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The problem is, Ben is not really sure what he wants to do with his life. As he says, he feels as though he is a game but doesn’t know the rules, and the stress is almost more than he can tolerate. Enter Mrs. Robinson, wife of his father’s business partner. The attractive, sophisticated older woman rapidly brings her own kind of pressure into Ben’s troubled life, and soon, the two are having an affair. But while Ben is looking for a deeper connection, Mrs. Robinson wants little more from Ben than to escape her boring, controlled life. As if all of this wasn’t bad enough, Ben’s parents and Mr. Robinson are pushing Ben to get together with Elaine- the daughter of the very woman Ben is having an affair with. Eventually, the two do go out, against the explicit demands of Mrs. Robinson. Finding they have a great deal in common, Ben decides to pursue the relationship. Mrs. Robinson’s response is unkind, to say the least. My overall impression of The Graduate after watching the film was that it holds up remarkably well considering that it is forty years old. This is due primarily to two things. One, there is not a whole lot of dialogue in the film. Characters rarely say any more than they need to, and what is there to be said flows with a more modern feel than you find in most older films. Second, the directing by Mike Nichols, considered radical at the time, feels very modern. The casting for this film worked very well. Hoffman as Ben does an excellent job, the young man out of place, confused, being pushed this way and that by those around him. Anne Bancroft plays the sexy, worldly older woman to great effect, making the character of Mrs. Robinson someone you root for and against all at the same time. Particularly well done is how the characters change during the course of the film. Shortly after his affair with Mrs. Robinson begins, he comes to be far less stressed out about life- and seemingly far less motivated to do anything more than spend his time between drinking beer and lounging by the pool, and his late night meetings with his married lover. All of this changes rapidly when he hooks up with Elaine, however, and the relationship between the two pushes the other characters to extreme acts. I found the special features interesting, something I don’t find myself saying a lot, mainly because Dustin Hoffman reveals a truth that most of us regular folk who watch films already suspect; that is, fancy pants critics and those supposedly knowledgeable about things such and film and literature read far, far more into things than are really there. One example- Ben at the church, calling out for Elaine, arms outstretched, palms smacking the big glass window. Some have said that this was a symbolic representation of Christ in the church scene, but in fact, it was the only way the Pastor of the church would allow the scene to be done, as he was afraid the glass would get broken otherwise. Just one of the nuggets of gold Hoffman dropped in a very entertaining interview. The film transfer to DVD was done well, and looks good for such an old film. The sound was remixed in Dolby 5.1 Surround and DTS, and if you’ve got it, use it. The DTS mix sounded great, and certainly made the film more enjoyable for me, someone who is used to great sound in modern films. Also included with the film is a four song audio CD, featuring Simon and Garfunkel’s “The Sound of Silence” and “Mrs. Robinson”, songs that most people should have a familiarity with, even if they are not fans that particular kind of music. Overall, this 40th anniversary release of The Graduate is good package, definitely worth the buy for collectors and fans of the film. As it is a classic and well ahead of its time in terms of storytelling and filmmaking, movie buffs who have not seen it will want to check it out, as will anyone who enjoys a good film that manages to mix humor and drama so well. -Ed-
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