Sunday, October 12, 2014
The Graduate
The film The Graduate didn't strike me as a very funny film (granted it did have it's moments). However something that did strike me was the impressive use of water and reflective surfaces as a motif in the film. Ben seems to find a mix of solace and comfort when around or at times within water, but yet many of the film's unfortunate circumstances are relayed through a reflective surface.
For example, Ben only seems to be at peace during the film whilst in his pool, or while looking at the fish tank he has in his room. The moments where he is doing either of these things are either during or after moments of duress, such as the welcome home party, and whilst he's having an affair with Mrs. Robinson. Even immediately after moments of duress, such as when he's practically humiliated while in a diving suit in front of his family, the water brings Ben peace. The motif of water is never directly addressed, and one could only guess why he finds it to be so calming.
Reflective surfaces on the other hand are often a source of duress for Ben. At various times, Mrs. Robinson can be seen only through a reflective surface, A good example of this is when she meets Ben at the hotel for the first time, just before they begin their affair. Mrs. Robinson seems to suddenly appear as the camera only shows her reflection on a table. This heightens the manipulative personality of Mrs. Robinson, that she can appear and disappear in Ben's life on a moment's notice. During their affair, she frequently does this.
Another stressful situation shown through a reflective surface is at the very end of the film, when Ben is banging on a glass window shouting Elaine's name, trying to get her attention so that she wouldn't go through with her marriage.
The film The Graduate has numerous motifs, and the motif of water and reflective surfaces is just one of the group.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
This is very interesting, because we never really discussed the usage of reflective surfaces in class. I had never realized that reflective surfaces signaled stress, or other bad feelings. This would be a great thing to write about for your paper.
ReplyDeleteBen was a fish out of water (which is why he felt happy in the pool).
I think the question of why Ben finds water calming is interesting. My guess is that it provides him solitude, and he can be alone. He seems to like to be alone, until the end. After the welcoming party, where he does not want to be, he sits in his room alone, in front of the fish tank. Also, at his birthday party, which he again does not want to attend, going underwater lets him be alone. This is reinforced by the use of sound. In the suit, Ben can only hear his own breathing, and everyone else is silent.
ReplyDelete