In 1967, Mike Nichols directed a pioneering film of the 60s named, The Graduate. The film is based on Charles Webb’s novel, The Graduate, which was written after Webb had graduated from Williams College. The film is a story about a young man named Benjamin Braddock, who was played by a 30-year old Dustin Hoffman, and just like Charles Webb, Benjamin Braddock had also just graduated from college. Benjamin is confused and lost young man who is uncertain of where his future is going to lead him to. The theme of loneliness and seclusion joined with the subject of confused love and sex is captured throughout the film with cinematography. The film opens with a close-up of Benjamin’s lost and zombie-like face and then slowly zooms out to show him in an airplane heading back home. In the beginning scenes of the film the camera shows Benjamin having …show more content…
After being introduced by his father, Benjamin comes outside to the pool fully suited in scuba gear. The camera begins with filming Benjamin walking towards the pool and then switches to Benjamin’s own point of view through the glass of the scuba helmet and the audience gets to see what Benjamin is seeing. Cinematography plays an important part her, because where the camera is positioned helps us sort of comprehend how he is feeling at that moment. When walking into the pool the camera starts tilts down showing us his fins and that he is submerging underwater and then tilts up showing us that he’s leveled the water and then finally completely submerges underwater. When the camera switched to Benjamin’s point of view it also muted everything because of the scuba helmet, so when underwater all you heard was his heavy breathing. Him underwater symbolizes the pain of being alone and isolated. The camera helped elaborate and emphasizes the point that Benjamin is drowning not only literally, but also