This paper analyzes the movie The Graduate.
The Graduate is a 1967 film directed by Mike Nicoles, which depicts the struggle of discovering what to do with life, after a college degree. The film follows Benjamin Braddock, after his recent graduation from an unnamed university on the east coast, returning home to his life on the west coast. Following his return to Pasadena, California, and in an attempt to move from adolescence to adulthood; he tries to figure out what to do with his life post, track star/ straight-A student. Two generations contrast different ideas and goals in life. The conflicted age group of Benjamin's indecisive youth vs. his parents' all-knowing era, ready for their children to have a complete life plan, is the main theme throughout the film. The director strives to depict the rebellion against parental dominance at the same time showing the isolation and loss of innocence one may face with growing up. The confusion and unsurety throughout the film are portrayed to the viewer through camera angles, mise en scène, and symbolism to illustrate Benjamin’s struggle pertaining to facing adulthood.
The use of precise camera angles and mise-en-scene help the viewer to understand the emotions felt from the unsettled Benjamin. During the opening credits, the film opens up with a slightly blurred, close up shot of Benjamin's blank facial expression. The director uses close-ups to reveal characters’ true inner feelings and give the viewer a closer relationship to Bejarmins state of mind. Additionally, the use of an out of focus camera displays Benjamin's confusion while also depicting his doubts with his surrounding character's intentions. Here Benjamin's face seems as if he is painfully pondering something, which is a face he will continuously make throughout the film. From here the camera pans out to reveal Benjamin is on a plane surrounded by people of an older age group, looking dissatisfied and disconnected as well. Mise en scène is a french term used to describe the arrangement and placement of the scenery or the setting of a scene. Mise en scène is purposely executed in this film to emphasize the tones of specific situations. The people on the plane are intentionally older and scattered around (not interacting with one another) to symbolize Benjamin's lack of connection with the generation above him. Furthermore, it highlights his desire to not follow in this eras footsteps, hoping to find his path. This scene shows his isolated state and feelings of being alone because of the older surrounding ages seated around him, for which he has not related to comfortably.
Mise en scène is applied to intentionally exploit Benjamin in certain shots of the frame, to set the visual theme. From here the camera tracks Ben as he is off the plane and on a people-mover. The camera films Ben from the shoulder up while he is purposely placed in the left-back of the frame. This gives the viewer the ability to see his reaction as people pass by him, while he stays in frame, shy and avoiding contact with anyone who passes by. As seen again, the people passing by him are older, holding briefcases and wearing suits. The fact that older people continue to pass by could symbolize how the people around him have moved on, into adulthood, while Benjamin is scared to move forward in life. The tone of this scene is quite dull, having no bright colors, which could highlight Benjamin's boredom with the “developed world”. Furthermore, his blank expression centerpieces the humdrum mood of this scene. Before the scene ends, the camera stops following Ben and allows him to move out of the frame. The viewer is then exposed to Benjamin's shadow, who had been stalking behind. A shadow formed when light rays are obstructed which anyone can achieve under these circumstances. The decision to have his shadow following all along could reveal that Benjamin is constantly haunted by something that trails behind his footsteps. Due to this, it could emphasize Benjamin's desire to get away from this “something” yet it dwells in the dust of his subconscious. The composition of elements in this scene underscores Benjamins dread of evolving into the generation above.
By using the camera to effectively display perspective, it displays symbolism and the shifting social situation that Benjamin has just entered, from his return to LA. After the opening credits, the first scene opens the viewer’s eyes to a close up of Ben’s face. Again his facial expression is roughly, in thinking mode, pondering something. Here Benjamin is placed in the middle of the frame, which is a decision made by the director to show the viewer the importance of Benjamin at this very moment. He is seated in front of a fish tank, with a little scuba diver, holding something directed towards Benjamin's head. In hindsight, the fact the diver is pointing it towards his head could further highlight the confusion going on in his mind. Perhaps the little diver could foreshadow and characterize Benjamin's later encounter with the soba suit. Along with this idea, the fish tank scuba diver could represent Benjamin at this very moment, small and surrounded by open water. This symbolism may depict his civil surroundings. Open and big, lacking a clear direction and clue of what to do next. Moreover, water is a motif seen throughout the film which may depict the coming of manhood. Subsequently, perspective and symbolism give insight to the audience as to what Benjamin's unclear mindset abides as.
The use of close up and blurred camera shots show Benjamin's reaction to his arrogant parents. From here Ben’s father’s, out of focus, head enters the frame. As previously stated, the use of a blurred character shows Ben's confusion towards them. The camera keeps Benjamin's distressed face in the middle of the frame, still having him as the main focal point. Hence, he and his father have a discussion that finally reveals Ben’s fear of his future. Even stating that he is “different.” During this discussion, his father goes in and out of blocking Ben's face. This conceivably shows the viewer his father's interference with his decision and disruption of Ben’s ability to fully sit alone and think things out. His mother later enters the frame and fully blocks the camera. Which is again slightly out of focus, completely shrouding Benjamin from the viewer's eyes. This scene displays the overbearing nature of his parents, presenting their beliefs about who they want Benjamin’s identity to be. Proceeding this, the viewer fully sees that Benjamin is not in control of his own life and is overwhelmed by their agency. The fact that his mother fully blocked the camera embodies Benjamin's parents restricting and withholding of him, from who he wants to be. It is clear he does not want to be like them, yet they continue to push him towards their ambitions which is shown by the intentional out of focus and close-ups of the camera.
It is through symbolism and mise en scène that exhibit Benjamin's youthful isolation and his misunderstanding parent's lack of connection. After Benjamin's mother blocks the frame, the shot seamlessly continues to show his mother, pull him up and put on his coat. From here the camera pans to show Benjamin walking in front of his parents, in the middle of the frame. His parents are placed behind him where the viewer is able to see their full faces, while they head downstairs to Benjamin's unwanted graduation party. The fact that his parents walk behind him shows that his parents are pushing him forward in life, tailing him to make sure he is of their standards. Moreover, highlighting the previous statement, his mother continues to pat down his hair and straighten his jacket. She commits this by making sure he “looks” put together, even if his feelings are different. At the top of the stairwell, there is a portrait of a clown, which stays in the frame as the family walks downstairs. Thus the clown could foreshadow that Benjamin is about to enter into an unwanted social circus, as he has to put on an act of confidence and surety to the guest. His parents parade him around, highlighting their selfish objectives by coaxing him down to the party instead of trying to acknowledge his difficult situation. The clown portrait may represent Benjamin at this moment because the party seems as if its a way for his parents to strut their “perfect graduate” around like he is their possession and not their son. In this scene, symbolism and the arrangement of setting exhibits Benjamin’s parents ignorance towards his actual desire.
Up until Benjamin’s return from LA, his identity has been defined by his college achievements: superior student, editor of the college newspaper and sensational star athlete. However, his reign has ended and he is confused as to where to put his success towards. Being home only further confuses the intelligent graduate which is displayed to the audience by close-ups of his facial expression. The close-up shots display his turbulent mindset as opposed to the out of focus shots that indicate Benjamin's disarray towards the characters encompassing him. Mise en scène is purposely recycled throughout the film to highlight certain elements that set the tone of Benjamin's mood in that particular scene. For example, this is explicitly shown during the scene with the opening plane composition and in the later clip which advertises the clown portrait on the wall. At the same time, Benjamin's disoriented state is symbolism through different artifacts placed in the movie. This helps to show the audience how Ben is feeling without using actual dialog. Ultimately, Benjamin desires to find a separate identity that is detached from his parents which speaks to the never-ending helplessness and scarcity one may face while developing into a young adult. Benjamin's unwieldy transition into adulthood is illuminated by close-up and blurred camera shots, mise-en-scene and symbolism.
