The Graduate Movie Review

In "The Graduate," Dustin Hoffman plays a 21 year-old scholar named Benjamin Braddock who just completed college and is concerned about his future. Little time passes before the chain-smoking Mrs. Robinson, played by Anne Bancroft, seduces him despite being married and having close ties to his parents. Their affair gets complicated when Mr. and Mrs. Robinson's daughter Elaine returns from college. As the "The Graduate" progresses, Benjamin must grow up quickly to deal with heartbreak, manipulation, jealousy and social politics at the hands of the lover who betrays him. This is a lot to handle for a guy who thinks that foreplay includes abruptly grabbing an older woman's breast as she undresses.

He then travels all the way to Berkeley for what seems like an attempt to rid himself of guilt. For a guy who claims to want to be with the girl of his dreams, his voyeuristic behavior during those first days on campus make his desires seem less urgent. These scenes may cause the audience to question what his motives are with regards to Elaine. Is he buying time to figure out the best way to approach her without being rejected? Does he just want to find out if she is still hurt or if she has moved on? The soundtrack and 60s setting make it seem romantic, yet, the discreet and investigative behavior would be considered similar to that of a stalker these days.

The transitions between scenes in this movie could have been a little smoother but overall, "The Graduate" is still easy for viewers to follow, from a technical standpoint. Some of the earlier scenes are shaky, which increases curiosity about whether the film was shot handheld for portions of the movie. One of the best aspects of "The Graduate" is how well it shows different points of view, allowing the audience to experience the perspectives of certain characters in this film.

The Graduate was clearly a Dustin Hoffman and Anne Bancroft show; with his parents, her husband and Elaine all playing second fiddle to their drama. However, Elaine does become a more prominent character later in the movie once she finds out that Benjamin is on campus. While there were some comedic moments in "The Graduate," this movie appears to have more drama than humor. It is an entertaining watch for Dustin Hauffman fans and movie lovers who want to see the acclaimed actor in his younger days or experience the earlier works in his career. What starts out as a scandalous summer for one odd and inappropriate couple develops into a cute little journey about a boy who must face the consequences of his actions while on a mission to be with the one he loves. The explosive ending is unexpected and the soundtrack is quite groovy, making for one entertaining movie with a manipulative storyline.