I *love* the experimentation with putting yourself in different scenes while narrating. It's fun, clever, and doesn't disturb the argument you're making/draws too much attention. It makes the video more light-hearted and whimsical to me; would love to see more like it. Also: you have legs???
Thank you so much Friederike! It was really fun to film those scenes and I look forward to doing it again hopefully! Also: I didn't want to make a big thing out of my leg reveal, so I snuck it in this video. I'm glad you noticed!
Great analysis of the film's ending! Myself, I always saw it as both Elaine and Ben's regret, since both of them don't seem happy with what they've done--they're both coming to terms with it, and so it isn't centered just on Ben. Also, fun fact: the reactions of both Ben and Elaine are genuine instead of scripted, because when they were filming the scene the director kept yelling at them to look happier and hold happier facial expressions for the ending, but his yelling actually scared them more and so this is what was recorded instead. The director, being a genius, saw the footage and realized that it had a greater impact if they had an "oh no, what have we done?!" moment rather than just a straightforward happy ending.
“…the director kept yelling at them to look happier and hold happier facial expressions for the ending…” When you think about it, the director’s insistence that they look happier is a proxy for what they, as characters, thought they _should_ feel at that moment-they’ve “broken loose,” “followed their hearts,” well, whatever you want to call it, and they thought they’d feel, well, triumphant but do they? No, the ambivalence, the doubt, the uncertainty is written all over their faces. The director’s shouts, perhaps unwittingly, brought it all home for them.
@@jeff__w In a way, Benjamin slept with Mrs. Robinson both because he was attracted to her but also because he was lost in life... Elaine isn't a magical solution to that. He's still young. He's still lost. He's still figuring himself out. Finding out what he wants. What he likes and dislikes. What his goals are. Etc.
@@Angel_Auraa I agree. And, really, when you think about it, how well did Benjamin even know Elaine? Did he do that dramatic scene at the church, with their “breaking free,” as a way of making up for his affair with her mother? It feels to me that, whatever the reason, Dustin Hoffman and Katharine Ross just knew instinctively as actors that that acting all giddy and thrilled at their “escape” would somehow be wrong-they probably _couldn’t_ feel that way. It would be _false._ Whatever the film was about, it _wasn’t_ about “true love triumphing in the end.”
I think in the end, Ben had realized how Mrs. Robinson feels, in both "having a power to lead someone's life" and by what could be her reasons to do all of those things with him. Something gained from trial & errors then realized by ourselves. So, now we can call him as a real graduate.
You mentioned one strong young man emotion, being attracted to a hot mature woman. This is a fleeting opportunity as a young man ages. But his memories will sustain him. True art and a very good movie too.
The end scene shows lots of doubt on both their faces. I think Ben just wanted to rebel against everyone that created his life. In many ways it is a spoiled brat revenge plot. Like the bus ride, the end will be short and they will both get off at their appropriate stop, it will not last.
I think the most important moment in the movie that is very telling of Benjamin's character and telegraphs his later choice is when Mrs Robinson suggests that Benjamin is a virgin, he's so eager to prove himself in defiance of that idea that you question whether the rest of the movie would have went down the same way had Mrs Robinson not made an objection to him dating Elaine.
I loved this, somehow it’s exactly what I needed to hear. I recently found your channel and I’ve been binge watching all your videos, keep up the awesome work!
Great video! I love The Graduate and have watched it for years, and thought I knew it, until you explained some key points that I have not considered. I once commented on a social media post that asked, "What's a great film that the younger generation may not be familiar with" and I choose this classic. I'm not sure why this film hasn't remained in the spot light, maybe it's best being a hidden classic so people can discover it on their own.
In 500 days of summer the two characters Tom and Summer have different interpretations of the movie Tom loves the ending thinks it’s fantastic Summer hates it
I think it goes to show that if you don’t have your self in order, it’s very hard to entertain a relationship. I.E. ‘she makes me happy’ , that could be true, but relying on being in a relationship to be happy is usually not the way to go. Be good with yourself, be comfortable being alone, you have to love yourself first, before loving someone else.
Yeah I was cringing that whole scene where she was trying to seduce him and I'm thinking "Dude just get out of there already!". I know we were probably supposed to have some sympathy for Mrs. Robinson (such as her backstory) but after that first impression and the stuff she does for the rest of the movie, I just ended up hating that character by the end.
The comment on the love for your partner hit home for me. I loved/thought I loved my girlfriend and as time went on I slowly came to the realisation that I didn’t. I thought it was just me being odd as generally speaking I like my own company and I thought i just needed time alone. But when I finally ended the relationship I wasn’t upset about it and knew I made the right choice. it was a hard choice though.
This film is based on the novel By Charles Webb which I found similar to "The Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger. To me The last shot on the bus in reminiscent of the painting "American Gothic. I also Notice the deep sea diver in the Aquarium in Bens room and then the shot of him with the diver outfit in the pool. He sees his life as being a decorative status object for the society that he is a part of. One that he was born into. He IS the toy in the aquarium. For all of the Characters in the film the "societal software" is built in (Windows Post War WASP America 2.0) And a "slight rebellion off Madison" or in Bens situation an out of boredom affair with an older woman who is also bored will never alter the software that was originally installed. I think those stares at the end of the film are both Elain and Ben realizing "We are going to be just like our parents!". Result 50 years on? the response from youth that are even More materialistic and status seeking as preached by Madison Avenue: "Okay Boomer!" *(J.D. Salinger's short story that introduced the Holden Caulfield Character, Madison Avenue being apposite as the representative of post war Materialism and the Pursuit of Status and fulfillment by obtaining said products marketed to the nation by advertising firms on that Avenue.
Great analyse, thank you! I watched this movie when I was younger and didnt pay enough attention to main character's actions, for example I was irritated why he interrupted the wedding. His actions seemed to me as ridiculous and dumb, but now I understand :) In polish high school there was this one obligatory lecture "Ferdydurke" by Witold Gombrowicz, it explores social pressures and masks, which we put in certain situations and always have one, "Graduate" reminds me of it. By running with a bride, Dustin escaped one social cage to fall into another 'husband trope', kinda sad we can't runaway from the roles society expect from us
This is a very good review, great perspectives. I as well always have agreed that the last few seconds of the film are the best part, but I disagree slightly with your conclusions. I think that they were both super excited, adrenaline was flowing because they had defied the Robinson’s arrangement and are doing what they wanted to do, and then, when they get on the bus and down for for a moment, they both get hit with a shocking dose of reality, namely WhatTHE HEll have we just done?? HOW can we possibly make this work?” I think this because of one huge detail you are leaving out, Elaine had already married the doctor’s son when Ben showed up and took her away. Look in the video at 9:22. Notice how they both look down at Elaine‘s left hand at the same moment, I think it’s implying they are looking at the two wedding rings already on her finger. I believe Ben really does love and wants her. Elaine, he fell for her hard emotionally 😮mon the date and those things can happen. The problem for Ben is that it’s not 😮😮clear at all that he is going to end up with Elaine, this conflict and drama have just started. How will the Robinson’s react, will they disown their daughter if she defies them How will the groom and his family react?, will he sue to keep his marriage? Will Ben’s parents even support him? That’s why he feels just as uncertain and unhappy about his future at this point as at the beginning of the film, becisee he realizes when you find what you want you never get to stop fighting to keep it.
one of those movies and endings that are wonderful but are painful because it is completely unsatisfying... all i can hope for is that the two found happiness in the end, but alas, like all things in this movie, it is beyond one's own control
I'd love to hear your thoughts on the Peter Sellers film 'I Love You Alice B Toklas'. Another man examining his trammeled life, finding a supposed solution, then questioning whether it's what he really needed after all. But that film has a much more freeing, even hopeful, ending.
I think - ultimately - it's a myth that we have a particular life or desire we need to fulfill in order to feel fulfilled ourselves. Our desires are often a self-contradicting combination of our own impulses, social expectations, and ideals. At different times, one vision or the other may dominate. Because we often have conflicted feelings, there is no guarantee that neither by conforming to nor rebelling against against social expectation will result with us feeling fulfilled. Now, at times, one or the other approach would be more likely to succeed at making us feel somewhat more satisfied - understanding oneself will go a long ways to finding that partial - but hopefully, adequate - resolution. But it's natural to question a little the path we have chosen; just realize that will be the case regardless of what it happened to be. We have to make our choices; that's just life.
Mike Nichols did as storytellers of old did. They placed you into the storyline at some point and then asked you: What would you do? This technique is now forgotten, as most Western films tell you what to think and do. So, movies with ambiguous endings are gone, and screenings now take place with multiple endings, and what is most popular and not meaningful will take the lead. After all, it's now about making money, not good storytelling. People do not like thinking for themselves and figuring out what possibilities exist. That is why The Graduate has one of the best endings in history. It has no ending. As you age, your own answer will change with repeated viewings. And it will go on forever.
At the end of the film we, as the main character, expect that there would be a happily ever after scenario. But it doesn't, we can see it in the faces of both Elaine and Ben. Because in the reality lots of things we learnt about life are misleading. Especially if we are talking about the romantic films and love portrayed there. Love is not the answer, love is not all you need. Because before finding it, you have to define what you actually are. The thing is that the main character doesn't actually know what he actually needs as well as Elaine. She doesn't know if she wants to marry him, if she wants to marry the other guy, if she wants to marry at all. She was just going to lean on the path that her parents had chosen for her. And at the end they are both realising that the satisfaction of this rebellious act fades quite fast, and though they stood up for themselves and decided to take an acton, they still don't know what to do with their lives.
I would agree that this is perhaps the best ending in the history of film. It's kind of mind-blowing when you think about it. One aspect of it that I find fascinating is that the movie seems to be commenting very heavily on the generation gap between the older and younger generations (certainly a major gap in the late 60s). The first few times I watched the movie, I was convinced that the movie was championing the younger generation and counterculture, ridiculing society's norms, the institution of marriage, etc., and that the ending was a happy and romantic one. But the more I watch it, the more I think that the movie is arguably doing the opposite - ridiculing the younger generation and the apparent desire to "rebel just for the sake of rebellion." Consider that if Ben had never rebelled in any way, and done exactly what all of the old folks wanted him to do, he would have certainly ended up with Elaine - after all, both his parents and Mr. Robinson were trying like crazy to make that match happen. And when he does rebel, what happens? He ends up in the EXACTLY same place - with Elaine, but only because Ben felt like he had to do things HIS way. And what was his way? It was a completely reckless way that destroyed the long-standing relationship between his family and the Robinsons, destroyed any future relationship he would have had with his own parents (or Elaine with hers), and also destroyed any chance of a normal relationship he could have with Elaine (after all, at the time Elaine runs off with Ben, Elaine said her vows already and was legally married to another man - Carl, and I've even heard theories that Elaine was pregnant with Carl's child (queue references to the maternity ward when Ben visits Carl's frat trying to find Elaine and the obvious parallels between Elaine's situation and that of her mom). It's a statement on the idiocy of youth - that people only want something when they're told they can't have it, and that at the end of the day they still can't escape their destiny. Such a brilliant film.
Ben begins the movie feeling uncertain about the future. Afraid he will be unhappy, and trapped in the system. He meets a woman who feels the same way, a soul mate. So they rebel and gain their freedom from the system. But they find that having control does not solve the problem. They end up uncertain about the future and afraid they will be unhappy, just as he began. Such is life.
First of all very few people really "know", when young, what they'd like to to do in their "real" life. Then, the most of those who think they "know" actually only rebel against... something they can't really name or put their fingers on ("A Rebel Without a Cause"). Rebelling is part and parcel of growing up, it's just an evolutionary trait, but I digress here. And then you got a whole bunch of people (roughly speaking, 107% of the adult population) who struggle all their lives to climb up a ladder ("their" ladder), only to realise, when they finally got on the top of it, that the ladder wasn't placed at the wall they wanted to surmount and get over, or "behind". In other words, it's "reactionary" behaviour - and CHOOSING one's fate requires UNDERSTANDING the life, its intricacies and complicated relations. Which requires experience and knowledge (NOT "an education"!) that comes with age. Back to square one it is called, methinks. But then again, I might be just wrong, who knows.
I Just watched this movie again and it is a true 1960’s classic! Your video felt like the Twilight Zone 😮 Was that what you were going for? Please let me know thanks 😊
Great analysis. The final scene is a result of the actors not laughing like the script called for and the director just used what they had. No real thought behind it really.
It's a bit weird to hear about other people's struggles. I don't know what it's like to not know my identity or what I want in life. Makes me wonder how this difference happened.
It's deeper than that! When Mrs Robinson sees him show up at the church she smiles and says "he's doing it." Mrs Robinson's rebellion kicks off the whole thing. She forced the break and the necessary complete rejection of the parents values. Mrs. Robinson makes him a man. Watch how many scenes show him shaving and groups of boys behaving like spoiled brats pretending to be men but just conforming.
Lol, in the scene where the narrator is in bed with what I’m presuming is his girlfriend, I can imagine the conversation. “Honey… what are you setting up a camera by the bed for? 😘” “It’s for a video that I need your help with. 😉” “What do I need to do? 😜” “Lay there silently with your back to the camera.” “😑”
I appreciated your analyses, but I thinks it starts from a wrong premise: Dustin Hoffmann's character doesn't look alienated at the end of the film. He's happy (smiles) and determinated (looks in front of him). There might be a number of reasons why he doesn't look back at her. I guess they made this take many times, with different glances every time, now why they chose this i don't know, but the alienation or distance from the "prize" not necessarily is the explanation.
"Ben, this whole idea sounds pretty half-baked. "No. It's not. It's completely baked. It's a decision I've made." Then the toast was cooked if you remember the scene. I also don't think he regretted his final decision, he seems overwhelmed, like he did with her mother. He's gonna make love until things end. Like everything in life. Worrying about each and every desire is useless. I've been in love for a short time but it's a memory, a past self that I once lived. If my past self admitted that it's love then it's love. My present self might acquire certain philosophy or feel more powerful feelings but the past is you and it's the only real thing you have. I think no matter what path you follow in life whether you like it or not, just flow with it. And that's the idea of the movie for me. It reminded me of those moments of being lost within the desire. It's like a child phase that everyone seems to forget. But as you said the analysis was pretty good.
that's a bit naive point of view. when I was 14 I also saw the happy ending here. yet as I rewatched in some years, I realised how unsettling the ending is. It falls off the regular happily ever after scenarios somehow. And yes, it is in the eyes of the main characters and in their micromimics.
It doesn't mean anything. There was no intention in that ending. Nichols simply let the camera run, and the actors waited for him to make clear what he wanted. He didn't, so they just coped. It's one of those audience mirrors, shots that reflect what the viewer is thinking, not what the actors are intending. Another ending like that, quite famously, is the ending to "Queen Christina", where Garbo gazes out into the distance not thinking about anything at all (by the director's order). There's nothing there, yet everyone who sees the film thinks they know what _is_ there. The same with the ending to The Graduate - everyone thinks they know what is there, and yet there was never anything there in the first place. _You_ are writing the ending.
You dont really have to act out the movie and show yourself. Your voice and editing is enough for it to be engaging. You dont have to do the extra work, as the usual thing you do, already works for the narration.
This is akin to what LGBTQ people have had to face since time immemorial... conformity to religious/heteronormative expectations except WE didn't get our own Graduate experience film till the mid 80s with Harvey Fierstein's Torch Song Trilogy which also had a major role starring Anne Bancroft (the same role was played by Estelle Getty, of Golden Girls fame, on Broadway). Also the struggle for marriage equality, the right to adopt and raise children and to be able to have significant representation in major performance/artistic media i.e. stage/films/music and television.
In short, The Graduate is a very dreary movie with no meaning. It's a portrait of a Baby Boomer narcissist. How has 55 years of cultural narcissism played out? Not well.
![The Graduate Ending Explained - A Masterclass in Directing a Movie [Directing Techniques]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/mLo8arZDmDE/mqdefault.jpg)
I *love* the experimentation with putting yourself in different scenes while narrating. It's fun, clever, and doesn't disturb the argument you're making/draws too much attention. It makes the video more light-hearted and whimsical to me; would love to see more like it. Also: you have legs???
Thank you so much Friederike! It was really fun to film those scenes and I look forward to doing it again hopefully!
Also: I didn't want to make a big thing out of my leg reveal, so I snuck it in this video. I'm glad you noticed!
@@TheCanvasArtHistory Now the video thumbnail makes even more sense!
Now that's hilarious
100%!
yup that was tight
"You need to question the desires you take for granted."
Love it.
Great… someone else telling me what to do! 😉
Great analysis of the film's ending!
Myself, I always saw it as both Elaine and Ben's regret, since both of them don't seem happy with what they've done--they're both coming to terms with it, and so it isn't centered just on Ben.
Also, fun fact: the reactions of both Ben and Elaine are genuine instead of scripted, because when they were filming the scene the director kept yelling at them to look happier and hold happier facial expressions for the ending, but his yelling actually scared them more and so this is what was recorded instead. The director, being a genius, saw the footage and realized that it had a greater impact if they had an "oh no, what have we done?!" moment rather than just a straightforward happy ending.
“…the director kept yelling at them to look happier and hold happier facial expressions for the ending…”
When you think about it, the director’s insistence that they look happier is a proxy for what they, as characters, thought they _should_ feel at that moment-they’ve “broken loose,” “followed their hearts,” well, whatever you want to call it, and they thought they’d feel, well, triumphant but do they? No, the ambivalence, the doubt, the uncertainty is written all over their faces. The director’s shouts, perhaps unwittingly, brought it all home for them.
I didnt see Dustin smile on that last shot. Not even once.
@@jeff__w In a way, Benjamin slept with Mrs. Robinson both because he was attracted to her but also because he was lost in life... Elaine isn't a magical solution to that.
He's still young. He's still lost. He's still figuring himself out. Finding out what he wants. What he likes and dislikes. What his goals are. Etc.
@@Angel_Auraa I agree. And, really, when you think about it, how well did Benjamin even know Elaine? Did he do that dramatic scene at the church, with their “breaking free,” as a way of making up for his affair with her mother? It feels to me that, whatever the reason, Dustin Hoffman and Katharine Ross just knew instinctively as actors that that acting all giddy and thrilled at their “escape” would somehow be wrong-they probably _couldn’t_ feel that way. It would be _false._ Whatever the film was about, it _wasn’t_ about “true love triumphing in the end.”
I found your Channel just a few days ago. I love everything you post. From the art breakdowns to the movie breakdowns. Amazing stuff.
That's a super sweet comment! Thank you Parker!
bro wtf why'd you have so less subs and views? 💀 your production, video editing, voice overs , etc are phenomenal , highly underrated dawg i swear
I think in the end, Ben had realized how Mrs. Robinson feels, in both "having a power to lead someone's life" and by what could be her reasons to do all of those things with him. Something gained from trial & errors then realized by ourselves. So, now we can call him as a real graduate.
4:11 if thats a woman youre having an affair with just for the sake of being true to the source, mad respect
Imagine you had a good night with someone, and as you begin to wake up, they're looking at some point behind you and just monologuing lmfao
You mentioned one strong young man emotion, being attracted to a hot mature woman. This is a fleeting opportunity as a young man ages. But his memories will sustain him. True art and a very good movie too.
The end scene shows lots of doubt on both their faces. I think Ben just wanted to rebel against everyone that created his life. In many ways it is a spoiled brat revenge plot. Like the bus ride, the end will be short and they will both get off at their appropriate stop, it will not last.
I think the most important moment in the movie that is very telling of Benjamin's character and telegraphs his later choice is when Mrs Robinson suggests that Benjamin is a virgin, he's so eager to prove himself in defiance of that idea that you question whether the rest of the movie would have went down the same way had Mrs Robinson not made an objection to him dating Elaine.
That is an interesting hypothesis but Elaine is too damn beautiful so I cant imagine him not falling for her
Such an amazing video, keep up the good job!
Thank you Alex!
I loved this, somehow it’s exactly what I needed to hear.
I recently found your channel and I’ve been binge watching all your videos, keep up the awesome work!
Thank you for this video! Great, as always.
Thank you Ewa!!
Great video! I love The Graduate and have watched it for years, and thought I knew it, until you explained some key points that I have not considered. I once commented on a social media post that asked, "What's a great film that the younger generation may not be familiar with" and I choose this classic. I'm not sure why this film hasn't remained in the spot light, maybe it's best being a hidden classic so people can discover it on their own.
This contextualizes a lot more the movie scene of 500 days of summer, it hits even harder now
In 500 days of summer the two characters Tom and Summer have different interpretations of the movie Tom loves the ending thinks it’s fantastic Summer hates it
Damn, you should have more subscribers man
Thank you for this well done video
Thank you for the compliment!
bro, your littler transition 1:47 was smooth azz heck. haha that was tight
Your channel is massively underrated
Every time I watch one of your videos I assume your channel is at least over 2M
I think it goes to show that if you don’t have your self in order, it’s very hard to entertain a relationship. I.E. ‘she makes me happy’ , that could be true, but relying on being in a relationship to be happy is usually not the way to go. Be good with yourself, be comfortable being alone, you have to love yourself first, before loving someone else.
Mrs. Robinson's relentless pursuit of Ben in spite of his constant nos is also pretty problematic.
Yeah I was cringing that whole scene where she was trying to seduce him and I'm thinking "Dude just get out of there already!". I know we were probably supposed to have some sympathy for Mrs. Robinson (such as her backstory) but after that first impression and the stuff she does for the rest of the movie, I just ended up hating that character by the end.
The comment on the love for your partner hit home for me. I loved/thought I loved my girlfriend and as time went on I slowly came to the realisation that I didn’t. I thought it was just me being odd as generally speaking I like my own company and I thought i just needed time alone. But when I finally ended the relationship I wasn’t upset about it and knew I made the right choice.
it was a hard choice though.
Great analysis, Canvas.
Elaine: So... what do we do now?
Ben: I don't know. I didn't think that far ahead.
Elaine: Oh God, what have I done?
Wow, didn't even know I needed this movie. And this analysis.
Cada video con la misma inteligencia y belleza. Gracias, de verdad, desde Mexico. Thank you so much for the channel!
This film is based on the novel By Charles Webb which I found similar to "The Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger. To me The last shot on the bus in reminiscent of the painting "American Gothic. I also Notice the deep sea diver in the Aquarium in Bens room and then the shot of him with the diver outfit in the pool. He sees his life as being a decorative status object for the society that he is a part of. One that he was born into. He IS the toy in the aquarium. For all of the Characters in the film the "societal software" is built in (Windows Post War WASP America 2.0) And a "slight rebellion off Madison" or in Bens situation an out of boredom affair with an older woman who is also bored will never alter the software that was originally installed. I think those stares at the end of the film are both Elain and Ben realizing "We are going to be just like our parents!". Result 50 years on? the response from youth that are even More materialistic and status seeking as preached by Madison Avenue: "Okay Boomer!"
*(J.D. Salinger's short story that introduced the Holden Caulfield Character, Madison Avenue being apposite as the representative of post war Materialism and the Pursuit of Status and fulfillment by obtaining said products marketed to the nation by advertising firms on that Avenue.
Great analyse, thank you! I watched this movie when I was younger and didnt pay enough attention to main character's actions, for example I was irritated why he interrupted the wedding. His actions seemed to me as ridiculous and dumb, but now I understand :) In polish high school there was this one obligatory lecture "Ferdydurke" by Witold Gombrowicz, it explores social pressures and masks, which we put in certain situations and always have one, "Graduate" reminds me of it. By running with a bride, Dustin escaped one social cage to fall into another 'husband trope', kinda sad we can't runaway from the roles society expect from us
That's an exellent novel, Gombrivicz works are gold.
This is a very good review, great perspectives. I as well always have agreed that the last few seconds of the film are the best part, but I disagree slightly with your conclusions. I think that they were both super excited, adrenaline was flowing because they had defied the Robinson’s arrangement and are doing what they wanted to do, and then, when they get on the bus and down for for a moment, they both get hit with a shocking dose of reality, namely WhatTHE HEll have we just done?? HOW can we possibly make this work?” I think this because of one huge detail you are leaving out, Elaine had already married the doctor’s son when Ben showed up and took her away. Look in the video at 9:22. Notice how they both look down at Elaine‘s left hand at the same moment, I think it’s implying they are looking at the two wedding rings already on her finger. I believe Ben really does love and wants her. Elaine, he fell for her hard emotionally 😮mon the date and those things can happen. The problem for Ben is that it’s not 😮😮clear at all that he is going to end up with Elaine, this conflict and drama have just started. How will the Robinson’s react, will they disown their daughter if she defies them How will the groom and his family react?, will he sue to keep his marriage? Will Ben’s parents even support him? That’s why he feels just as uncertain and unhappy about his future at this point as at the beginning of the film, becisee he realizes when you find what you want you never get to stop fighting to keep it.
one of those movies and endings that are wonderful but are painful because it is completely unsatisfying... all i can hope for is that the two found happiness in the end, but alas, like all things in this movie, it is beyond one's own control
I'd love to hear your thoughts on the Peter Sellers film 'I Love You Alice B Toklas'. Another man examining his trammeled life, finding a supposed solution, then questioning whether it's what he really needed after all. But that film has a much more freeing, even hopeful, ending.
It's a film about depression and about that that you have to search solution inside, not in the outside world.
Dude you did this so cool
I approve this review in general, and I believe Elain is also massed up with her mind as well.
I think - ultimately - it's a myth that we have a particular life or desire we need to fulfill in order to feel fulfilled ourselves. Our desires are often a self-contradicting combination of our own impulses, social expectations, and ideals. At different times, one vision or the other may dominate. Because we often have conflicted feelings, there is no guarantee that neither by conforming to nor rebelling against against social expectation will result with us feeling fulfilled. Now, at times, one or the other approach would be more likely to succeed at making us feel somewhat more satisfied - understanding oneself will go a long ways to finding that partial - but hopefully, adequate - resolution. But it's natural to question a little the path we have chosen; just realize that will be the case regardless of what it happened to be. We have to make our choices; that's just life.
Mike Nichols did as storytellers of old did. They placed you into the storyline at some point and then asked you: What would you do? This technique is now forgotten, as most Western films tell you what to think and do. So, movies with ambiguous endings are gone, and screenings now take place with multiple endings, and what is most popular and not meaningful will take the lead. After all, it's now about making money, not good storytelling. People do not like thinking for themselves and figuring out what possibilities exist. That is why The Graduate has one of the best endings in history. It has no ending. As you age, your own answer will change with repeated viewings. And it will go on forever.
Did he subconsciously want to punish Mrs. Robinson?
I like the concept of suddenly you appearing in videos
At the end of the film we, as the main character, expect that there would be a happily ever after scenario. But it doesn't, we can see it in the faces of both Elaine and Ben. Because in the reality lots of things we learnt about life are misleading. Especially if we are talking about the romantic films and love portrayed there. Love is not the answer, love is not all you need. Because before finding it, you have to define what you actually are. The thing is that the main character doesn't actually know what he actually needs as well as Elaine. She doesn't know if she wants to marry him, if she wants to marry the other guy, if she wants to marry at all. She was just going to lean on the path that her parents had chosen for her. And at the end they are both realising that the satisfaction of this rebellious act fades quite fast, and though they stood up for themselves and decided to take an acton, they still don't know what to do with their lives.
I would agree that this is perhaps the best ending in the history of film. It's kind of mind-blowing when you think about it. One aspect of it that I find fascinating is that the movie seems to be commenting very heavily on the generation gap between the older and younger generations (certainly a major gap in the late 60s). The first few times I watched the movie, I was convinced that the movie was championing the younger generation and counterculture, ridiculing society's norms, the institution of marriage, etc., and that the ending was a happy and romantic one. But the more I watch it, the more I think that the movie is arguably doing the opposite - ridiculing the younger generation and the apparent desire to "rebel just for the sake of rebellion." Consider that if Ben had never rebelled in any way, and done exactly what all of the old folks wanted him to do, he would have certainly ended up with Elaine - after all, both his parents and Mr. Robinson were trying like crazy to make that match happen. And when he does rebel, what happens? He ends up in the EXACTLY same place - with Elaine, but only because Ben felt like he had to do things HIS way. And what was his way? It was a completely reckless way that destroyed the long-standing relationship between his family and the Robinsons, destroyed any future relationship he would have had with his own parents (or Elaine with hers), and also destroyed any chance of a normal relationship he could have with Elaine (after all, at the time Elaine runs off with Ben, Elaine said her vows already and was legally married to another man - Carl, and I've even heard theories that Elaine was pregnant with Carl's child (queue references to the maternity ward when Ben visits Carl's frat trying to find Elaine and the obvious parallels between Elaine's situation and that of her mom). It's a statement on the idiocy of youth - that people only want something when they're told they can't have it, and that at the end of the day they still can't escape their destiny. Such a brilliant film.
The best analysis I've ever heard for this film. Thank you for this.
What is the literal translation of et cetera?
Translated literally from Latin, et means 'and', while cētera means 'the rest'
We don't translate et cetera
@@AmandaVieiraMamaesouCult - No we don't.
But, if we did !
Ben begins the movie feeling uncertain about the future. Afraid he will be unhappy, and trapped in the system. He meets a woman who feels the same way, a soul mate. So they rebel and gain their freedom from the system. But they find that having control does not solve the problem. They end up uncertain about the future and afraid they will be unhappy, just as he began. Such is life.
Transitions on point! lol
Great stuff on a benchmark movie
First of all very few people really "know", when young, what they'd like to to do in their "real" life. Then, the most of those who think they "know" actually only rebel against... something they can't really name or put their fingers on ("A Rebel Without a Cause"). Rebelling is part and parcel of growing up, it's just an evolutionary trait, but I digress here.
And then you got a whole bunch of people (roughly speaking, 107% of the adult population) who struggle all their lives to climb up a ladder ("their" ladder), only to realise, when they finally got on the top of it, that the ladder wasn't placed at the wall they wanted to surmount and get over, or "behind".
In other words, it's "reactionary" behaviour - and CHOOSING one's fate requires UNDERSTANDING the life, its intricacies and complicated relations. Which requires experience and knowledge (NOT "an education"!) that comes with age.
Back to square one it is called, methinks. But then again, I might be just wrong, who knows.
Right that, in that moment, Elaine (Katherine) was the most beautiful girl in the world.
0:45 i almost spat my drink when i noticed that this song seems familiar
Nice!
I Just watched this movie again and it is a true 1960’s classic! Your video felt like the Twilight Zone 😮 Was that what you were going for? Please let me know thanks 😊
I decide what I want
Great analysis. The final scene is a result of the actors not laughing like the script called for and the director just used what they had. No real thought behind it really.
What is that music thats playing in bens alienation chapter ?
Ben is so me
It's a bit weird to hear about other people's struggles. I don't know what it's like to not know my identity or what I want in life. Makes me wonder how this difference happened.
I hope you decide to other films as well
It's deeper than that! When Mrs Robinson sees him show up at the church she smiles and says "he's doing it." Mrs Robinson's rebellion kicks off the whole thing. She forced the break and the necessary complete rejection of the parents values. Mrs. Robinson makes him a man. Watch how many scenes show him shaving and groups of boys behaving like spoiled brats pretending to be men but just conforming.
Lol, in the scene where the narrator is in bed with what I’m presuming is his girlfriend, I can imagine the conversation.
“Honey… what are you setting up a camera by the bed for? 😘”
“It’s for a video that I need your help with. 😉”
“What do I need to do? 😜”
“Lay there silently with your back to the camera.”
“😑”
Lmaoooo
Thats how my wedding and marriage felt.
Just. Stupid.
Too cute.
Maybe we just want some aspect of something and not the whole of it....
I appreciated your analyses, but I thinks it starts from a wrong premise: Dustin Hoffmann's character doesn't look alienated at the end of the film. He's happy (smiles) and determinated (looks in front of him).
There might be a number of reasons why he doesn't look back at her. I guess they made this take many times, with different glances every time, now why they chose this i don't know, but the alienation or distance from the "prize" not necessarily is the explanation.
"Ben, this whole idea sounds pretty half-baked.
"No. It's not. It's completely baked. It's a decision I've made."
Then the toast was cooked if you remember the scene.
I also don't think he regretted his final decision, he seems overwhelmed, like he did with her mother. He's gonna make love until things end. Like everything in life. Worrying about each and every desire is useless. I've been in love for a short time but it's a memory, a past self that I once lived. If my past self admitted that it's love then it's love. My present self might acquire certain philosophy or feel more powerful feelings but the past is you and it's the only real thing you have.
I think no matter what path you follow in life whether you like it or not, just flow with it. And that's the idea of the movie for me. It reminded me of those moments of being lost within the desire. It's like a child phase that everyone seems to forget.
But as you said the analysis was pretty good.
That smile looked extremely forced and then quickly dissipated into a thousand yard stare of realization in my view. The truth is in the eyes
that's a bit naive point of view. when I was 14 I also saw the happy ending here. yet as I rewatched in some years, I realised how unsettling the ending is. It falls off the regular happily ever after scenarios somehow. And yes, it is in the eyes of the main characters and in their micromimics.
It doesn't mean anything. There was no intention in that ending. Nichols simply let the camera run, and the actors waited for him to make clear what he wanted. He didn't, so they just coped. It's one of those audience mirrors, shots that reflect what the viewer is thinking, not what the actors are intending. Another ending like that, quite famously, is the ending to "Queen Christina", where Garbo gazes out into the distance not thinking about anything at all (by the director's order). There's nothing there, yet everyone who sees the film thinks they know what _is_ there. The same with the ending to The Graduate - everyone thinks they know what is there, and yet there was never anything there in the first place. _You_ are writing the ending.
You lost me on "the amazing music of simon & Garfunkel " Music to fill a bathtub with warm water, light a few candles and open your veins to
The Graduate is way ahead of its time. The movie introduced the idea of MILFs.
@@imoldgreggboosh3467 trust me. You wouldnt want to know what it means
😂😂😂
@@imoldgreggboosh3467 According to Wiki, it stands for "Mothers I'd Like to Fuck."
Mother if like to F*$#
@@imoldgreggboosh3467 it means memories id like to forget
You dont really have to act out the movie and show yourself. Your voice and editing is enough for it to be engaging. You dont have to do the extra work, as the usual thing you do, already works for the narration.
This is a nasty comment, keep it to yourself and let creators experiment.
This is akin to what LGBTQ people have had to face since time immemorial... conformity to religious/heteronormative expectations except WE didn't get our own Graduate experience film till the mid 80s with Harvey Fierstein's Torch Song Trilogy which also had a major role starring Anne Bancroft (the same role was played by Estelle Getty, of Golden Girls fame, on Broadway). Also the struggle for marriage equality, the right to adopt and raise children and to be able to have significant representation in major performance/artistic media i.e. stage/films/music and television.
🤮
Could be said in 2 minutes, not 12.
In short, The Graduate is a very dreary movie with no meaning. It's a portrait of a Baby Boomer narcissist. How has 55 years of cultural narcissism played out? Not well.
🤣👍
I think you need to grow up a little more before you do these kind of analyses
The ending sucked…
excellent analysis of an excellent movie. I still remember it's impact when \i watched it in my youth,