The Graduate: StudioCanal Collection

There are some films that managed to be both popular entertainment and somehow capture the zeitgeist and the social and political climate in which it was made and one of those films is The Graduate. Released in 1967 to America torn apart by protests against the Vietnam War, marches for civil rights and the increasing politicisation of America's youth leading to the growing generation gap, it features a young man, fresh from college having graduated with outstanding grades, become a renowned athlete and member of the University society, returning home to an uncertain future. Whereas previous generations would go to college, graduate and then go straight into employment, Benjamin Braddock doesn't really do what he wants although he is offered advice by his parents' friends who advise him to go into "plastics", continue his education at grad school and generally make the most of his education.

At the party to celebrate his homecoming, which is a gathering of nightmarish proportions for Benjamin, he is constantly accosted and congratulated by his parents' friends who seem to treat him as a child with one even ruffling his hair. Benjamin would rather be anywhere but there and when Mrs Robertson, the wife of his father's partner at the law firm, asks Benjamin to take her home, he is reluctant but agrees. Driving back to her place in his brand-new Alfa Romeo (a graduation gift from his parents), Mrs. Robinson isn't content with being dropped off and wants Benjamin to escort her into the house.

Once inside, she ignores his protestations and pours him a drink before making extremely suggestive comments, flustering the young scholar to the point where he accuses her of trying to seduce him. Mrs. Robinson laughs this off as the product of an over imaginative mind and tells him to relax and enjoy his drink. Firmly in command, she tells him where to go and when and, when she is getting changed upstairs, asks him to fetch her purse from downstairs and place it in her daughter's bedroom. Suddenly, Benjamin is confronted by a naked Mrs. Robinson who lets him know that she is available to him anywhere, any time before Benjamin flees the bedroom when he hears Mr Robinson pull up outside.

Although he is nearly 21, Benjamin is extremely experienced and, at some point in the future, he calls Mrs. Robinson from The Taft Hotel asking her to come over for a drink. Mrs. Robinson knows exactly what the score is but Benjamin really doesn't know what to do and has to be guided and told exactly what to do by the worldly wise 'older woman'. Despite all of his misgivings and lack of confidence, something happens between them and they embark on a fairly long-standing affair. This proves to be something quite awkward when Elaine Robinson returns home from her studies at Berkely and Benjamin's parents want them to go out together, something strictly prohibited by Mrs. Robinson.


Ignoring Mrs. Robinson's pleas for him to stay away from her daughter, Benjamin and Elaine begin seeing one another and having a 'normal' relationship for people their age, going out for drives and fast food. Elaine realises that something isn't right, especially when they go to The Taft Hotel when everyone seems to recognise Benjamin, even if they do call him 'Mr Gladstone', the name that he uses when checking in to spend a night with Mrs. Robinson. Benjamin does admits to having an affair with an older woman, one who is married with a son, something that Elaine accepts and doesn't seem to mind. Ultimately, she becomes so frustrated that she issues Benjamin with an ultimatum: stop seeing Elaine or she will tell her all about their affair.

Mike Nichols, who had already established himself as a fine director with Whose Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, really showcases his talent here with a series of quite audacious cuts and some delightful shots of Dustin Hoffman's face in close-up so you really have no idea where he is, beginning right at the outset it the aeroplane and continuing throughout the film. Perhaps the greatest contribution from any crew member is from cinematographer Robert Surtees who does absolutely marvellous work with a zoom lens and telephoto lens especially the scene where Benjamin is rushing to the church to prevent Elaine getting married, sprinting furiously up the street but seemingly going absolutely nowhere.


Dustin Hoffman, who had previously only done stage work, but in a career defining performance that is astonishingly compelling and plausible, fully justifying the rather strange casting of a short, dark haired Jew to play an athlete from Southern California. It helps that Katharine Ross isn't tall and blonde but looks like she is also from the East Coast and is really one of the most beautiful women in any film from any era. Hoffman's relationship and interplay with Anne Bancroft, only seven years his senior, really makes the film as she is an utterly believable seductress and one can imagine that someone as inexperienced as Hoffman would be nervous to the point of stuttering when playing opposite her. All the character names are extremely interesting with none of the adults having first names just to reinforce the generation gap and complete distance and difference of opinion between the likes of Benjamin and Elaine and their parents.

The Graduate is a brilliant movie with great performances by everyone involved and absolutely terrific writing, cinematography and direction. There aren't many films that one could argue that defined the mid- to late-1960s but few of them will have a better claim that this as the student protests and civil rights movement are palpable despite not being shown.

The Disc

Extra Features
If you were to imagine a suitable and qualified person to provide an audio commentary, you would probably come up with an American academic so it was quite surprising that when the commentary starts, it is in German with English subtitles. It is a very well written and delivered track by Prof. Thomas Koebner who occasionally does go into descriptive mode they generally provides a great deal of background information and analysis throughout the film.

The main feature is the previously released The Graduate at 25 which is now some 12 years out of date and, although the opinions and interviews haven't changed, it hasn't aged well and the quality is quite poor. Overall though, it is a fascinating piece with contributions by most of the principal cast and crew, with Katharine Ross still looking fantastic!

There is also an interview with Charles Webb which clocks in at 20 minutes and is a really informative interview with the man who wrote the novel who divulges what a massive impact it had on his life and how hypocritical his parents turned out to be, almost disowning him when they read the 'scandalous' material but are very proud to introduce into their friends when the movie turned out to be a big success.


The Graduate: Looking Back is an interesting 40 minute piece which is an extremely interesting visual essay by writer/director Michael Muszlak in which he talks about why The Graduate struck such a nerve when it came out and why it is considered an important document of the turbulence in the US at or around 1967.

Prof Koebner also analyses several scenes, particularly the 'Seduction Scene', looking at the various angles, lenses and the way in which Nichols and Surtees isolated characters and zoomed right into them so you can almost read their thoughts.

Predictably enough, there are a few features on the music so you can listen to the four principal songs (The Sound of Silence, April Comes You Will, Scarborough Fair, Mrs. Robinson) with various footage from the film playing in the background. Prof. Koebner and Helga La Motte-Haber analysed the way in which the music is used which is informative and interesting.

Additionally, there is a trailer and, as with the other StudioCanal releases, comes with a wonderfully written booklet that adds so much to your understanding and appreciation of the film. Normally, these booklets are something that you will read once and then put back in the case, never to see the light of day again but I can imagine reading this one the next time I watched the film.


The Picture
The Graduate has never really been visually impressive on DVD despite the quite wonderful cinematography is I was half expecting this high-definition picture to be slightly underwhelming. All I can really say is 'wow!' The colours are brighter than they have ever been and much more vibrant and contrast levels are just spectacular leading to a really rich and deep picture with incredibly high detail. Similarly, skin tones are excellent and the quick cutting when Benjamin encounters a naked Mrs. Robinson doesn't half show off Bancroft tan lines!

All of the sets and filming locations really help to add to the sense of authenticity and, although you know that what you are watching is far from a documentary, it does have a feel that you're watching something that could be real, such are the quality of the performances and the terrific location shooting all over California.


The Sound
When you think of The Graduate, one of the first things that comes to mind is Simon and Garfunkel with The Sounds of Silence, Scarborough Fair and Mrs. Robinson. They also lent April Comes You Will for the film but it is only used one so is generally overlooked. The quality of the soundtrack is absolutely incredible with crystal clear dialogue produced by the DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo track.

The sound editing, score and music by those folk rockers all work brilliantly to create a thoroughly memorable soundtrack that is done full justice by the brilliant HD soundtrack.


Final Thoughts
Nominated for numerous Academy Awards with Mike Nichols winning for best director, The Graduate is part of our culture and even those who haven't seen it, but know Wayne's World 2, will be familiar with the music, car (the beautiful red Alfa Romeo Spider) and some of the dialogue which is even worked its way into The Simpsons with Grampa Simpson in the Benjamin Braddock role! The acting is flawless, cinematography and editing inspired and Mike Nichols' direction perhaps the finest of his entire career.

This is a marvellous package of a brilliant film and is well worth your money even if you already own it on DVD due to the step up in AV quality and the quantity and quality of extra features.