The Graduate: 40th Anniversary Special Edition

Review By: Rocco Passafuime
RoccoPassafuime@TheCinemaSource.com

In the late 1960’s, the signs of a new progressive artistic renaissance in Hollywood had emerged in response to the increasingly changing and turbulent mood of American society at the time and stage-turned-film director Mike Nichols was leading the charge. In 1966, his film adaptation of the play Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf? created controversy for its unheard-of level of profanity and innuendo, which would soon sow the seeds for the establishment of a film ratings system. The following year, Nicholswould push the boundaries in more ways than one and change the art of American cinema forever with his next film The Graduate, now available on DVD in an all-new 40th Anniversary Edition.

21 year-old Benjamin Braddock (Dustin Hoffman) has just returned home from graduating college to the thrill of his proud parents (William Daniels, Elizabeth Wilson) and their friends.

Particularly proud of him are his neighbors, the Robinsons (Anne Bancroft, Murray Hamilton), but Ben himself is sullen, depressed, and worried about his future. During an impromptu escort home, Ben soon discovers that Mrs. Robinson, alcoholic and trapped in a seemingly loveless marriage, desires him. Succumbing to that desire and reluctant to progress with his education, his life becomes revolves between lounging around in his parents’ home and secretively having relations with Mrs. Robinson in a hotel room.

Soon, Mr. Robinson and his parents encourage Ben to date the Robinsons’ daughter Elaine (Katherine Ross), while Mrs. Robinson forbids him from doing so. After reluctantly accepting the date and a bit of trying to push her away, Ben finds himself in love with Elaine, which does not sit well with his would-be mistress, who also happens to be her mother.

Based on a novel by Charles Webb and one of the signature movies of the 1960’s, The Graduate manages to transcend its time. Its themes still resonate today due to its universally timeless themes of alienation between the generations of parents and their children.

Off the bat, the film is unique for its time due to Mike Nichols’ strong visual style. The film maintains a breezy pace that sweeps you away in what’s going on through Nichols’s use of long takes, often static performances, dramatic editing, and the seamless shifting of scenes.

There are also many scenes that give the film a highly idiosyncratic style, including now-classic scenes like Mrs. Robinson’s come-hithers at Ben and the wedding climax. And the use of Simon & Garfunkel songs throughout the many dialogue-less scenes throughout the film perfectly add to air the constant somber atmosphere of uncertainty and anxiety.

This is supported by a fantastic cast of performers. This includes Dustin Hoffman who gives a seemingly unlikely perfect neurotic performance as Ben, Anne Bancroft who manages to be both coolly sexual and wickedly sinister as Mrs. Robinson, and Katherine Ross who delivers a genuinely innocent which seamlessly alternates into intense performance as Elaine.

The DVD’s picture quality is presented in the 2:35:1 anamorphic widescreen ratio, with the sound quality in both ...