The Graduate

Movie: The Graduate, 1967; 105 min

Director: Mike Nichols

Actors: Anne Bancroft, Dustin Hoffman, Katharine Ross

Summary: Benjamin Braddock, a recent college graduate, finds himself trapped within an affair with his parents’ friend Mrs. Robinson. After becoming deeply involved with the affair, he falls in love with Mrs. Robinson’s beautiful daughter, Elaine.

Question 1:  Analyze the scene when Ben is shaving. Explain how Ben shows his emotions through his movements.

When Ben is shaving, his mother comes in the bathroom and asks where he goes every night. He lies by saying he goes for a drive, but the audience knows this is not true. During their conversation, the shot only shows Bens chin being shaved. Before he lies, he stops shaving for a moment, and then begins going faster as he tells the lie. By his movements, the audience can see his inner emotions from his movements. Also, when Ben’s mother asks if he has been seeing a girl, the camera immediately cuts to a close-up of him cutting his finger with the razor. Her question catches him by surprise, shown through his reaction with the razor. These close-ups of Ben’s chin and finger are used to make the audience feel his emotions and his fears of his mother finding out about the affair.

Question 2: How do the monkeys at the zoo parallel Ben’s situation with Elaine?

When Ben follows Elaine to the zoo he is left behind once her date comes to meet her there. Elaine and her date walk away with their arms around each other, leaving Ben alone in front of the monkey exhibit. Ben looks at the two monkeys who have their arms around each other. These two monkeys happen to parallel his situation with Elaine, because Elaine and her date walked away with their arms around each other. The shot then cuts to Ben’s face and focuses on a gorilla in another exhibit in the background. This gorilla, unlike the two monkeys, is alone. In a way, this gorilla represents Ben and the fact that he is alone. Also, monkeys are considered to be silly and to commit careless actions. The typical actions of monkeys can also parallel Ben’s careless action of becoming involved in an affair with Mrs. Robinson. This affair is the reason behind why Elaine does not want to be with Ben, and the reason why he is left alone at the zoo just like the lone gorilla.