13. THE GRADUATE
Anytime a movie captures the zeitgeist, it's a miracle. The movie business is a slow one, full of long shoots, overdone periods of development, edit jobs that last months. That any movie can capture a cultural moments seems impossible, and yet, some do. This movie, THE GRADUATE, exists so surely in the late 60's, in tone, technique, and theme, that it gives the viewer these 45 years later a window into those times.
We have a hero, Benjamin Braddock, just back in LA from college on the east coast. He defines two archetypes: the prodigal son returning, and the stranger comes to town (even though he's from there, college has clearly changed him enough that he's a stranger to his parents and to his environment). His desire is to get away from his parents, to be left alone to avoid worrying about the future, to "tune in, turn on, and drop out."
But he can't. And at minute 15, we find out why: the mother of a girl he fancies, Mrs. Robinson, seduces him. He resists, but only barely. She tells him to contact her if he changes his mind.
Here we have established the tone of the piece, which is comic and even manic sometimes, but has a heavy sense of seriousness to it. We will drift between those two tones throughout, mostly slowly, but sometimes quickly.
And here we go into the debate section, where we see him drifting: his birthday party, his absent-minded parents, scuba-diving in a backyard pool.
At minute 25, he goes to a hotel and calls Mrs. Robinson. She arrives, and he is fumbling, nervous, unsure; contrast that with her jaded and cool persona. They go to their room and he changes his mind, but she uses reverse psychology to get him into bed, accusing him of being inadequate with women, a virgin. He will not be emasculated, so he fucks her.
This is what's known as the point of no return.
And so now we have the theme: the idea that the younger generation sees the older generation as corrupt, without answers; they will seek their own way, no matter how much fumbling this will take. In other words, this film explores what we now think of as "The Generation Gap".
And now we have the fulfillment of the premise: instantly he's cool, wearing sunglasses, driving a sports car fast around town, smoking, drinking, laying in the pool. He has truly become an aimless member of his generation, he is malaise personified.
Watch how this idea of the Generation Gap is explored in the next section, where we finally see Benjamin interacting not with adults, but with a peer. The various parents insist that he take Elaine Robinson, his lover's daughter, out on a date. She's home from Berkeley and could use the company. He does so, and tanks the date on purpose, taking her to a burlesque show, making her cry. But Benjamin is a nice boy and feels badly, so he makes it up to her by taking her out for real, resetting the date. They have a great time -- and why wouldn't they, they are two similar kids in the prime of their lives -- and Benjamin makes a vow to break it off with Mrs. Robinson.
Before he can, Elaine finds out. She kicks him out of her house, and immediately begins seeing someone new.
Benjamin won't have it. At minute 1:12, Act 3 begins. He goes to Berkeley, stalks her. He discovers that Mrs. Robinson claims that Benjamin raped her, and Elaine is livid. He gets kicked out of his apartment due to her screaming at him, which makes her feel sorry for him, and they make up. He proposes, but she can't make the decision right away.
Finally, he discovers that she's getting married to her proper boyfriend, and he must find out where and stop it. This is the famous ending where he indeed does break up the wedding after speeding around and runs off with Elaine. This ending works so well because it acts as its own separate short film, with a proper beginning, middle and end, but also because it encompasses the film's tone so well (shifting between comedy and drama, and doing it by little more than looks on the actors faces) and gives us one last glimpse at the theme: sure, you have rebelled and called into question the status quo, but to what end? And what's next?
They get on a bus and laugh at what they just went through, until the laughter ends and their real future begins, one that's entirely uncertain.
9 Comments:
20150624meiqing
louis vuitton
timberland boots
louis vuitton
tory burch outlet online
mulberry handbags
oakley sunglasses
juicy couture
oakley sunglasses wholesale
christian louboutin outlet
jordan 13s
cheap jordans
louis vuitton
pandora charms
oakley sunglasses
ray ban sungalss
celine outlet
abercrombie & fitch
kobe bryant shoes 2015
coach outlet stores
ray ban outlet
jordan retro
michael kors
coach factorty outlet
ray bans
michael kors
louis vuitton uk
jordan 6 black infrared 2015
michael kors handbags
celine outlet
oakley vault
louis vuitton outlet
fitflops clearance
louis vuitton handbags
christian louboutin
ray ban sunglasses
louis vuitton outlet
cheap jordans
burberry outlet online
christian louboutin shoes
gucci shoes
ninest123 16.03
cheap oakley sunglasses, tiffany jewelry, ugg boots, michael kors outlet, ray ban sunglasses, louis vuitton, oakley sunglasses, ray ban sunglasses, polo ralph lauren outlet, tory burch outlet, oakley sunglasses, jordan shoes, longchamp, louboutin, louis vuitton, louis vuitton, burberry, ugg boots, louboutin outlet, michael kors outlet, michael kors, prada outlet, oakley sunglasses, replica watches, michael kors outlet, nike outlet, tiffany and co, prada handbags, ray ban sunglasses, louboutin shoes, nike air max, louis vuitton outlet, ugg boots, christian louboutin outlet, longchamp outlet, michael kors outlet, burberry outlet online, ugg boots, louis vuitton outlet, uggs on sale, oakley sunglasses, polo ralph lauren outlet, replica watches, chanel handbags, gucci outlet, nike free, michael kors outlet, longchamp outlet, nike air max
kate spade outlet, hogan, coach outlet, michael kors, sac longchamp, nike air max, nike free run uk, ralph lauren pas cher, longchamp pas cher, coach outlet, nike blazer, vans pas cher, nike air max, lululemon, lacoste pas cher, air max, burberry, kate spade handbags, michael kors, mulberry, michael kors, nike free, tn pas cher, true religion jeans, true religion jeans, hollister pas cher, louboutin pas cher, michael kors, abercrombie and fitch, air jordan pas cher, true religion outlet, ray ban uk, sac guess, hollister, oakley pas cher, ralph lauren uk, converse pas cher, replica handbags, north face, air force, true religion jeans, nike roshe, nike roshe run, timberland, new balance pas cher, hermes, vanessa bruno, nike air max, coach purses, ray ban pas cher, north face
nike store
nike free run womens
louboutin outlet
Red Bottom Shoes For Women
mbt shoes online
mbt usa
fitflops on sale
fitflops sale
Kobe Shoes
Kobe 9
christian louboutin 2016
christian louboutin sale
jordans for sale
jordans 2016
new jordan shoes
Jordan 11 Retro 72 10
coach outlet stores
coach outlet online coach factory outlet
Michael Kors Online Outlet
Michael Kors Cheap
michael kors jet set tote
michael kors outlet
michael kors factory outlet
michael kors sale
kobe shoes
nike hyperdunk 2015
nike air max 90
nike air max 95
Obat Penyakit Gagal Jantung Kongestif
Cara Menghilangkan Singkayo Pada Betis
I agree with your pointfriv4schoolonline.net
xiajinyi
Cela les rendra uniques air jordan en barcelona et, espérons-le, leur donnera un avantage parmi leurs pairs Nike Shox Deliver. Juste ce que je veux dire est air jordan pas cher pour fille toujours cela, chacun d'entre nous peut certainement maximiser ce que chaque individu de air jordan 5 deep burgundy notre possible pourrait être en termes physiques. Armé d'ingénierie et d'innovation, Nike est devenu basket nike roshe run mid équipé pour générer des traces massives de chaussures telles que Nike Jordans, asics gel lyte 3 blanche femme pas cher en plus de gagner des efforts favorables pour rivaliser avec les entreprises de chaussures de course comme New asics gel lyte v noir cdiscount Equilibrium.
www1030
yeezy boots 350
clarks shoes
ray ban sunglasses
soccer shoes
christian louboutin shoes
pandora jewelry
christian louboutin shoes
coach outlet online
bottega veneta
nike outlet factory
www1126
coach outlet
coach handbags
christian louboutin outlet
ralph lauren polo
pandora charms
off white outlet
moncler jacket
hermes belt
stussy
christian louboutin shoes
Post a Comment
<< Home