Review of The Graduate (1967) by Brandon W — 24 Apr 2012

If there's a hot button combination of words you could use to describe a movie that would interest me, it would probably be off kilter sixties comedy starring Dustin Hoffman and with a soundtrack by Simon & Garfunkel. I mean just listen to that, what could possibly go wrong? Indeed the reason for the strange soundtrack is simply that Director Mike Nichols was obsessed with the group's music at the time and they agreed to make it when he approached them. While it was mostly a compilation and retread of previous songs as the band was busy touring Paul Simon did offer up one original tune which would go on to be the bands most famous, "Mrs. Robinson" originally a political song about Mrs. Roosevelt and Joe DiMaggio with the name changed to Robinson at Nichols request to match the character in the film. The never before heard song was used in the film and was so strongly received the otherwise lukewarm soundtrack rose to number one on the charts in America in 1967 toppling the Beatles famous White Album. "Mrs. Robinson" would be altered and rereleased as a single from their follow up Bookends album and chart fairly well. I've spent an inordinate amount of time talking about the soundtrack because the movies place in the history of Simon and Garfunkel's music is to me the most interesting thing about it. But hey not every movie needs an exciting back story, hell that's kind of odd not to have a huge laborious production history in the 60s, and Nichols very countercultural love story has certainly left an indelible mark on the pop culture landscape. The film is referenced, mentioned and nodded to everywhere including numerous top 100 lists AFI even once ranking it the seventh greatest film of all time. Is it worth all the surprising hype? Has it aged less than gracefully? Let's take a seductive look.

Our movie follows twenty-one year old college grad Benjamin Braddock (Dustin Hoffman, this is Hoffman doing what he does best, not at his most challenging and not showing the most talent but definitely in his element as a blustering well intentioned nice guy) who finds himself adrift and without purpose after completing his education in upper class 1960s California. His life is about to play itself out though as he finds himself in a whirlwind affair with Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft, a decent performance with a little depth and slightly interesting but I don't see what all the fuss is about) a much older friend of his parents which gives him a much needed sense of excitement and passion. However things take a precarious turn when an oblivious Mr. Robinson (Murray Hamilton, interesting to see him not serving of vacationers in a shark buffet) insistently sets him up on a date with his daughter college freshman Elaine (Katharine Ross, hits all the right notes unfortunately for her none are that interesting). Things become even more awkward when Ben finds himself head over heels for Elaine but a vindictive and bitter Mrs. Robinson refuses to just let him go without a fight. While maybe not immediately obvious I think we all know where this is headed.

I hate to sound like I disliked this movie because truly I didn't but I was just incredibly let down by it. With such praise and a promising set up I was expecting something special or at least that really stood the test of time but what I got was a dated twisted romantic comedy that had an unbelievable romance and wasn't very funny. The directing of the movie perhaps aside from the iconic shot on the poster of Ben looking at Mrs. Robinson's crotch is frankly a little boring, bland and hideous not to mention HORRIBLY dated. Maybe the movie just needs a little remastering but it had way too many grays and flat shots for my taste. I also understand what a rough time the sixties were for censorship but really the movie handles the problem in what might be the worst possible way. When Robinson initially tries to seduce Ben it's nothing but a bunch of rapid cuts and Ben making weird shocked orgasm like noises and it's incredibly off putting and well awful. There's a similar shot in the climax when the movie is trying to simply show displeasure among the Robinson parents that is one of the most bizarre directorial choices I've ever witnessed. The acting does little to help it as well, Hoffman gives a fine performance that I think unfairly contributed to the films popularity because everyone else is bland as shit, and not only that but while Hoffman was thirty at the time he looked pretty damn young, Anne Bancroft was clearly in her twenties or thirties when this was filmed and looks almost the exact age of Hoffman just with phony dyed hair. But I would definitely concede that this movie was one you had to be there for. It feels like a cheesy and processed but still basically accurate slice of sixties California particularly in the Berkeley area, not only with it being filmed basically on location but also with the cool as a cucumber Simon and Garfunkel soundtrack. In fact I'll say right now there are basically two things that made this movie so damn beloved, it introduced Dustin Hoffman who was a very different kind of Hollywood star, and it gave us the amazing and beloved mega-hit "Mrs. Robinson." So as it is one of my favorite songs of all time perhaps it's best not to complain.

So yes, I have the nerve to say forty-five years later watching it on my friends couch from Netflix, that The Graduate is one of the most horribly dated movies I've ever seen. It's dated in all the wrong and least enjoyable ways to be enduring and I feel like regardless of what makes it good it has enough wrong with it, it would still be mediocre for its time. But not every movie has to be incredible to leave a footprint and this movie definitely has so perhaps it's me that's missing something. And as I said two incredible things came from this movie and as far as I can see no harm was done so more power to it. Yes perhaps I'm what's wrong, not The Graduate. Whether that's the case or not, here's to you Mrs. Robinson, Jesus loves you more than you will know, whoa whoa whoa.