The Graduate

The Graduate (1967)
a film by Mike Nichols

I forgot about the infinite number of references to its scenes that are widespread. I forgot about the Simon and Garfunkel soundtrack. I forgot that this movie has been regarded as a milestone of American cinema and as a generation-defining film. And I was trying to forget because although I haven't seen the movie, the story and the images were already in my mind. So I sat down and tried to watch The Graduate without the baggage that this movie carries behind.

Many lines have been written about the great performances and the controversial scenes and the critical content of this movie and it is for a really good reason. Dustin Hoffman is great and Anne Bancroft creates an icon with her performance. It is hard not to feel moved by the character of Benjamin Braddock. Both in his hesitance and his resolution this character delivers a great portrait of the cultural breaking point during the sixties and it is his questioning and confused attitude together with the great interpretation by Dustin Hoffman what makes him linger and make this movie so memorable. On the other side there is Anne Bancroft in a great role where she delivers the sharpest lines and the greatest evil.

This movie is a Molotov cocktail to the right-way-to-do-things and it is the defiance to the establishment what makes it so incendiary. I can only imagine the storm that it must have produced when it was released but I'm glad it is still so exciting almost fifty years later. I find amazing how many elements of this movie have become references in the popular culture, from the great soundtrack by Simon and Garfunkel to the memorable lines of the characters. But it doesn't matter how many times those songs have been played or how many clichés have grown from its scenes, watching this movie was tons of fun.