The Graduate (1967)

*this post contains spoilers*

I didn't know about this movie until I saw (500) Days of Summer when the narrator tells about Tom Hansen and his belief in finding true love, that it "stemmed from early exposure to sad British pop music, and a total misreading of the movie 'The Graduate'." And of course, in that movie also, we see a small clip of The Graduate, the one where Dustin Hoffman sits with the bride side by side, which Summer Finn cried to (so she wasn't his bride and that they probably must've run away together or something -turns out after watching the whole movie that was what actually happened).

Okay, so I was really curious about the movie and I was expecting a really romantic movie, and I kept wondering if it was gonna be so touching and deep that it made Summer cry. After watching the whole movie, I understood what made her cry, and I even almost cried myself, but I still don't get it with the Tom Hansen thing. (?)

So, Dustin Hoffman stars in the movie as Ben Braddock, a successful college graduate who is also nervous, awkward, and undecided, and who is seduced by the wife of his father's business partner, Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft) and soon finds himself trapped into an affair with her. Eventually though, he falls in love with Mrs. Robinson's daughter, Elaine, after he gets to know her, and this is the start of a whole new problem.

I find Ben Braddock quite irritating. I mean, since the beginning of the movie, I noticed that he didn't quite have a say for himself, and that he was this really nervous, awkward, undecided, undetermined, rather dreamy sort of boy. Especially in that scene where Mrs. Robinson tries to seduce him several times, in which she always nearly succeeds and Ben always nearly escapes. Seriously, I kept wondering why it is so hard for him to be firm and say no and just go, but he has such these huge nerves and he keeps yielding and coming back each time Mrs. Robinson calls him, and I began yelling stuff to the screen angrily like, "Get out of there!" and "Idiot, just go!" Haha, I know, I was so impatient to see him get out of there. He ultimately did, but not before Mrs. Robinson exposed her naked self in front of him and offered herself to him, causing the thought to linger, until a few days later you find him reconsidering the offer and finally calling her, after experiencing dilemma about plans for the undecided future and quite a tension with his father.

So, their night together goes on and on to several nights in the months to come, until finally Elaine Robinson comes home from Berkley and Ben is forced to take her out, after previously promising to Mrs. Robinson that he won't take her daughter out. The two go out together, which didn't go well at first, but eventually the two come to understand each other, and Ben wishes to continue meeting her. Mrs. Robinson didn't like this, and she threatens to tell the whole truth to her daughter. Finally, the truth is revealed to Elaine by Ben himself, and she is outrageous, and she returns to Berkley. One would think that this is the end, but not long after, Ben goes after her, thus starting a new set of complications and dilemmas.

I started feeling for Ben the moment he falls for Elaine and decides to go after her. It was touching that he was finally resolved on something and knew what he wanted, and that was to marry her, combating all the consequences and troubles that would possibly come. Even though I thought that the feelings he had for Elaine appeared quite abrupt and quick, I couldn't question the seriousness and the intimacy he felt for her.

Of course my favorite part of the movie, that part where I felt it drilling into the insides of my heart and almost made me cry (it made my eyes all watery, though), was the part where he finally takes her away with him and they run off to nowhere, not knowing where to go next, hence how the movie ended. It was so dramatic, I mean, so crazy and dramatic, and I didn't expect it to be like that. I'm sorry for spoiling this again, but I just have to! I'm talking about the part where he arrives late at Elaine's wedding and starts to scream "Elaine! Elaine!" from the glass wall upstairs, where he runs down and escapes attacks, manages to take her hand, and literally tries to combat all of them with the Cross symbol until finally escaping the building, and locking them inside with the symbol. It was hilarious, to be honest, and I was awed, but at the same time his decision to act was driven by so deep of feeling, affection, and determination, driven by the certainty that Elaine would regret marrying the wrong man whom she didn't love, just like Mrs. Robinson to Mr. Robinson (as she told him that night), that I couldn't help but feel a deep sympathy for Ben, and Elaine too, especially when they finally got on the bus and sat in silence, quietly contemplating what just happened without regrets.

I admit in the end I really felt for Ben. He was confused and didn't know what to do, and there comes Mrs. Robinson offering her beautiful self for her, and he didn't know what else to do but to consider it. Then he meets the daughter and couldn't help from falling in love with her beautiful and considerate self, and all regret for the mistakes in the past swarms in, and there he begins fighting for what he believes in, for the first time.

Can I also say, though, in addition, that I find the expressions in this film rather..., amusing? I mean, I know, this is a 1967 movie, but still, I find some expressions rather odd and funny. I don't think I need to relate to which of the scenes though, because maybe it's only me, hehe. Okay, let's just forget about this remark.

Anyways, I think Dustin Hoffman did a hell of a job portraying Ben Braddock, as well as Anne Bancroft as the beautiful, seductive, fashionable, cool yet rather 'sassy', Mrs. Robinson, and I agree with many people who say that she dominated in her scenes.

I think this is all that comes to mind about this movie. I finally watched The Graduate that I was so curious about since (500) Days of Summer, and I'm glad. I'm not disappointed with the movie, but I can't say this is one of my favorites, because I still felt that something was lacking. Maybe this is the typical 60s movies and that's how it was back then? I don't know, I haven't seen much sixties movies and I definitely don't know how life was that time. In matters of taste though, I prefer something deeper, something... well, like I said earlier, I thought that his feelings for Elaine came up too quickly and strongly -I know that one of the reasons was that he was comfortable with her and that she was different from any other person he'd ever talked to and been with, but still, something didn't quite satisfy me at this falling in love part- and he wasn't much of a romantic person either, so, yeah. But once again, this is a matter of taste. I'm the type of person who would love more romantic-but-not-cliche stuff. The film itself was great, and of course I've stated my favorite part of the movie. :)