The Graduate Scene Analysis

Directed by Mike Nichols, The Graduate was released on December 22, 1967 as an American romance/drama. Featuring a young college student, Ben Braddock, and a married woman, Mrs. Robinson, whom both take a turn on the wild side. As the movie progresses we soon see the tables turn. As Elaine Robinson enters the movie she creates a big problem for her mother and Ben. Most of Ben and Mrs. Robinson’s relationship is shown in the dark or behind a door, however it enhanced the significance and created more suspense.The director successfully cultivates an early sense of pointless sex and adultery in the viewer through effective use of camera angles, multiple close-up shots, and tight spacing. The first scene of the movie opens with a super close up of Ben showing no emotion yet moving. As it continues music and credits, without his knowledge, are playing in the background while all the viewer can see is his face and a white wall. This shot does not move for at least a good couple minutes and so does the close up and tracking angel. With an unknowing sense of what is happen the camera starts to fade out and go into a long shot, showing the viewers that Ben is at an airport, still. As the scene end the shot turns into Ben walking straight into the camera, finally cracking a
Robinson the camera angles, colors, lighting, and emotions change dramatically. During the beginning of the movie Mrs. Robinson is the one in control of most of their conversations, however Ben so takes over. Another example would be Mrs. Robinson mostly wearing black in the first shots and Ben is either wearing white or surrounded by white. As the movie progresses just like the “person in control” the roles soon change. Lighting was another big part of this film as well because usually the person in control had a halloween shadow on their face. Lastly the camera angles variated from major close ups, close ups, major long shots, long shots, and first person