THE GRADUATE Blu-ray Review

What a superb film The Graduate (1967) is. No matter how many times I watch it, every line of dialogue, every scene, every song is spot on. It's a meticulously constructed, funny, truthful and uplifting coming-of age tale that's surely Dustin Hoffman's defining moment. Others may well cite Midnight Cowboy or even Rain Man, but for me he's Benjamin Braddock, the awkward and profoundly worried graduate facing an expectant and daunting post college world. You may have noticed I have somewhat strong feelings about this movie, so if you're looking for some sort of alternate retrospective take on Mike Nichols' landmark movie, look elsewhere.

The shy, intelligent "track star" Benjamin Braddock has graduated and is struggling with the unbearable pressure from his proud parents and their friends. Lauded by all, the intense attention is bewildering. Despite the best possible start in life and with his whole future ahead of him, Benjamin can't bear the weight of expectation. Then, during a party at his parents house he is seduced by Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft), the wife of one of his father's closest friends. Reborn with a sense of lust-based purpose, the affair turns sour when he seeks more than bedroom thrills. Forced by his unseeing parents to date the Robinson's daughter, Elaine (Katherine Ross), Benjamin unexpectedly falls in love with her, much to the chagrin of a bitter Mrs. Robinson.

Often remembered primarily for a number iconic elements and scenes, it's astonishing to revisit and see what a complete film Nichols made, one which somehow transcends those individual constituents. Yes, the Simon and Garfunkel soundtrack is utterly wonderful, capturing not just a time and place in history, but a crucial turning point in the last century and the oppressed anxieties of a generation hoping that their future will be "different" from that of their parents. Yes, the performances are wonderfully entertaining, with Hoffman's comedic ability a standout years before he'd go the whole way with Tootsie. And yes, Mrs. Robinson is the zenith of cinematic 'older women'.

But Nichols' direction is also deceptively subtle and pulls the whole film together where it could have become a collection of set pieces. When Benjamin and Elaine go on their first date and end up in a rowdy burger joint, they pull the car's hood down to drown out the noise. Rather than cut to car interior, we continue to hear the hectic music they've escaped and, short of lip reading, aren't privy to their more intimate conversations. So too, in a marvelously staged moment, the penny drops for Elaine as she realises the older woman Benjamin had an affair with was in fact her mother. Her shocked face is gradually pulled into foreground focus as the truth dawns on her. It's these touches, of which there are many, that betray the real skill at work here. There's never a redundant scene, wasted shot, moment of filler dialogue - everything is efficiently and gracefully put together in manner that's rare to see.

For anyone who's ever finished an academic course to then be struck by total disillusionment The Graduate is required viewing. Hoffman's trance-like state early on is filmed beautifully by legendary cinematographer Robert Surtees, as he slips into a waking coma, drifting across his parents swimming pool into an oblivion of worry. Depicting a sea change in a graduate's life which represents a far broader reaching sea change in cultural and social norms during the late 60s, it's both an affecting love story and a historical artifact to be treasured.

 Did I mention, I quite like this?

The Disc

Part of Optimum Home Entertainment's Studio Canal Collection, it's a very solid disc. The transfer is sharp and richly coloured with immaculate sound reproduction. The downside is that as we've seen with numerous films of this age, there are times of unwanted clarity. The early party scene in particular reveals heavy make-up in many of the close-ups. So too, in a couple of later scenes there's some distracting make-up visible. Luckily these instances are pretty rare and for the most part there's little to complain about.

Extras are an impressive array of new, previously unreleased and previously released (listed below) and the tasteful packaging is in line with other releases from the label.