The Graduate Film Analysis

Confusions and rebellions The movie “The Graduate” (dir. Mike Nichols, 1967) mainly presents the psychological and spiritual confusions and rebellions generation of 1960s like Benjamin Braddock (Dustin Hoffman) have, echoing greatly with the generation of 1960s when this movie was presented. Hence, Nichols used montage in this movie efficiently which helped reveal Braddock’s confusions about the future and rebellions against his parents, especially in this assigned scene “drifting”. Dissolves, which was applied by Nichols, helpfully contributed to the sense of confusion Braddock has in movie, somehow unfolding many people’s similar feelings during 1960s. Impossible match on action, in this clip, contributed to the use of montage which aims to compress time and to provide a lot of information in a fast-paced speed in a short

This movie was presented during 1960s in America when social trend of thoughts appeared and diversified, and the generation of 1960s like Benjamin Braddock has many new thoughts which are different greatly from the generation before them such as their parents, therefore, showing the confliction between Braddock and his parents and his confusions about the future became the theme for Nichols to deal with. As examples, shot eight and shot fifteen are two impossible matches on action, and they helpfully contribute to the atmosphere forming of confusing feeling and the use of montage, indicating that even though Braddock sleeps with Mrs. Robinson many times, Braddock is still aimless and confused, because Braddock’s eyes, as spectators can see in the movie, have no focal length, and all he knows is to drifting on pool and have an affair with Mrs. Robison. Thus, the use of impossible match on action becomes significant because of its successful atmosphere forming which indicates Braddock’s confusing about future-the theme of this