which mostly captured the peoples face. Im still not certain why they did that or even if they did it purposely. Im guessing it had to do with Benjamin and his reaction to his future plans. The camera shot that really suprised me was when Benjamin was with Mrs. Robinson at her house and they were by the bar. At one part the camera they shot benjamin and Mrs. Robinsons legs. Even though she was saying that she wasn't trying to seduce him, that camera shot clearly made it seem that she was trying to seduce him. The way that it was shown was just amazing. I wouldn't expect any scene to be shot that way. Another camera scene that was interesting was when Benjamins dad was telling Ben to come outside while he was wearing the swimming gear. For most of the scene we saw everything from Benjamins eyes and we could only hear his breathing. Then all of a sudden they just go back and forth with the hotel scene and the swimming pool. I really like the editing that was done in this movie. (Reply to this) (Thread)

Matthew Spears (Anonymous) 2007-03-23 12:48 (link)

The story line in The Graduate portrayed the life of probably every college graduate at that time period. Everyone was looking for something to do and was wandering without any direction. Benjamin was probably easy to relate to for everyone in the 60’s. He was the typical college graduate. He didn’t know what to do with his life. He didn’t want to do anything. He didn’t want a job. All he did was want to have fun and that’s what he did. He spent the whole summer after graduating having an affair with Mrs. Robinson. The storyline was something I couldn’t think of happening on my own. I didn’t understand why Elaine left with Benjamin let alone forgiving him. It just left me confused to think why she would do that. In the movie it didn’t really seem like she had that much “character” so I couldn’t really tell what kind of person she was. I guess that camera could be considered to be another character. It showed things through the eyes of Benjamin. The songs in the movie added to the drama of it. And the editing of it looked pretty impressive for the 60’s. I’m sure that this movie had a huge impact on its time period (Reply to this) (Thread)

Ashley Lozano (Anonymous) 2007-03-23 12:59 (link)

I haven't seen a flim that's scenry is so old. For me to movie represents the chaos that was going on in the world. There were so many complications with Benjamin trying to get with the girl. Just ilke in the war, Benjamin had to overcome some obstacles. The movie kind of gives hope to the people because Benajmin eventually calms down his life, so after what happened with JFK people believe that there is hope that hitngs will settle down again. I like the editing of the film. In the Sadist the movie was on a continuous timeline. At first I thought Benjamin was waeird. He was like a little lost boy looking for guidance. It's funny cause he starts out clueless about what to do then he's experienced. they met all the time at the hotel. Itwas funny how Benjamin listened to Mrs. Robinson. In the beginning at the movie Mrs. Robinson got him to end up in the room with her. that part was funny. It's a great storyline. I liked how they edit the movie because it went from scene to scene smoothly. The way it was flimed make the audience see everything through Benjamin's eyes. To be continued!!!!! (Reply to this) (Thread)

Re: Ashley Lozano continued.... (Anonymous) 2007-03-23 14:01 (link)

The film overall was great, although i didn't expect that ending. I expected Benjamin to stop Elaine before she could get married to that guy. You would think tht after all that trouble he went to he would catch her before she says, " I do" It's fuuny cause benjamin had an affair with Mrs. Robinson and now he's going to have an affair with Elaine. I like the part where they get onto the bus and everyone is starring at them, they are like "what the hey" The editing was well done because when Mrs. Robinson is naked in the room it shows her from Benjamin's eyes. It flashes back and forth. The music was put in well. It started at the right time, like when he was alone in his room. I like this movie although it was weird on some levels because of the way Benjamin was. The movie represented the 60's because the characters had complicated situations and had to overcome some obstacles in order to get to hte end. There were good time and bad times. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

Rainelee Bernardino (Anonymous) 2007-03-23 13:51 (link)

What makes this film ("The Graduate") different from the other films we have recently watched ("The Sadist", "A Hard Days Night") are by the way the movie was filmed and because metaphor was involved. There were two different types of angle shots that I thought made this film unique as oppose to the other films we have seen. One way was how it was as if we were watching things through Benjamin's own eyes. For example, there was the scene when Benjamin was dressed up in scuba gear and his parents were pressuring him to show it off. (By the way.. his dad was Mr. Feeny from BOY MEETS WORLD.. I noticed that Leibner!) At this scene we could see how foolish Benjamin's parents were acting through his own eyes, as if we were Benjamin himself. The other camera angle was when it was capturing the time passing by as Benjamin formed a daily routine of sex and growing further apart from his parents. This relates to the reality of the 60s in that the children of this era were too pulling apart from their parents and morals as they became involved in sex, drugs, alcohol, etc. All Benjamin did for about a month or more was swim at home during the day and then go out later to meet up with Mrs. Robinson for their affair for the night. The part in the movie when Benjamin was walking through his parents' dining room and into the hotel room symbolizes his separation from his parents even though they all still live together. I also think that his affair with Mrs. Robinson is an escape from his lack of direction or ambition, and his fear and anxiety of his approaching future. In the film, there were two metaphors that had stuck out to me. One was when Benjamin was bringing Mrs. Robinson's bag upstairs nervously. Mrs. Robinson then asked Benjamin through a room, "Can you bring IT IN TO ME, Benjamin?" This comment by Mrs. Robinson is a metaphor considering their current situation. (If you know what I mean.. *hint *hint). This remark could have meant to different things. Either it serves as just an innocent request or a seductive request. (I think you know which one and what I mean). The other metaphor that made an impression on me was when Benjamin was at the hotel meeting up with Mrs. Robinson for their first affair. When he was there, the receptionist at the desk asked him, "Are you here for an affair, sir?" This question serves as a metaphor also because Benjamin was in fact really there for an actual affair and not a party or other event. This metaphor was more hilarious. I think Benjamin represents the confused youth of the nation, not knowing where they're headed in life and which path to follow. Mrs. Robinson represents one path, which is of sex, drugs, alcohol, etc. of the 60s. The other path is represented by Elaine, the path of innocence and true happiness. In the film, Benjamin went through both paths. He first got involved with Mrs. Robinson and experienced what there was out there in the world. Then after finally realizing that he couldn't continue following the path of immorality, he pursues and ends up with Elaine where he finds himself truely happy and on the right path. (...and they lived happily ever after... THE END...) (Reply to this) (Thread)

stef b. (Anonymous) 2007-03-23 13:57 (link)

This film was different from other films because of the way the film was shot. The different camera angles brought more attention to certain aspects of the film that would seem meaningless. For example, during the party the camera zooms on Benjamin's face during the party. It shows the facial expressions he has with each person that wanted to acknowledge his graduation. Then at one point in the party, it focused on Mrs. Robinson sitting on the couch smoking a cigarette-- at this point, it sort of hints the viewer that she is going to play a vital role in the plot of the movie. Another example would be when Benjamin is walking out of the door to go to his car, but is stopped by someone talking to him-- when this is occuring the view becomes blurred which can portray his confusion as to what to do. Another thing that was different about this film was the music that was being used throughout it which someone symbolized the emotions that matched the characters seen at the moment. The scene in the beginning was also different from other movies that I have seen because it only shows half of Benjamin's body. The background was moving but you couldn't tell if he was walking or not-- it was almost as if he was being produced/made into the man that his parents wanted to be and that he had no say to it whatsoever. The three main characters: Benjamin, Elaine, and Mrs. Robinson reflected the confusion of the 60s in many different ways. For example, Benjamin represented confusion where he didn't know what to do with his life anymore-- much like teens tday. He had done everything that his parents wanted him to do, he went to school and graduated-- he was then expected to go to graduate school until something unexpected happened. The unexpected was Mrs. Robinson; she came along and messed things up for Benjamin. Mrs. Robinson represents the chaos/sex/drugs/temptation that youth like Benjamin would fall for. Youth felt the need to make their own decisions and try things on their own without the consent of their parents. So in Benjamin's case, curiosity took over-- since he had been living a life under rules, curiosity brought him to experience things on his own. He eventually started having sex with Mrs. Robinson. The sex scene represents the lack of communication between the older people and the younger people; this is because the two never really talked until Benjamin had brought it up. Then as time went on, Benjamin was forced to take Elaine on a date. Elaine represented the truth in which she showed Benjamin that life does have its boundaries, time to work and time to have fun. But by pushing it away at first, it shows that Benjamin didn't want to accept the truth, but when he realized that he had to-- he finally realized that he "loved" Elaine-- the realization that truth is somewhat worthwhile. The film was put together differently than other films due to the way the camera portrayed the events and the use of music in the background. For example, the scene where Benjamin walks out in scuba gear and the silence of the people talking shows how much he wants to block the world out. The only thing you hear during that scene is his breathing-- the camera makes it seem like we are seeing things from his eyes/brain--alienation. He wanted to isolate himself from the outside world, he wanted to experience things on his own without the opinion/ideas of other people. He wanted to create his own truth about the world, not adopt someone else's truths. Another scene was when Benjamin was banging on the glass mirror calling for Elaine and Elaine looks around seeing the people around cussing/badmouthing Benjamin. Although you can't hear what they are saying, the moment that Elaine starts calling for his shows that she realized that her parents were keeping her away from him and that she really loved him. Then the next scene that follows with Benjamin locking the door with the cross was sort of funny to me because to me it somewhat shows that some higher power knew that their love was true and wanted them to together. This film can silence parts of it, yet still leaves it up to the viewer to figure out what the silence means/portrays. (Reply to this) (Thread)

Ralph Mallari (Anonymous) 2007-03-23 16:11 (link)

Man this isn't my first or second time seeing this movie. Its great to watch cause the whole story line of the movie is all unknown to us and the fact that we never see this ever coming. What so interesting is how we dont see movies this anymore... the only times we see this is in so called shows like Desperate House Wifes , with all the affairs going on. Too bad we dont see any more movies like this. The clothing has changed so much ever since the filming of this movie. Another thing is how each character builds a lot of suspision since you wouldnt expect such things from them, such one is Ms Robinson, who is not the kind of mom we know. What i thought was she would just congrulate her , but noo she ended up being the boytoy she is. This movie is also builds laughter knowing Ben's a first timer in doing this these things. This movie does have a lot of interesting things in it. In the beginning plays “The Sound of Silence” throughout the whole movie it plays that song because Ben is mainly in his own silence mode or whatever. The beginning of the movie it was to show Ben when he comes home and his parents threw a party for him graduating, the scene shows Ben and everyone else around him up close, I think that they did that so the audience could have that same feeling that Ben was having; maybe uncomfortable that’s why everyone was so up close. The interesting part of the movie is when Ben’s in his scuba diving outfit and usually in other movies you would hear the other people talking but this scene, the director makes the audience feel what he’s feeling and hearing. Like puts the audience in his shoes. The audiences hears and sees Ben seeing people talking around them but only hears himself breath. In the end when Elaine ditches her groom for Ben they catch a ride on the bus and comes the song “The Sound of Silence” making the audience wonder what’s going to happen next with Elaine and Ben. I really liked the photography and the way the director put the song "The Sound of Silence" in a scence where it makes you wonder and/or makes you know whats wrong. (Reply to this) (Thread)

Jasmin Javinal (Anonymous) 2007-03-23 17:44 (link)

I may not have watched too many movies or maybe even know of any movies that were made in the 60's, but The Graduate was one of the movies that had really good editing, especially for around that time. Technology wasn't that big yet around the 60's so the editing is probably what this movie sets it apart from the others. I like how they mixed the sex scene with other scenes relating to the way Ben was feeling. For example when Ben was in the hotel room and he was looking at the door and pass the door he saw his parents sitting in the dining room eating and he felt uncomfortable so he shut the door, like he was shutting them out. I also liked when Ben's dad made him wear that suit and mad him get into the water and they changed the point of view to Ben's. In the late 60's time was evovling. Ben and Elaine were real life examples of college students. Ben being the best example. Ben just graduated from college and he accomplished a lot. He was lost and confused and didn't know what to do. He felt all the struggle from everyone. He felt like he was being pressured to do something right away with his future. His parents expected a lot from Ben and when he came back his parents were really proud of him and showing him off. Elaine was another good example. Being young and still in college, she was struggling finding 'the love of her life', finding someone who can help support her in the future. Marriage was probably a big thing back then, especially for girls. She was confused too because she didn't know wether to be with Ben or the guy she was about to marry. Unfortunately, she chose to be with Ben. Mrs. Robinsons is a good example too, but not too many girls go through that situation, but I guess you can say just about enough do to talk about it. She was an example of young couples who have premarital sex and have a child. She decided to get married to him, even if she didn't want to. She was confused herself. I still think it's weird that Elaine decided to be with Ben after she found out that her mother was having an affair with him. I also think it's weird that she "realized" she wanted to be with Ben after a couple of nights of hanging out. The story was kind of short told to make any sense, but I guess that's what makse the movie interesting. The film was brilliantly put together, but some parts were a bit sketchy. The whole idea about Ben having an affair with a much older lady, who turns out to be his parents friends, Mrs. Robinson was awkward. But then it gets interesting when Mr. Robinson wants Ben to meet with his daughter, Elaine. Turns out when he meets Elaine he wants to be with her and not Mrs. Robinson, but she forbids them from going out. Then when she finds out about the affair, ironically Elaine ends up getting married. The movie was weird, but the story was very catchy. I can't really comment on the sound, because it was hard to hear since we were hearing it from a projecter thing. The photography was well put. The director pull all these together to make the movie more interesting and easier to see from different views. Each detail he put in made the story come out more. (Reply to this) (Thread)

Julie-Ann Dela Cruz (Anonymous) 2007-03-24 00:54 (link)

there was a a lot of interesting scenes in this movie. first off the scene with him starting with silence next to a tank of fishes resembling him was great. the way the camera postioned on the way ben talked to everyone and tried to go away from everyone the angles the camera was positioned and how he walked away from everyone. the next scene i found pretty cool was the seducing scene when mrs. robinson was seducing ben in elaines room how the way his eyes glanced really quickly at her body and his facial expressions were hilarious. i loved the way they did the hotel room scene when ben was lying on the bed then he gets up and he closes the door to what we think is the hotel room but its his parents house the way mrs. robinson walked across the bedroom with her bra off then the next fully clothed then it went to ben jumping on the floaty to ben landing on top of mrs. robinson having sex it was brilliant and not much films do that now a days i really thought that was pretty awesome because it was perfectly done. i really didnt like the metaphor for ben being in a scuba suit in the pool while evryone watched him it was pretty silly and i thought that they could have done it differently. the scene with ben and mrs. robinson on the bed in the hotel room the time when ben wanted to know more about mrs. robinson and mrs. robinson didnt want to talk about it the way he brought it up and her expressions gave meaning to the story the way she and mr. robinson didnt really love eachother the way elaine was concieved in a car and later it related to the time ben was in the library with elaine was pretty funnny. another funny part of the movie was when ben's mom screamed for joy when he said he was getting married to elaine that was priceless. i like the way the music and the sound of the guitar went along with bens emotions and his struggles at that moment. the church scene was pretty crazy because he was late but then she still went with him i dont get why she did they really didnt spend much time with eachother just that one night and that one night he took her to a strip place and she was embarrased i dont see her emotions of really loving the guy then the next day she finds out that he's slept with her mom that just weird. so i really didnt cheer for them at the end because i thought she could do better. anyways, i thought the movie was pretty cool not because of the story line well maybe a little because it kind of got you thinking "whats going to happen next?" all the time and there wasnt a dull moment but i mostly think the film was awesome because of the camera effects my favorite being the way i mentioned in the beginning the transferring of scenes to being in the hotel to his parents house from the pool on the floaty to being on top of mrs. robinson was pretty awesome and was well done my second favorite being the music & the guitar playing his situation and the time he has i dont know how to put it but i guess the music just goes with the situation how it gets lower and then higher. the film was brilliant. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	Re: Julie-Ann Dela Cruz (Anonymous) 2007-03-24 00:57 (link)
	ohh ya the church scene when he takes the cross ! HAHAHA. that was priceless ! & how he locks everyone in and they go away in the bus. yaa funny stufff =) (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

Van Ardon (Anonymous) 2007-03-26 23:19 (link)

This movie is a great movie, very unique and different from all the movies i've seen, you can learn plenty from this film. About life in general and about the situation in the late 60's at that particular time. Its amazing how the filmmakers incorporated the story of the current events of 1967 into a movie about a newly graduated college student who sleeps with his parent's friend and afterwards dates her dtr,and at the end its chaos. From the title, i didn't expect this story that came at you so greatly, that you are at the edge of your seat, anxious about the next scene. While watching this movie, i was a little bit disturbed for the guy benjamin, because i mean, here he is, graduated and had everything ahead of him to look forward to, but yet his not satisfied. I guess that also represents human nature, we're never satisfied, no matter what it is, the better car, the bigger house, its human nature, we always want something different from what we have. And i guess it represents that he probably didn't want to do the college thing for himself, but maybe more for his parents. Especially the way they were force feeding him everything, its only natural that he feels the pressure, and want to get out of it. SO he finds Mrs. Robinson, the devil, the temptation, the cop out, the easy way out of his problems, which is his life, there was no excitement, everything was predictable, but not with mrs.robinson its not. Although after a while he got tired of it and wanted something different(human nature) so he moves on to the daughter. But hold up not so fast, you make a deal with the devil, prepare to pay for it BEn! haha. SO she(mrs.robinson) ruins ben and elaines infatuation with each other, what can he do? all he wanted was something different, not the typical american dream life, so here it is, and he's in the worst case scenario!!! Throw away the image, other people's opinion, it doesn't matter, not even the goody goody world war parents can stop him, so he runs after the newly married elaine after a crazy back and forth trip from pv to berkley like twice, ending up in sB...and all for what, a SUDDEN RUSH, that he wanted from the start.NOw what.hmmm. I was impressed on how editing was done on this film, especially when they put the music with the scenes that they cut, and put together as if its only one scene. Very creative, it probably represents benjamin's mind, its all over the place, very confused, and undecided about his life, like theres a shutdown mode from the perfect son to this laid back kid, who probably experienced certain things from college that made him question his situation, and turned him into a rebel without any conscience at all about what he's doing to his perfect goody goody life. I like the soundtrack of the film a lot. But this film is probably one of the most provocative of its time, if not its one of the most of all time, But its crazy how this influence a massive population of teens from being tied to their parents and now being against the country's decisions. But its also good because change sometimes is good, and promotes growth and evolution of the people. This movie just showed the 60's situation, in a love story way, not the romeo n juliet type! (Reply to this) (Thread)

Joel Pollack (Anonymous) 2007-03-27 19:05 (link)

I would have to say that this is a great film. The acting, music, camera effects and angles, symbolism, and abstract meaning are rich throughout the film. What makes this film different from the films that we have seen so far, besides the music and the genre, is the camera effects. The opening shot where Ben was sitting in front of a fish tank, then later in a pool, and at the end enclosed in what seemed like huge plastic prison all of which represented his life was genius. As we know these element represented restriction and confinement that Ben feels in his life. One notices in the beggining how close the camera was to Benjamin, the effect which reflects an uncomfortable feeling as Ben goes around the room filled with people. The scene where Mrs. Robinson walks in nude shown from the reflection off her daughters own picture that Ben was currently looking at, the woman that he will fall in love with is brilliant. The camera shots in itself is amazing and plays a very significant role in the film. This movie is a reflection of the society at the time because Ben represents the youth of America, Mrs. Robinson represents the Vietnam War, and Elaine the Peace and Happinnes that the young people desire. Ben represents the youth of America because of his search for some purpose in life, "I want to be different" and he seems ignorant and withheld of many things. Mrs. Robinson comes bursting into his life without warning pushing herself onto him, causing him to open his eyes to the real world just like the effect of the Vietnam War had on the Youth of America. And when that happened Elaine was conviently introduced, and all of a sudden Ben fell in love and he knew what he wanted. Just like the hippies "MAKE LOVE NOT WAR" (Reply to this) (Thread)

evette gonzalez. (Anonymous) 2007-03-29 20:11 (link)

Its late. Sorry. This film was amazing. I really liked it. I really like how the camera had it own personality. It felt like I was there, like I was the camera. Like when Ben first gets home and his parents throw him a welcome home or a graduate party, the camera is all up in his face like everyone else was. Everyone else was asking him questions and the ladies would feel on him and breathe on him, they were so up close and personal, it was funny! Also, how when he’s in his room, he just wants to be left alone from all of the people down stairs and here comes Mrs. Robinson. She invades his room, entering and smoking after knowing that he doesn’t smoke. Later in the film we see him smoking but I think it was because he got used to her smoking that he started too. Well in his room she enters into is uncomfortable zone. He is now faced with a lady that he’s known all of his life, and he has to take her home. What I find funny is why does she ask him? And why doesn’t he say no sometimes? If he’s uncomfortable with it he can just say no or leave. He is a very passive character. When he has sex with Mrs. Robinson he’s just like whatever, no expression on his face at all. De does it as if he doest love her, and he really doesn’t, she doesn’t love him either. In older times when one had sex with someone else, it was because they truly loved them. Now Ben has sex with her like nothing. After all of the times that they have sex he really doesn’t care about anything but that. That is the highlight of his day. He is slick with his moves and keeps her, but then Elaine comes home. Elaine changes the ending of this story. I absolutely love how when they go to the hotel she knows that he is having an affair with someone. Also, how he tells her that thee lady has a son. He could have said daughter, it still could have been anyone. He lies to her because he feels as if she is going to find out if he says daughter. He acts casual though, which is even funnier. He is not obvious about anything at all. What is different about this film that I like is that it follows his though thick and thin, it doesn’t leave him at all. Also, how in the church, it is so typical that he would get there to say that he doesn’t want them to get married, but he’s a minute too late. Then he yells her name out and everyone is yelling t him but its silent, he can hear no one speaking. He an only hear her when she screams “BEN!” it is hilarious because she’s already married. Ben stops the people from getting to him by using a cross to close the church. It’s funny because its supposed to be sacred or religious and he uses it as a bat. I think that symbolized the fact that that God will always be thee for them, even when they need a cross to stop people from killing him. Then they get on the bus and they just sit there. No kiss. No hug. No NOTHING. Ben is one unusual character. (Reply to this) (Thread)

Edelin Molina (Anonymous) 2007-04-19 12:43 (link)

I would like to start off by saying that all the movies that we watch are amazing and they bring something out. I believe that they all have a meaning and it has something behind it. This movie The Graduate was amazing from the beginning the sounds and the moves of this movie brought the audience attention. Especially the famous scene was when Mrs. Robinson was trying to seduce Benjamin. That scene to me when it was him and her was very interesting. Especially the way they video record her with her legs and all you see is her moving her legs and crossing her legs. Then Benjamin just looks shy when he sees her with great intimidation. Another interesting scene that brought my attention was when Mrs. Robinson looked him in the room. She was naked and the camera just shoots at her body quickly. All you see was her skin but quick then back to her face and back to Benjamin’s reaction. The last scene was when Benjamin went to the ceremony and stopped the wedding of Elaine. Elaine had just gotten married when Benjamin arrives and hits the biggest scene of the movie. All you see is him screaming on top of the church. At first he seemed to be psycho because all of the people turned around and saw him. But them Elaine just smiled and Benjamin went down to get her. Towards the end again when they where in the bus I though it was a weird ending. You first see them all happy in the bus but then towards the end they look in the eye and turn forward. I guess they both realized that they did a crazy remark. Elaine just got married then she leaves with Benjamin after what he did to her. To her face reaction was like “What the hell did I do?”, because she seemed like if she regrets it leaving with Benjamin. But I just believe that the filmmaker choose to include them to make the movie more out and interesting. But I still think it was an awkward ending. I didn’t really feel the ending towards the end. I would have like the ending better if the were to both come to a real conclusion. (Reply to this) (Thread)