Has the restless generation essentially existed since the late 1960s? Where the art of travelling, and the hopes of the space race were fully charged and given as a possibility for whoever you are? For me, Mike Nichols’ The Graduate, originally released in 1967 (when the director was 33), feels like one of the first coming-of-age films that dialled into the voice of an era, and one that ominously resonates today, yet it’s also something we’ve probably all felt at some point – where you’re driven to a point of hope and expectation with no limits, only to question it all, or be dragged into a world you’d never expected or even been aware enough to plan towards.

Opening with Benjamin Braddock (Dustin Hoffman) arriving back at LAX from destination unknown, he’s notably detached as is the aesthetic, where monotone colours follow his journey from the plane, through the airport and back home. It’s suggested to be space-like and solo, backed by Simon & Garfunkel’s The Sound of Silence as the musical accompaniment. Benjamin is like the luggage he’s picking up, one of the masses, separated from other realities and correspondingly he could be anyone. As he stares off into the distance, it offers us an early opportunity to consider his character; one that’s naïvely in a quandary and while he’s been successful at college… what comes next lingers above him like a dark cloud. With cinematography by Robert Surtees, and Oscar-nominated no less, the opening camera work stays close on Hoffman’s face, indicating we’re with him in this bubble, instead of the older people who appear to want to control his future. It’s a while before we step back and see the world around him, and even when that happens, you really notice Ben’s awkward, indistinct nature, giving us the sense that no-one will connect to him.

That is, of course, until his first scene meeting with Mrs Robinson (Anne Bancroft), the mother of a friend of his, Elaine (Katharine Ross), who’s a girl next door-type that everyone assumes will eventually get with Ben, as they’d appear right for each other. But Ben’s drifting mind and desire to avoid the corporate world of his rich parents signifies he’s looking for an escape and when Mrs Robinson asks Ben to drive her home, as she can’t, he obliges, and the wider story begins. Once back at Mrs Robinson’s, Ben is given a drink and once alone with her he’s flustered and confused (cue Mrs Robinson you’re trying to seduce me, aren’t you?), and the more emotionally mature of the pair is aware of the situation – although she confesses she’s an alcoholic – and clearly seeks advantage of Benjamin as she longs for intimacy. While she doesn’t physically force him into a sexual situation, she explicitly suggests it – and leaves it up to him to decide if he wants to have an affair. Over a short time, he can’t endure and thus a second life for them begins under the covers of a hotel room. At first, they both have fun, but things get complex when their fling sours, and Ben begins to actually fall for her daughter, Elaine, and Mrs Robinson isn’t happy, eventually leading to the reality reveal of what’s going on, which means the triple situationship takes us into the emotionally chaotic final third of the film.

The Graduate holds a curious balance of a hope for growth and change, but also a deep study of moral and ethical situations in any level of society. With this, there’s an authenticity which doesn’t necessarily belong to the audience – I don’t think this is an ‘if this was you’ moment – but it’s certainly a compelling watch, as you see Ben go through all the corridors of obsession, confusion and a deep lack of a wider perspective. He’s so eager to feel something, he tries to keep hold of it all, and eventually his neurotic desire for Elaine will take him where he thinks he wants to go, but was that even what he wanted all along?

Rightfully revered for decades, The Graduate can be quoted in a superficial sense, but there’s lot more going on here than first appears. Hoffman is superb as he drives Benjamin recklessly through love, lust, and psychological abandonment. It’s also stylistically wonderful, plus remains an amalgamation of funny, sad, dramatic, ridiculous and even daring enough to leave with you what’s ultimately one of the best cliffhangers of the era…

Collector’s Edition Extras:

This is a 3-disc set, which contains the soundtrack, the Blu-ray and the film on 4K Ultra HD for the first time, with extras taken from the restored 50^th anniversary edition in 2017, so if you’re aware of the quality then, this is a films that deserves the hard work to get it seen in this shape. That restoration was taken from the original 35mm negative with Criterion, the colour timing was achieved by referencing a previous grading supervised by Grover Crisp and approved by Mike Nichols. He also approved the 5.1 surround sound remix, which was created by using the 35mm magnetic tracks and also the original soundtrack recordings at Chace Audio – I’ve also listed the bonus features below, I didn’t have access to the finished product, so unable to review in those respects.

Special Features:

• 64-page booklet with new essays by film writers Christina Newland, Helen O’Hara, David Jenkins and Simon Brew
• Print of the original and theatrical film poster, and new artwork designed by Concepción Studios
• Audio commentary by Professor Thomas Koebner
• Audio commentary with Mike Nichols and Steven Soderbergh
• Audio commentary with Dustin Hoffman and Katharine Ross
• Meeting with an Author: Charles Webb
• One on One with Dustin Hoffman
• Interview with Producer Lawrence Turman
• The Graduate: Looking Back
• The Graduate at 25
• Students of The Graduate
• Screen Tests
• Scene Analysis
• About the Music
• The Seduction Featurette

The Graduate 4K UHD Collector’s Edition is out now: https://amzn.to/46mbd5m

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