The Graduate

1. Mike Nichols is an incredibly important director. He is one of twelve to win all of the Major American Entertainment Awards. Nichols directed The Graduate in 1967 and won an Academy Award for best director. The film was set during the Vietnam War and one of the themes is youth rebellion. The main character, Ben, is dissatisfied with society and is unsure of what to do with his life post-graduation. The Graduate was described as relatable to college students as we all will face the same dilemma of uncertainty after we graduate. Mike Nichols does not use very many advanced techniques, which makes it very clear you are watching a film. As we watch the film we can examine how Ben changes. In the beginning he is timid and isolated and remains the same throughout the whole film. During the progression of the film, Ben becomes his own person. He begins smoking and dresses differently. He becomes more daring and confident. Ben is no longer controlled by the world around him, yet he is still not in control.

2. Doing research on the film and the director, I came across an article written by Mark Estrin on filmreference.com. The article describes common themes in all of Nichols’s work. Specifically, in The Graduate, Nichols uses “foreground shooting, long takes and distorting close ups to intensify the sense of his characters’ entrapment.” Estrin also notes that Mike Nichols is praised for his solid use of comedy and drama to create award-winning films in an era where high tech special effects are commonly used to enhance the film. Nichols’s films dive into the American psyche where characters exist in isolation from the society around them. They often flee this society. Mark Estrin examined the ending scene in The Graduate. This scene shows Ben and Elaine on the bus after she left her fiancé at the alter to be with Ben. This scene “implicates them in mutual recognition of a colossal mistake.”
This article can be accessed through the following link:
http://www.filmreference.com/Directors-Mi-Pe/Nichols-Mike.html#b

3. To lead off the last sentence, the article opened up my eyes on a very important, and relatable, scenario in the film. The entire film is about the quest for what comes after college. One spends so much time in school, on a schedule, always knowing the plan for the next day, month and even year. Upon graduation we are thrown out into a world full of unknown. If one cannot relate to the world around them, they can find themselves uncertain of where to go. Ben makes decisions during the film that leave him questioning whether he is making the right decision. I did not view the ending scene as a one in where the characters are contemplating the decision they had made. However, after reading Estrin’s article and recalling the looks on Ben and Elaine’s faces I can agree with his analysis.
4. The ability to relate to the film, as well as the comedic drama, keeps viewers intrigued. As mentioned in the previous response, the uncertainty one feels upon graduation is felt by almost every college student. Uncertainty with major decisions can be experienced throughout life as well. I know I have found myself question the choices I have made or the ones that I am in the process of deciding on. I feel that I can attribute some of the film’s success on the ability for so many people to relate to the films message. The drama and comedy in The Graduate stands on its own to produce and intriguing film without the use of extreme special effects. The change in how the scenes were shot as Ben’s character developed enhanced the effect of the film.