‘The Graduate’ had a pivotal job in supporting the change to another period of filmmaking during the 1960s. This film has taught studio heads that great success could be made if aimed to make hipper films that targeted younger audiences during this era. Mike Nichols plays on the age hole in this film, complementing the adolescent by delineating grown-ups as hypocrites while at the same time adding to Hollywood, a prospect to the new generation of youth. In the film storyline, the essential character Benjamin Braddock returns from graduate school, just to realize that he doesn't have the foggiest thought of what he needs to do with his life. This film portrays the influence of the generation gap on 'baby-boomers' like Benjamin and portrays many other subtle references that can be seen throughout the film, such as the Anti-War Movement and the Sexual Revolution. This film is vital for recording that time of history, particularly the conduct and thought of the youngsters around then. A significant scene in the film is when Ben tiredly sits on the grounds of Berkeley when the national banner of America is waving high over his head. Berkeley was one of numerous dynamic grounds during the counter war development during the 1960s. It turned out to be outstanding for the Free Speech Movement in 1964 and the negative mark against the Vietnam War sorted out by the understudies around then. The Sexual Revolution was a counterculture development during the 1960s and it appears in the film through Mrs. Robinson's enticement conduct. This new culture of 'free love' empowered a huge number of youngsters to acknowledge the magnificence of sex as a characteristic piece of regular day to day existence. Benjamin's dismissal of his moderate guardians' reality permits the spectators in 1967, to mirror the social climate during that time. The total dismissal of social standards that happens during the arrangement made an impression on the young people of the 1960s that is as yet important today: it is the ideal opportunity for another age to go to their own. This film also gives us subtle hints as to why Mrs. Robinson decided to seduce Benjamin. Through the character of Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft), ‘The Graduate’ portrays the abundant amount of sacrifices made by the previous generation, especially the women who had given their paths to the demands of their husbands. Nichols reveals the artificial world that had strict codes on both gender and class. Mrs. Robinson's seduction of Benjamin is 'played for laughs', but it is also the key to the skills she has been forced to hone to survive in the world she lives in.
This film utilizes essential film elements that contribute to the film’s narrative. Examples of film elements that Nichols uses in this scene are pacing, motifs, mise-en-scene, and music. During the start of the sequence, when Benjamin enters Mrs. Robinson's home, everything is highly contrasting, which is inspired by the chess set sitting out on a table, emphasizing the game has begun. This is where the mise-en-scene and cinematography come into play. This sequence was designed to look like a jungle, with large plants looming outside the glass door and animal print on everything, even a big cigarette lighter. The audience can see that Mrs. Robinson is wearing tiger prints on her clothes, which is used to portray her as the 'predator' in the jungle, while Benjamin is the ‘prey’. While Benjamin is about water, Mrs. Robinson is all the fire, lighting cigarettes, turning lights on, touching off Ben's feelings and interests. She pours them whiskey from a decanter, one of a couple that resembles cut masculine and feminine figures.
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When the seduction starts to take place, Mrs. Robinson sits at the bar, we are given a clear view of Mrs. Robinson's seductive pose on her barstool, as Benjamin anxiously paces around in the shadows, his back to us. When Benjamin delivers the iconic line – “Mrs. Robinson, you're trying to seduce me” — the camera peeks under Mrs. Robinson's long exposed leg to show a smirking and nervous Benjamin. This shot creates an uncomfortable effect of the dominance over Benjamin, making it claustrophobic. It makes it seem as if Benjamin has been caught in her trap.
For the diegetic music in the sequence, it is absolutely perfect. The diegetic music is fitting, with it composed by Dave Grusin, 'Sunporch Cha-Cha-Cha' enters drastically, surprising Benjamin like a trumpet reporting the chase. The introduction offers a route to an emotional, yet fun-loving little tune that parodies the Henry Mancini film music of the period with its organ and woodwinds.
The grouping sets up a key theme of the film. One of the variations of such a piece is an image of the entire film, as the mise-en-scene is continually manufactured bizarrely, portraying change to Benjamin's development. The pacing, set design, outfits, music, camera decisions, and symbolism are splendidly arranged so as to make connections between Benjamin's association with Mrs. Robinson.
By understanding the cultural context for the film, as well as the film elements that are repeated throughout, we can understand why they relate to each other, and how they connect to the film text as a whole. From the cultural context, the audience can further their understanding of why certain characters act the way they do. When it comes to Benjamin's parents, we understand that they see the world through a particular traditional lens, and if others see it differently, they don't have much to offer Benjamin, which further supports the gap between the two generations. Through the film elements I discussed, there is a clear understanding of Mrs. Robinson's motivations and representation as a 'Cougar' in the film.
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