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Much has been said about how good The Graduate is. I have one word really to say, Amen! This film is wonderful in every way, from the cinematography, to the acting to the soundtrack.
ACTING- The acting is really quite excellent in The Graduate. In his first major role, Dustin Hoffmann(a great actor) is sensational as the innocent college graduate, while Anne Bancroft is also excellent as the older woman who seduces him. And Katherine Ross was surprisingly effective as the daughter Hoffmann's character falls for.
DIRECTION- Mike Nichols' direction is very, very good, easily one of his best directing jobs. He ensures flawlessly that there isn't a single wasted scene while watching The Graduate. And in my opinion, he thoroughly deserved the best director Oscar.
SCREENPLAY- I don't know when to start when saying how good The Graduate's script is. The humour is sophisticated and has the bite of a dry martini.
CINEMATOGRAPHY- The Graduate also benefits hugely from having beautiful cinematography, and it is quite innovative too. It also has a sense of visual irony about it, especially in the scene where Hoffmann runs to the church.
SOUNDTRACK- Maybe I am biased because I am very fond of Simon and Gunfunkel. In The Graduate, the soundtrack is so moving and beautiful, perfectly captures the mood of disaffected youth seething beneath the laid-back exteriors of the 1960s.
STORY- The Graduate works brilliantly as a satire, and the story is never less than engaging and thoughtful.
So all in all, The Graduate is a wonderful film on every level, one of my personal favourites of the 1960s that's for sure. 10/10 Bethany Cox
