2008 Woodie Awards
'The Graduate' celebrates 40th anniversary
David Hopper
Sports Editor
- Page 1 of 1
With an all-new anamorphic transfer and digital sound mix, "The Graduate" has never looked and sounded better. For those unfamiliar with the film, it is a funny and poignant drama about the life of college graduate Benjamin Braddock. Upon returning home from college miserable and unsure of what to do with his life, his parents throw a graduation party for him. In attendance is Mrs. Robinson, a long-time friend of the Braddock family, played to perfection by the late Anne Bancroft. Ben gives Mrs. Robinson a ride to her home and Mrs. Robinson seduces Ben.
The dialogue and interaction between the mature Mrs. Robinson and the naive, panicky Ben is hysterical. The two don't do anything sensual that night, but they eventually start rendezvousing at a hotel for late night hook-ups. Ben spends his days doing nothing, frequently lounging around the backyard pool. After weeks of ultimately unfulfilling sex with Mrs. Robinson, Ben heeds the advice of his parents and takes Mr. and Mrs. Robinson's daughter Elaine (Katharine Ross) out on date, much to Mrs. Robinson's dismay. The plot really thickens when Ben falls in love with Elaine leading to an unforgettable climax and ending.
"The Graduate" holds up very well 40 years later with themes of youth alienation and superficial materialism bound to resonate with viewers today. Based on a novel, the script is well written and the cinematography is superb -- not to mention the outstanding acting, highlighted by the then unknown Hoffman in a star-making performance. The new DVD is loaded with new insightful special features, including two commentary tracks and two featurettes. "The Students of the Graduate" featurette has film critics and contemporary directors such as Harold Ramis and Marc Foster weighing in on the many groundbreaking and influential aspects of "The Graduate."
One of the most noticeable components about the direction of "The Graduate" is how the many stylistic shots draw your attention to the camera work instead of just what is one the screen, a technique that was new to American cinema at the time. Director Mike Nichols, who won an Academy Award for his direction, makes proficient use of the zoom, focus, depth and dark spaces creating a certain energy and emotion for every scene.
Another topic the critics and directors talk about beside the cinematography and acting is the use of popular music instead of a traditional classical score in the film. The entire soundtrack is made up of Simon and Garfunkel hits such as "The Sounds of Silence," "Scarborough Fair/Canticle" and, of course, "Mrs. Robinson." Specially marked packages of the DVD contain another disc with four songs from the original soundtrack.
The other fascinating new featurette, "The Seduction," dissects the relationship between Ben and Mrs. Robinson. The commentators talk about everything from the significance of certain shots and costumes to the motives and emotions of the characters. There are actually four total featurettes, but the other two "One on One with Dustin Hoffman" and "The Graduate at 25" were carried over from past editions. "In One and One with Dustin Hoffman," Hoffman anecdotally reveals some of his interesting experiences acting in his first feature film.
In "Graduate at 25," Hoffman and producer Lawrence Thurman talk about things like the casting. Interestingly, the first choice to play Ben was Robert Redford.
The new commentary tracks are very good. However, perhaps only film buffs and fans of the film will find them engaging for the entire 106-minute running time. One is with Hoffman and Ross, and the other is with filmmaker Stephen Soderbergh and Nichols.
The latter is in question and answer format with Soderbergh asking Nichols all sorts of questions regarding the film. Ranked 17th on the American Film Institute's 100 Greatest Films of All Time list, "The Graduate 40th Anniversary Edition" is definitely worth the purchase or rental.
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