Re-watch one of the following two scenes, and in one or two paragraphs explain how director Mike Nichols uses camera shots, music, visual motifs, and shot composition to make meaning
In the scenes depicting Benjamin’s first encounter with Mrs. Robinson, director Mike Nichols uses various cinematic tools to portray Mrs. Robinson’s power to trap the ever-passive Ben in an uncomfortable, unethical situation. Ben has always remained passive, simply responding to external pressures that have pushed him along life’s conventional path to success. Mrs. Robinson is another external pressure to which Ben will fall prey, but his concessions to her desires will lead him in an entirely new direction. Nichols begins the scene with the camera stationary and behind a fish tank, through which we see Mrs. Robinson enter Ben’s room. In later scenes, Nichols establishes glass and water as visual motifs that represent familiarity. Ben is no stranger to passivity, and his liaison with Mrs. Robinson will only take him further into this familiar territory. He will let her control him, like he let the conveyor belt move him through the airport. On the other hand, though, one might view Mrs. Robinson as a character that takes Ben out of the fish tank. His familiarity is drowning him, and he sees an affair with Mrs. Robinson as a rescue from the mundane. To enter the Robinsons’ house, Ben goes through a black door—unlike the all-white house—because Mrs. Robinson does not want to enter a “dark house” alone. The inside of the house is predominantly black and white as well. Nichols uses color here to represent that there are clear lines between good and bad, and Ben will knowingly breach them. What’s more, the house is filled with stripes and furniture that resembles bars or fences. The bar is even labeled as such because Nichols uses the word as a double entendre. On the walls are shadows of these bars. Nichols uses bars to represent entrapment and shadows to represent double identity; the secret identity to which Ben will soon succumb will trap him in a situation from which he cannot move forward, unless he stops being passive. The rest of the scene uses shot composition and visual motifs to portray the power a bold Mrs. Robinson wields over a spineless Ben. Nichols employs a shot in which Ben appears beneath Mrs. Robinson’s bent leg to represent the power she gains through her sexuality. She turns on seductive music, establishing herself as the one in control. In Elaine’s all-white room—a symbol of innocence—Mrs. Robinson’s body blocks Ben as she tries to seduce him. Like an earlier shot of Ben talking to his father, Nichols’ mise en scene suggests Mrs. Robinson inhibits Ben. Then, in a shot reminiscent of Phyllis Dietrichson’s introduction to Walter Neff in Double Indemnity, Mrs. Robinson remains at the top of the stairs while Ben goes to get her purse on the first floor. She is, perhaps, this film’s modern-day version of the femme fatale. Finally, as she reenters the room, we see her reflection in Elaine’s portrait—Nichols’ shrewd way of foreshadowing Ben’s love for Elaine. In a few short scenes, Nichols has used cinematography to illustrate that Ben feels lost, and this feeling, in conjunction with his passivity and Mrs. Robinson’s aggressiveness, will trap him in a situation over which he lacks control.
In the scene where Benjamin is frantically driving, trying to find Elane's wedding and stop the ceremony, Nichol's uses a tracking shot that follows Ben as his car breaks down and we see him get out of his car and start running. This seems to be the first time in the entire film where Benjamin seems to know what he wants, and is actively trying to pursue that. Compared to the opening scene, for instance, where Ben is on an airplane, technically going as fast as possible yet in a stationary position, sitting down, extremely passive. This represents the way in which he allowed his entire life up until this point of graduating college to be planed out for him, as well as the lack of initiative he shows throughout the film, up until this point, of course. We see a big change in Benjamin's character as he runs to the church. When he enters the church he runs up the stairs, starring down at the ceremony with his arms spread, incorporating a visual motif that draws similarities to Benjamin's character to that of Jesus Christ. They were both outcasted for their behavior, although Jesus was later praised for it of course, whereas it seems fairly clear that Benjamin will not be. The close up shot of Elaine's face as Ben screams during her wedding ceremony shows that their characters feel similar in the sense that they both seemed to be imprisoned by the lives their parents or peers thought was best for them. She clearly felt the same indecisiveness that Benjamin felt in that moment, or else she would not have made such a dramatic exit with him. When they both get on the bus, and the Sound of Silence begins to play again, it becomes clear that what Benjamin thought would make him happy will not be enough. This is shown to us by the close up shot of both of their expressions, as Elaine is staring at Ben, smiling, however Ben continues to stair straight ahead, with a similar blank expression that we see him have throughout the film, even in the opening scene as well. This suggests that nothing has changed for Benjamin, he still does not know what he wants, and Elaine's expression as the movie comes to a close seems nothing but disappointed.
In the finale of The Graduate, Ben drives along the deserted road searching for Elaine when his car sputters to a stop. After an entire movie in which Ben is passively transported by machines - be it a plane or a moving sidewalk - he is finally forced to take agency over his body and leave his car. As he runs to the church, he constantly peers over his shoulder, as if he is searching for that omnipotent authority figure that has always been present in his life. Ben arrives at the church, but Nichols has once again placed Ben behind a pane of glass. But unlike the other times when Ben was entrapped by a pane of glass, Ben finally decides to resist, to fight the powers that keep him bottled up. As Ben pounds on the glass window, Nichols zooms out until Ben is just a tiny figure behind a massive piece of glass, revealing just how entrapped he really is. The camera then focuses on Elaine's face, taking the viewer inside her thought process. All around her Elaine can see authority figures - her mother, her father, her soon-to-be husband - telling her what to do, but the only sound she and the viewer can hear is Ben's pleading cry to her. She then decides to go against the wishes of her parents and leave with Ben. Ironically using a golden cross to seal their pursuers in the church, the pair escapes on their feet and seem to have finally achieved freedom. Nichols, however, ultimately dooms the pair by having them relinquish agency over their movements once again and board a bus. As they travel on the bus, their elation wears off and their faces become very serious. At the same time, the Sound of Silence begins to play in the background, and it becomes apparent that after all Ben has been through, nothing has really changed. Just like the opening of the movie, he is once again isolated in a crowd of unwelcoming faces, using a piece of machinery to take him places, with the same song playing the background. -Ben
In the final scene of The Graduate, we only see momentary improvement in Ben’s agency, only to watch him return to his old, passive ways. Nichol does an excellent job of using various symbols and motifs to portray the intent of the characters. The main indicator of Ben’s independence is represented through the use of cars, machines, or other types of mechanical transportation. Ben madly drives his car towards the church and only gets out of his car when it runs out of gas, thus indicating that his independence was not actually a choice. Nichol uses tracking shots of Ben running along the sidewalk to emphasize his first efforts to take action on his own. While it first seemed like Ben was taking action, Nichol inserts images of entrapment when Ben enters the church he finds himself in a glass room above the church. The image of Ben banging on the glass parallels his previous entrapment in the swimming pool, and the motifs of fish tanks, and glass. Furthermore, as Ben bangs on the glass window, his arms are out and his body mirrors the image of Christ on the cross. In no means does Ben represent a reincarnation of christ, Nichol’s portrayal of him in the glass room indicates that he is still suffering, and is not yet an independent individual. Furthermore, Nichol uses sound to convey the interactions between Ben and Elaine, when Ben’s wails drown out all the voices of anyone else in the church, and Elaine cannot listen to anyone except for his irrational pleas. In addition, with Ben’s use of the cross as a weapon, Nichol offers an interesting statement about religion, as the members of the church are trapped within the building because the cross is keeping them inside. Lastly, when Elaine and Ben flee, they get right back onto mechanized transportation, and return to their initial positions. Ben takes up the right side of the screen, in exactly the same way he did in the first scene of the movie, thus suggesting that he came full circle, and has not actually changed his passive ways.
As Benjamin is driving there is music that plays up until the point when his car slowly comes to a halt. As his car slows down, the music comes to a stop as well. Throughout the film, Ben has always had everything run smoothly for him, especially with his parents around. In this scene when Benjamin is left alone with a dilemma, he for once steps out of the car in a calm manner and runs as fast as he can with a set destination. As the viewer, all we are able to hear is the pounding of Benjamin's feet on the sidewalk and the sound of other cars passing him fairly quickly. The film technique of filming from afar allows us to see the fact that Benjamin is running for his life. This proves for the first time that he truly feels passionate about something without a push from his parents or outside pressures. Once again as Benjamin reaches the church, the music enters for a short period of time up until the point when Benjamin starts yelling for Elaine. It's ironic that the movie ends with Benjamin once again running away on foot however this time he is running with the woman of his dreams. They continue running up until they see a bus which they quickly chase to stop for them. As they hurry to the back seats of the bus, they both instantly lookout the back window at the lives that they are leaving behind. As soon as they realize that all they are looking at is a empty road, they both turn to face the new and unknown direction of the bus with fairly serious yet blank faces. Although they seemed thrilled to be running away from their demanding lives, they now seem to be at a loss considering this will be their first time in complete control of their lives. As the music enters the scene for the final time as they face forward, the sounds drowns out the typical noises from a bus, allowing the camera shot to move easily from their faces to outside of the bus to show it moving further down the street into the unknown. -Emily Carey
In the final scene of The Graduate, the constant reference to machinery controlling Ben's life is finally overthrown. On the way to the wedding, Ben's car runs out of gas so he gets out and runs the rest of the way. This is Nichols' way of showing Ben developing into a character that finally takes control of his own life. Nichols does an excellent job incorporating constant references to machinery throughout the film, and this final scene represents an extreme turning point for that specific motif. This then leads to Ben finally reaching the church and witnessing Elaine getting married. Ben sees this in a glass room above the rest of the wedding, representing how he is so far from Elaine and other people. Ben's cross-like stance is ironic since he is in a church during a wedding as well. Nichols also includes black vertical rods on the stairs which touches upon his constant reference to jail bars throughout the film. This shows that Ben has not yet escaped his entrapment, and although he has overcome machines controlling him, he still needs to escape the challenging entrapment of others in his life. We also see Ms. Robinson wearing cheetah print, as we do 2 other instances in the film (on her bra and jacket). The extreme violence that breaks out in the church is a great call on Nichols' part, contrasting the repeated use of love and sex in the film. Finally, when we see Ben and Elaine go off together, they do not seem happy. There is still an awkward sort of distance between them, which doesn't represent a very happy ending. Nichols' shot of the couple in the back of the bus shows neither Ben nor Elaine smiling, and also there is a pillar between them. This ending shot foreshadows a relationship that may not last in the future. "Sounds of Silence" also reappears, similar to the beginning of the film, representing the little progress that has grown between Elaine and Ben.
In the last scene.... When Ben's car is starting to break down, the music copies him as the strum of the guitar also has a sound of irregularity suggesting its breaking down itself. When he gets out of the car and starts running towards the church there is no music at all only the sounds of cars passing by in the background. This suggests that the music plays when Ben is trapped since it stopped as soon as he left the car his father gave to the "track star". In the shot of him running he is in the center of the screen, rather than the side where he resided for most of the film, and not using any transportation suggesting his taking control of his own fate and is no longer passively riding life as he was when we first saw him at the airport. When the church is finally in view, we get some more outside music that fades into the wedding music within the scene. In this shot, Ben is behind class following the pattern of entrapment both in the music and for Ben and Elaine. Yet, this time, the entrapment causes Ben to look like a religious symbol when he calls to Elaine--which once again stops the music. In this position, Ben can be seen as a "savior" taking Elaine from a trapped situation herself. As ELaine notices Ben she is then drawn towards him and we get up close shots of her mother, father, and "husband" yelling but we can't hear anything. This gives the audience a feeling of her being trapped as we see the angry emotions of those around her take up the entire shot. Then, it's her turn for a close up when she finally yells to Ben who runs down to save her. Once down there he uses a cross to ward off her family once again acting as a type of "savior" when he traps them in the church. Everything seems hopeful for the happy couple as they board the bus until the music starts playing. As "Sounds of Silence" plays once again we see Elaine and Ben's happy expressions fade and realize they are once again trapped by the bus' windows as they drive away. This suggest that, although they both ran away from their old cages, Elaine and Ben are now trapped in a new one together.
In the scene at the end of the film, Ben is shown finally taking control of his life by running by himself and moving on his own power. Also, when running, the filmmaker uses a wide angle shot showing his freedom that he as achieved by finally knowing what he wants from life. In the rest of the movie most of the shots that portray Ben are closer up and show his entrapment in his life he has no control over. In the running scene, there is no framing, or bars surrounding him to keep him caged in. But at the end of the film, he and Elaine get on the bus to once again to have their life once again out of their hands. They are also framed inside each separate window now in their new jail cells.
In the final scene of the film, after being pushed around and told what to do his entire life, Ben takes control of his own fate. Nichols illustrates this by showing that Ben is now driving his own car, and when the car runs out of gas, Ben physically gets out and begins to run. Ben is finally chasing what he wants, and is using himself as the primary person to get there. He is out in the open, no entrapment. The color use in this scene is very black and white, to show that even though Ben knows the difference between what's right and what's wrong, he is going to take what he wants (Elaine) who is dressed in white on her wedding day. At the final bit, however, when the couple are sitting on the bus, there is a bar between them. This suggests that they are still separated, and made the wrong choice by eloping together. Furthermore, the music by Simon and Garfunkel, the sound of silence, literally tells the viewer that there is silence. Elaine and Ben have made a crazy choice, and are in awe of what they have done, and didn't plan anything for their future. So at the end of the film, while Ben took control of his own destiny, did he really make the right decision? This is the thought that Nichols leaves us with at the end.
Both Music and shot composition play a large role in the final scene of The Graduate. As Ben's car is coming to a stop the music spurts to a stop with it, representing the machine slowing down. This then leads Ben to take agency over his life and he gets out of the car and starts to run to the church. There is not much sound while Ben is running, allowing the viewer to completely focus on this break of character. Then when Ben reaches the church the music that is being played for the wedding is also heard by the viewer. Ben is being shot from behind a large piece of glass, isolated from the rest of the people attending the wedding. Elaine can hear Ben screaming her name but the voices of the authority figures around her, her mother, father and fiancé, are muted out. After Elaine replays to Ben and screams his name, Nichols un-mutes the sounds of those around Elaine. There is a dramatic change from focused sound to a chaotic scene with everyone screaming. This once again changes when Elaine and Ben make it onto the Bus and everything is muted down, and the two characters get very serious. Then the movie ends with "The Sound of Silence" playing as you Elaine and Ben once again being transported with little control over their own destiny. The shot composition of the bar on the window of the bus separating the two of them, also contributes to the idea that even after eloping they are separated from each other. Overall, Nichols uses music and shot composition within the last scene of the film to represent and highlight the important themes.
In the ending scene of this film, there are many motifs that emphasize the movies themes. First of all, the idea of transportation is a very common one especially during this scene. Throughout the film, Benjamin has been using his car that his parents gave to him as a graduation gift, symbolic of his encounters with society. When he is about to go and get the girl he loves, something society would dissapporve of due to the fact that she is getting married, his car breaks down. Ben has to get out and run all the way to the church in order to confront Elaine. Another motif that is shown in the church is the glass. The glass is the idea of entrapment. Ben is trapped due to the fact that he has no idea what he is going to do with his life, and the smothering of his parents constantly nagging him. It reaches another level when he is standing behind the glass that is the only thing stopping him from getting to Elaine. Eventually he overcomes this entrapment by knocking on it and getting her attention. The glass is also a reoccuring symbol. At the very end of the scene, when the bus is driving the two of them away together, both the symbol of transportation and glass is being used. The glass shows that once again, Ben is being trapped, and so is Elaine. It is also showing the idea of letting other things drive them forward, and not initiating anything, which is what the bus is doing. The ending of this movie is a very satirical one. We see the two motifs of entrapment and controlling try to stop Ben from achieving what he wants. We see him running and initiating himself when the car fails, and we see him breaking the barrier of the glass when he is at the church. But, after getting Elaine's attention and running away together, we see them once again being trapped by the glass at the back of the bus, and the bus driving them away. Their facial expressions, and these two motifs show how instead of changing his situation, Ben has just landed where he started out before, trapped and having no idea what he is going to do with his life, and he brought Elaine along with him.
In the closing scene of The Graduate, Nichols uses already established motifs to neatly tie its together the film's beginning and end. In the scene leading up to Elaine's wedding, we see, for the first time, Benjamin running. Starting with the opening scene, when Ben is on a plane, then an airport conveyor belt, and continuing on to this point in the movie, Ben travels exclusively with the aid of some mechanical external device. In the scene, this device, a car, fails him, and Ben must travel of his own accord, he must run. While he is running, we perhaps see more passion from Ben than any at any other point in the film. When Ben reaches the church where Elaine's wedding is underway, Ben is shot from the point of veiw of the wedding guests below, through a glass window. This is not the first time Ben is shot through glass; for example, earlier he is shown through the glass of a fish tank. Unlike earlier, Ben now screams and pounds against the window, rebelling against the confinement he earlier accepted. His arms are splayed in a fashion that alludes to Christ, and moments later his uses a gold cross, symbolic of the wealthy, conformist, Chistian, WASP-y life style the films' characters lead, to barricade the door and trap in the wedding goers while he and Elaine make a dramatic and triumphant escape. However, Nichols makes clear that this passion does not endure: the film ends with a two shot of Ben and Elaine, as they are bussed along and their breif smiles of exhileration fade. "The Sound of Silence", which was heard ealier in the film, plays, further reinforcing the reversion to stagnant Ben of earlier in the film and signalling the end of his short-lived moment of self assertion.
A cursory glimpse at the last scene of The Graduate would suggest that Ben has finally found efficacy and has taken control of his life; however, ultimately, Ben undergoes no real change and is only acting on the expectations of others. Although Ben gets out of the car, a symbol of his inability to drive his own future, his run mirrors the cars advancement. The car slows down, advancing towards the camera, just as Ben runs down the road. Although it seems like he is taking command of his life, in actuality Ben is coasting on his parents expectations and affluence in the same way as before as the similar shot illuminates. Ben makes it to the church, and still chooses to the path of least resistance. Ben runs up the steps instead of bursting through the doors, and hops the railing rather than confront one of the wedding attendees. Ben uses the cross to trap the partygoers, rather than negotiate or challenge them. While the gesture at first seems like an awakening, where Ben realizes his potential and desires, in actuality he reverts to the same reluctance to initiate any real change. At the heart of this “rebellious act” Ben is actually following his parents recommendations, who spent the summer urging him to take Elaine out. It seems as though Ben is assuming responsibility for his actions, but he is still behaving like a child, abandoning his car and expecting a happy ending after rescuing the girl. But Ben is only fooling himself; as he and Elaine hop on the bus, we see the people staring at them, and their inability to ignore these looks suggests they have not escaped their need to satisfy societal expectations. They cannot look at each other, and Ben’s smile slowly fades away, conveying to the viewer that Ben is ultimately unsuccessful, and remains the childish man who cannot let go of familial and societal expectations.
In the final scene of the Graduate, Nichols shows Ben's character development through the use of motifs such as machines and entrapment. Throughout the entire movie, Nichols establishes the fact that Ben has no control over his life through the use of various machines that allow Ben to move through his life passively. In the first scene, this is established when the audience sees Ben moving through the airport on the conveyor belt. In the final scene when Ben is going to stop Elaine's marriage he begins by driving his car, however, his car breaks down and he is forced to run to the church himself. Ben's taking active role in his life reveals how his character has developed from the beginning of the movie and taken control of his life. Yet at the very end of the movie, Nichols returns Ben to a vehicle similar to the beginning which renders his moment of active control futile, ultimately suggesting that the external forces surrounding Ben are too strong for him to repel. The idea of external forces can be seen in the final scene as well through Nichols camera shots. When Nichols shows the multiple angry faces of the adults in the church, it symbolizes the external forces that surround not only Ben but Elaine as well. This entrapment that surround both of the characters is further highlighted when Ben is banging on the glass wall of the church to get Elaine's attention. Nichols has the camera zoom out and the audience sees Ben from far away with his arms spread above his head as a Christ symbol. This also show Ben's active role in taking control of his own life and fighting against the external forces that struggle to control his life. In conclusion, Nichols uses the motifs of machinery and entrapment in order to reveal the futility of one's actions against the external forces in their life.
In this final scene of The Graduate, music is used when Ben is driving his car and slowly runs out of gas. As this happens, the music slowly slows down until it comes to a complete stop, along with the car. Lucas uses a lot of stationary camera work, instead of tracking shots, which indicates the character's attempt to reach a goal. For example, the scene where Ben is running down the sidewalk, instead of having a camera tracking him from the side, he has a stationary camera placed in front of him, at his destination, almost as if we get to watch Ben arrive closer and closer to his goal. As soon as he arrives, 1 chord plays, almost to symbolize victory and to incorporate music back into the scene, very appropriately. Single chords continue to play at Ben makes it closer and closer to Elaine. Once Ben has reached the church, he is portrayed in a very Christ-like way as he is above everyone else in the glassed-in balcony with his arms out to the side. Elaine then walks towards him, without taking her eyes off him, and refuses to stop for anyone that holds her back, almost to portray a follower/disciple of Jesus (Ben) that is drawn to him. This is when she realizes that he is the one she wants to be with, almost as if she is called to be with him. Ben then uses a cross, ironically, to fight back against those who were preventing him from being with Elaine (her family and fiancé) and the people who, essentially, crucified him in the first place by putting him in the position of outstretched arms in the glass balcony. If it weren't for them and Elaine's wedding he wouldn't even be in that position. Essentially, Ben gives them a taste of their own medicine.
In the final scene of The Graduate, the first component of the scene is music synced with the movement of the car. As the music begins to slow down so does the car, until it finally stops working. Here, the director uses the broken down car to symbolise Ben breaking away from the machinery and materialism of society. He is forced to move forward by using his own body, and not just by some machine that is pushing him along. When Ben gets inside the church he goes to the upper level of the building, and is looking down on all the guest of the wedding. His positioning demonstrates how he has broken away from the restrictions of society, he is literally and figuratively at a higher understanding of what he wants out of life. When Ben uses the cross to prevent the guest from chasing after him and Elaine, there seems to be some commentary on the hypocrisy of the whole marriage, that Elaines feelings towards the other man were all a lie. When Elaine and Ben get on the bus and go to the back seat, they are position between a split window. The divide between them foreshadows their future. Them getting on the bus shows that they are both still dependent on outside forces moving them forward. When the Sound of Silence plays at the end of the film, the emotion on the two characters faces are the same as the emotion on Bens face at the beginning of the film, emotionless. the repition of the music futures the message that Ben and Elaine’s future will most likely end up in the same way that it did for both of their parents, empty.
In the final scene of the Graduate, Nichols uses the motif of transportation to emphasize a transformation in Ben, providing a contrast to the first scene of the movie. In the first scene, after Ben gets off the plane, he is shown standing on a conveyor belt through the airport. Ben’s use of solely mechanical transportation throughout the film shows how he is simply following the path put out for him. It would appear as though in this scene, where Ben is running, that he has broken a barrier. The music as well as the tracking shot helps illustrate the importance of this scene because as his car breaks down, the music slows down and comes to a pause, suggesting that this is an important scene where Ben’s character has come to a crossing ground. However, the only reason that he isn’t using mechanical transportation is because his car failed him, not because he chose to. Furthermore, when he enters the church, instead of going straight to Elaine and facing everyone, he goes upstairs. Similar to other parts of the movie, Ben is behind glass in this scene. This glass could be seen as his protection, because even though he ran to the church, he still needs to hide behind his protection, suggesting that he hasn’t strayed so far from the person that his parents wanted him to be. This point is also highlighted when him and Elaine leave the church, where they hop on a bus, another form of mechanical transportation. In this scene, even though he appears to be fighting for what he wants, he is still acting on what his parents wanted to do. Throughout the earlier parts of the movie, his parents were always urging him to take out Elaine. This final scene re emphasizes Ben’s immaturity. He believes that this great act will lead to his happiness and will solve all of his problems, yet he realizes that this may not be the case as he hops on the bus. When they are sitting on the bus together, it is very awkward, other people are looking at them, and Ben and Elaine aren’t even looking at each other. Although in this final scene it would appear as though Ben has undergone a transformation, he truly hasn’t, as he still conducts himself based on societal and parental expectations.
In the final scene of the film, Nichols uses a variety of unique techniques to bring meaning to the action on screen. One of the first things he does is slow down the background music and make it somewhat choppy to imply that Ben's car is running out of gas and is about to breakdown. This is an interesting way to portray Ben's misfortune, as the viewer does not actually see that the car is out of fuel until it stops, but can tell that Ben is about to stop. As a result of the stop, Ben has to run from his car to the wedding. This is another unique aspect of the scene, as throughout the film, Ben is being carried around by cars and other forms of transportation, but in this moment, he has to transport himself by running to the church. However, by the end of the final scene, Ben is once again being transported around, this time by a bus. This scene displays a duality between Ben being pushed around as others see fit, and Ben making his own decisions. Finally, there are a few great examples of the entrapment that is so prevalent in the film. When Ben finally gets into the church, he is stopped by a glass wall that stops him from reaching Elaine. Then when Ben and Elaine escape the church and get on the bus, the camera pans out the back window, showing them stuck in the bus. Both of these show that Ben still can't make his own choices and that his decisions are still being affected by his prior actions.
The symbolic motifs present in Nichols' cinematography brings out the major themes of The Graduate early on in the film. After the continuous tracking shot that followed Ben's claustrophobia through the smothering attention of his parents' friends. After he hastily retreats to his room the audience finds him behind the fish tank in his room. He appears to be trapped within the aquarium as Mrs. Robinson makes her main appearence of the film. She opens the door and casts light into Ben's dark's room. This use of light is a Nichols staple and symbolizes Mrs. Robinson both enlightenment and further entrapment of Ben from the very start of the film. This is compounded by Mrs. Robinson physically throwing Ben's car keys into the fish tank and forcing him to reach into his symbolic self during his relationship with her. Ben drives her home and Mrs. Robinson uses their currently formal relationship to lure him into the dark house. The door itself is black against the white of the rest of the house and the light from inside the house casts shadows on the two characters. This further use of light adds depth to the house and beckons Ben even deeper into Mrs. Robinson's seduction. All in all, Nichols' cinematography relies on lighting, visual motifs, and coloring to accent the themes of the film and sublte convey those themes to the audience.
Re-watch one of the following two scenes, and in one or two paragraphs explain how director Mike Nichols uses camera shots, music, visual motifs, and shot composition to make meaning
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUBsaCxbAaQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahFARm2j38c
In the scenes depicting Benjamin’s first encounter with Mrs. Robinson, director Mike Nichols uses various cinematic tools to portray Mrs. Robinson’s power to trap the ever-passive Ben in an uncomfortable, unethical situation. Ben has always remained passive, simply responding to external pressures that have pushed him along life’s conventional path to success. Mrs. Robinson is another external pressure to which Ben will fall prey, but his concessions to her desires will lead him in an entirely new direction.
ReplyDeleteNichols begins the scene with the camera stationary and behind a fish tank, through which we see Mrs. Robinson enter Ben’s room. In later scenes, Nichols establishes glass and water as visual motifs that represent familiarity. Ben is no stranger to passivity, and his liaison with Mrs. Robinson will only take him further into this familiar territory. He will let her control him, like he let the conveyor belt move him through the airport. On the other hand, though, one might view Mrs. Robinson as a character that takes Ben out of the fish tank. His familiarity is drowning him, and he sees an affair with Mrs. Robinson as a rescue from the mundane.
To enter the Robinsons’ house, Ben goes through a black door—unlike the all-white house—because Mrs. Robinson does not want to enter a “dark house” alone. The inside of the house is predominantly black and white as well. Nichols uses color here to represent that there are clear lines between good and bad, and Ben will knowingly breach them. What’s more, the house is filled with stripes and furniture that resembles bars or fences. The bar is even labeled as such because Nichols uses the word as a double entendre. On the walls are shadows of these bars. Nichols uses bars to represent entrapment and shadows to represent double identity; the secret identity to which Ben will soon succumb will trap him in a situation from which he cannot move forward, unless he stops being passive. The rest of the scene uses shot composition and visual motifs to portray the power a bold Mrs. Robinson wields over a spineless Ben. Nichols employs a shot in which Ben appears beneath Mrs. Robinson’s bent leg to represent the power she gains through her sexuality. She turns on seductive music, establishing herself as the one in control. In Elaine’s all-white room—a symbol of innocence—Mrs. Robinson’s body blocks Ben as she tries to seduce him. Like an earlier shot of Ben talking to his father, Nichols’ mise en scene suggests Mrs. Robinson inhibits Ben. Then, in a shot reminiscent of Phyllis Dietrichson’s introduction to Walter Neff in Double Indemnity, Mrs. Robinson remains at the top of the stairs while Ben goes to get her purse on the first floor. She is, perhaps, this film’s modern-day version of the femme fatale. Finally, as she reenters the room, we see her reflection in Elaine’s portrait—Nichols’ shrewd way of foreshadowing Ben’s love for Elaine.
In a few short scenes, Nichols has used cinematography to illustrate that Ben feels lost, and this feeling, in conjunction with his passivity and Mrs. Robinson’s aggressiveness, will trap him in a situation over which he lacks control.
- Betsy Waisel
In the scene where Benjamin is frantically driving, trying to find Elane's wedding and stop the ceremony, Nichol's uses a tracking shot that follows Ben as his car breaks down and we see him get out of his car and start running. This seems to be the first time in the entire film where Benjamin seems to know what he wants, and is actively trying to pursue that. Compared to the opening scene, for instance, where Ben is on an airplane, technically going as fast as possible yet in a stationary position, sitting down, extremely passive. This represents the way in which he allowed his entire life up until this point of graduating college to be planed out for him, as well as the lack of initiative he shows throughout the film, up until this point, of course. We see a big change in Benjamin's character as he runs to the church. When he enters the church he runs up the stairs, starring down at the ceremony with his arms spread, incorporating a visual motif that draws similarities to Benjamin's character to that of Jesus Christ. They were both outcasted for their behavior, although Jesus was later praised for it of course, whereas it seems fairly clear that Benjamin will not be. The close up shot of Elaine's face as Ben screams during her wedding ceremony shows that their characters feel similar in the sense that they both seemed to be imprisoned by the lives their parents or peers thought was best for them. She clearly felt the same indecisiveness that Benjamin felt in that moment, or else she would not have made such a dramatic exit with him. When they both get on the bus, and the Sound of Silence begins to play again, it becomes clear that what Benjamin thought would make him happy will not be enough. This is shown to us by the close up shot of both of their expressions, as Elaine is staring at Ben, smiling, however Ben continues to stair straight ahead, with a similar blank expression that we see him have throughout the film, even in the opening scene as well. This suggests that nothing has changed for Benjamin, he still does not know what he wants, and Elaine's expression as the movie comes to a close seems nothing but disappointed.
ReplyDeleteIn the finale of The Graduate, Ben drives along the deserted road searching for Elaine when his car sputters to a stop. After an entire movie in which Ben is passively transported by machines - be it a plane or a moving sidewalk - he is finally forced to take agency over his body and leave his car. As he runs to the church, he constantly peers over his shoulder, as if he is searching for that omnipotent authority figure that has always been present in his life. Ben arrives at the church, but Nichols has once again placed Ben behind a pane of glass. But unlike the other times when Ben was entrapped by a pane of glass, Ben finally decides to resist, to fight the powers that keep him bottled up. As Ben pounds on the glass window, Nichols zooms out until Ben is just a tiny figure behind a massive piece of glass, revealing just how entrapped he really is. The camera then focuses on Elaine's face, taking the viewer inside her thought process. All around her Elaine can see authority figures - her mother, her father, her soon-to-be husband - telling her what to do, but the only sound she and the viewer can hear is Ben's pleading cry to her. She then decides to go against the wishes of her parents and leave with Ben. Ironically using a golden cross to seal their pursuers in the church, the pair escapes on their feet and seem to have finally achieved freedom. Nichols, however, ultimately dooms the pair by having them relinquish agency over their movements once again and board a bus. As they travel on the bus, their elation wears off and their faces become very serious. At the same time, the Sound of Silence begins to play in the background, and it becomes apparent that after all Ben has been through, nothing has really changed. Just like the opening of the movie, he is once again isolated in a crowd of unwelcoming faces, using a piece of machinery to take him places, with the same song playing the background.
ReplyDelete-Ben
In the final scene of The Graduate, we only see momentary improvement in Ben’s agency, only to watch him return to his old, passive ways. Nichol does an excellent job of using various symbols and motifs to portray the intent of the characters. The main indicator of Ben’s independence is represented through the use of cars, machines, or other types of mechanical transportation. Ben madly drives his car towards the church and only gets out of his car when it runs out of gas, thus indicating that his independence was not actually a choice. Nichol uses tracking shots of Ben running along the sidewalk to emphasize his first efforts to take action on his own. While it first seemed like Ben was taking action, Nichol inserts images of entrapment when Ben enters the church he finds himself in a glass room above the church. The image of Ben banging on the glass parallels his previous entrapment in the swimming pool, and the motifs of fish tanks, and glass. Furthermore, as Ben bangs on the glass window, his arms are out and his body mirrors the image of Christ on the cross. In no means does Ben represent a reincarnation of christ, Nichol’s portrayal of him in the glass room indicates that he is still suffering, and is not yet an independent individual. Furthermore, Nichol uses sound to convey the interactions between Ben and Elaine, when Ben’s wails drown out all the voices of anyone else in the church, and Elaine cannot listen to anyone except for his irrational pleas. In addition, with Ben’s use of the cross as a weapon, Nichol offers an interesting statement about religion, as the members of the church are trapped within the building because the cross is keeping them inside. Lastly, when Elaine and Ben flee, they get right back onto mechanized transportation, and return to their initial positions. Ben takes up the right side of the screen, in exactly the same way he did in the first scene of the movie, thus suggesting that he came full circle, and has not actually changed his passive ways.
ReplyDeleteAs Benjamin is driving there is music that plays up until the point when his car slowly comes to a halt. As his car slows down, the music comes to a stop as well. Throughout the film, Ben has always had everything run smoothly for him, especially with his parents around. In this scene when Benjamin is left alone with a dilemma, he for once steps out of the car in a calm manner and runs as fast as he can with a set destination. As the viewer, all we are able to hear is the pounding of Benjamin's feet on the sidewalk and the sound of other cars passing him fairly quickly. The film technique of filming from afar allows us to see the fact that Benjamin is running for his life. This proves for the first time that he truly feels passionate about something without a push from his parents or outside pressures. Once again as Benjamin reaches the church, the music enters for a short period of time up until the point when Benjamin starts yelling for Elaine. It's ironic that the movie ends with Benjamin once again running away on foot however this time he is running with the woman of his dreams. They continue running up until they see a bus which they quickly chase to stop for them. As they hurry to the back seats of the bus, they both instantly lookout the back window at the lives that they are leaving behind. As soon as they realize that all they are looking at is a empty road, they both turn to face the new and unknown direction of the bus with fairly serious yet blank faces. Although they seemed thrilled to be running away from their demanding lives, they now seem to be at a loss considering this will be their first time in complete control of their lives. As the music enters the scene for the final time as they face forward, the sounds drowns out the typical noises from a bus, allowing the camera shot to move easily from their faces to outside of the bus to show it moving further down the street into the unknown.
ReplyDelete-Emily Carey
In the final scene of The Graduate, the constant reference to machinery controlling Ben's life is finally overthrown. On the way to the wedding, Ben's car runs out of gas so he gets out and runs the rest of the way. This is Nichols' way of showing Ben developing into a character that finally takes control of his own life. Nichols does an excellent job incorporating constant references to machinery throughout the film, and this final scene represents an extreme turning point for that specific motif. This then leads to Ben finally reaching the church and witnessing Elaine getting married. Ben sees this in a glass room above the rest of the wedding, representing how he is so far from Elaine and other people. Ben's cross-like stance is ironic since he is in a church during a wedding as well. Nichols also includes black vertical rods on the stairs which touches upon his constant reference to jail bars throughout the film. This shows that Ben has not yet escaped his entrapment, and although he has overcome machines controlling him, he still needs to escape the challenging entrapment of others in his life.
ReplyDeleteWe also see Ms. Robinson wearing cheetah print, as we do 2 other instances in the film (on her bra and jacket). The extreme violence that breaks out in the church is a great call on Nichols' part, contrasting the repeated use of love and sex in the film. Finally, when we see Ben and Elaine go off together, they do not seem happy. There is still an awkward sort of distance between them, which doesn't represent a very happy ending. Nichols' shot of the couple in the back of the bus shows neither Ben nor Elaine smiling, and also there is a pillar between them. This ending shot foreshadows a relationship that may not last in the future. "Sounds of Silence" also reappears, similar to the beginning of the film, representing the little progress that has grown between Elaine and Ben.
In the last scene....
ReplyDeleteWhen Ben's car is starting to break down, the music copies him as the strum of the guitar also has a sound of irregularity suggesting its breaking down itself. When he gets out of the car and starts running towards the church there is no music at all only the sounds of cars passing by in the background. This suggests that the music plays when Ben is trapped since it stopped as soon as he left the car his father gave to the "track star". In the shot of him running he is in the center of the screen, rather than the side where he resided for most of the film, and not using any transportation suggesting his taking control of his own fate and is no longer passively riding life as he was when we first saw him at the airport. When the church is finally in view, we get some more outside music that fades into the wedding music within the scene. In this shot, Ben is behind class following the pattern of entrapment both in the music and for Ben and Elaine. Yet, this time, the entrapment causes Ben to look like a religious symbol when he calls to Elaine--which once again stops the music. In this position, Ben can be seen as a "savior" taking Elaine from a trapped situation herself. As ELaine notices Ben she is then drawn towards him and we get up close shots of her mother, father, and "husband" yelling but we can't hear anything. This gives the audience a feeling of her being trapped as we see the angry emotions of those around her take up the entire shot. Then, it's her turn for a close up when she finally yells to Ben who runs down to save her. Once down there he uses a cross to ward off her family once again acting as a type of "savior" when he traps them in the church. Everything seems hopeful for the happy couple as they board the bus until the music starts playing. As "Sounds of Silence" plays once again we see Elaine and Ben's happy expressions fade and realize they are once again trapped by the bus' windows as they drive away. This suggest that, although they both ran away from their old cages, Elaine and Ben are now trapped in a new one together.
In the scene at the end of the film, Ben is shown finally taking control of his life by running by himself and moving on his own power. Also, when running, the filmmaker uses a wide angle shot showing his freedom that he as achieved by finally knowing what he wants from life. In the rest of the movie most of the shots that portray Ben are closer up and show his entrapment in his life he has no control over. In the running scene, there is no framing, or bars surrounding him to keep him caged in. But at the end of the film, he and Elaine get on the bus to once again to have their life once again out of their hands. They are also framed inside each separate window now in their new jail cells.
ReplyDeleteIn the final scene of the film, after being pushed around and told what to do his entire life, Ben takes control of his own fate. Nichols illustrates this by showing that Ben is now driving his own car, and when the car runs out of gas, Ben physically gets out and begins to run. Ben is finally chasing what he wants, and is using himself as the primary person to get there. He is out in the open, no entrapment. The color use in this scene is very black and white, to show that even though Ben knows the difference between what's right and what's wrong, he is going to take what he wants (Elaine) who is dressed in white on her wedding day. At the final bit, however, when the couple are sitting on the bus, there is a bar between them. This suggests that they are still separated, and made the wrong choice by eloping together. Furthermore, the music by Simon and Garfunkel, the sound of silence, literally tells the viewer that there is silence. Elaine and Ben have made a crazy choice, and are in awe of what they have done, and didn't plan anything for their future. So at the end of the film, while Ben took control of his own destiny, did he really make the right decision? This is the thought that Nichols leaves us with at the end.
ReplyDeleteBoth Music and shot composition play a large role in the final scene of The Graduate. As Ben's car is coming to a stop the music spurts to a stop with it, representing the machine slowing down. This then leads Ben to take agency over his life and he gets out of the car and starts to run to the church. There is not much sound while Ben is running, allowing the viewer to completely focus on this break of character. Then when Ben reaches the church the music that is being played for the wedding is also heard by the viewer. Ben is being shot from behind a large piece of glass, isolated from the rest of the people attending the wedding. Elaine can hear Ben screaming her name but the voices of the authority figures around her, her mother, father and fiancé, are muted out. After Elaine replays to Ben and screams his name, Nichols un-mutes the sounds of those around Elaine. There is a dramatic change from focused sound to a chaotic scene with everyone screaming. This once again changes when Elaine and Ben make it onto the Bus and everything is muted down, and the two characters get very serious. Then the movie ends with "The Sound of Silence" playing as you Elaine and Ben once again being transported with little control over their own destiny. The shot composition of the bar on the window of the bus separating the two of them, also contributes to the idea that even after eloping they are separated from each other. Overall, Nichols uses music and shot composition within the last scene of the film to represent and highlight the important themes.
ReplyDeleteIn the ending scene of this film, there are many motifs that emphasize the movies themes.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, the idea of transportation is a very common one especially during this scene. Throughout the film, Benjamin has been using his car that his parents gave to him as a graduation gift, symbolic of his encounters with society. When he is about to go and get the girl he loves, something society would dissapporve of due to the fact that she is getting married, his car breaks down. Ben has to get out and run all the way to the church in order to confront Elaine. Another motif that is shown in the church is the glass. The glass is the idea of entrapment. Ben is trapped due to the fact that he has no idea what he is going to do with his life, and the smothering of his parents constantly nagging him. It reaches another level when he is standing behind the glass that is the only thing stopping him from getting to Elaine. Eventually he overcomes this entrapment by knocking on it and getting her attention. The glass is also a reoccuring symbol. At the very end of the scene, when the bus is driving the two of them away together, both the symbol of transportation and glass is being used. The glass shows that once again, Ben is being trapped, and so is Elaine. It is also showing the idea of letting other things drive them forward, and not initiating anything, which is what the bus is doing.
The ending of this movie is a very satirical one. We see the two motifs of entrapment and controlling try to stop Ben from achieving what he wants. We see him running and initiating himself when the car fails, and we see him breaking the barrier of the glass when he is at the church. But, after getting Elaine's attention and running away together, we see them once again being trapped by the glass at the back of the bus, and the bus driving them away. Their facial expressions, and these two motifs show how instead of changing his situation, Ben has just landed where he started out before, trapped and having no idea what he is going to do with his life, and he brought Elaine along with him.
In the closing scene of The Graduate, Nichols uses already established motifs to neatly tie its together the film's beginning and end. In the scene leading up to Elaine's wedding, we see, for the first time, Benjamin running. Starting with the opening scene, when Ben is on a plane, then an airport conveyor belt, and continuing on to this point in the movie, Ben travels exclusively with the aid of some mechanical external device. In the scene, this device, a car, fails him, and Ben must travel of his own accord, he must run. While he is running, we perhaps see more passion from Ben than any at any other point in the film. When Ben reaches the church where Elaine's wedding is underway, Ben is shot from the point of veiw of the wedding guests below, through a glass window. This is not the first time Ben is shot through glass; for example, earlier he is shown through the glass of a fish tank. Unlike earlier, Ben now screams and pounds against the window, rebelling against the confinement he earlier accepted. His arms are splayed in a fashion that alludes to Christ, and moments later his uses a gold cross, symbolic of the wealthy, conformist, Chistian, WASP-y life style the films' characters lead, to barricade the door and trap in the wedding goers while he and Elaine make a dramatic and triumphant escape. However, Nichols makes clear that this passion does not endure: the film ends with a two shot of Ben and Elaine, as they are bussed along and their breif smiles of exhileration fade. "The Sound of Silence", which was heard ealier in the film, plays, further reinforcing the reversion to stagnant Ben of earlier in the film and signalling the end of his short-lived moment of self assertion.
ReplyDeleteA cursory glimpse at the last scene of The Graduate would suggest that Ben has finally found efficacy and has taken control of his life; however, ultimately, Ben undergoes no real change and is only acting on the expectations of others. Although Ben gets out of the car, a symbol of his inability to drive his own future, his run mirrors the cars advancement. The car slows down, advancing towards the camera, just as Ben runs down the road. Although it seems like he is taking command of his life, in actuality Ben is coasting on his parents expectations and affluence in the same way as before as the similar shot illuminates. Ben makes it to the church, and still chooses to the path of least resistance. Ben runs up the steps instead of bursting through the doors, and hops the railing rather than confront one of the wedding attendees. Ben uses the cross to trap the partygoers, rather than negotiate or challenge them. While the gesture at first seems like an awakening, where Ben realizes his potential and desires, in actuality he reverts to the same reluctance to initiate any real change. At the heart of this “rebellious act” Ben is actually following his parents recommendations, who spent the summer urging him to take Elaine out. It seems as though Ben is assuming responsibility for his actions, but he is still behaving like a child, abandoning his car and expecting a happy ending after rescuing the girl. But Ben is only fooling himself; as he and Elaine hop on the bus, we see the people staring at them, and their inability to ignore these looks suggests they have not escaped their need to satisfy societal expectations. They cannot look at each other, and Ben’s smile slowly fades away, conveying to the viewer that Ben is ultimately unsuccessful, and remains the childish man who cannot let go of familial and societal expectations.
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ReplyDeleteIn the final scene of the Graduate, Nichols shows Ben's character development through the use of motifs such as machines and entrapment. Throughout the entire movie, Nichols establishes the fact that Ben has no control over his life through the use of various machines that allow Ben to move through his life passively. In the first scene, this is established when the audience sees Ben moving through the airport on the conveyor belt. In the final scene when Ben is going to stop Elaine's marriage he begins by driving his car, however, his car breaks down and he is forced to run to the church himself. Ben's taking active role in his life reveals how his character has developed from the beginning of the movie and taken control of his life. Yet at the very end of the movie, Nichols returns Ben to a vehicle similar to the beginning which renders his moment of active control futile, ultimately suggesting that the external forces surrounding Ben are too strong for him to repel. The idea of external forces can be seen in the final scene as well through Nichols camera shots. When Nichols shows the multiple angry faces of the adults in the church, it symbolizes the external forces that surround not only Ben but Elaine as well. This entrapment that surround both of the characters is further highlighted when Ben is banging on the glass wall of the church to get Elaine's attention. Nichols has the camera zoom out and the audience sees Ben from far away with his arms spread above his head as a Christ symbol. This also show Ben's active role in taking control of his own life and fighting against the external forces that struggle to control his life. In conclusion, Nichols uses the motifs of machinery and entrapment in order to reveal the futility of one's actions against the external forces in their life.
ReplyDeleteIn this final scene of The Graduate, music is used when Ben is driving his car and slowly runs out of gas. As this happens, the music slowly slows down until it comes to a complete stop, along with the car. Lucas uses a lot of stationary camera work, instead of tracking shots, which indicates the character's attempt to reach a goal. For example, the scene where Ben is running down the sidewalk, instead of having a camera tracking him from the side, he has a stationary camera placed in front of him, at his destination, almost as if we get to watch Ben arrive closer and closer to his goal. As soon as he arrives, 1 chord plays, almost to symbolize victory and to incorporate music back into the scene, very appropriately. Single chords continue to play at Ben makes it closer and closer to Elaine. Once Ben has reached the church, he is portrayed in a very Christ-like way as he is above everyone else in the glassed-in balcony with his arms out to the side. Elaine then walks towards him, without taking her eyes off him, and refuses to stop for anyone that holds her back, almost to portray a follower/disciple of Jesus (Ben) that is drawn to him. This is when she realizes that he is the one she wants to be with, almost as if she is called to be with him. Ben then uses a cross, ironically, to fight back against those who were preventing him from being with Elaine (her family and fiancé) and the people who, essentially, crucified him in the first place by putting him in the position of outstretched arms in the glass balcony. If it weren't for them and Elaine's wedding he wouldn't even be in that position. Essentially, Ben gives them a taste of their own medicine.
ReplyDeleteIn the final scene of The Graduate, the first component of the scene is music synced with the movement of the car. As the music begins to slow down so does the car, until it finally stops working. Here, the director uses the broken down car to symbolise Ben breaking away from the machinery and materialism of society. He is forced to move forward by using his own body, and not just by some machine that is pushing him along. When Ben gets inside the church he goes to the upper level of the building, and is looking down on all the guest of the wedding. His positioning demonstrates how he has broken away from the restrictions of society, he is literally and figuratively at a higher understanding of what he wants out of life. When Ben uses the cross to prevent the guest from chasing after him and Elaine, there seems to be some commentary on the hypocrisy of the whole marriage, that Elaines feelings towards the other man were all a lie. When Elaine and Ben get on the bus and go to the back seat, they are position between a split window. The divide between them foreshadows their future. Them getting on the bus shows that they are both still dependent on outside forces moving them forward. When the Sound of Silence plays at the end of the film, the emotion on the two characters faces are the same as the emotion on Bens face at the beginning of the film, emotionless. the repition of the music futures the message that Ben and Elaine’s future will most likely end up in the same way that it did for both of their parents, empty.
ReplyDeleteIn the final scene of the Graduate, Nichols uses the motif of transportation to emphasize a transformation in Ben, providing a contrast to the first scene of the movie. In the first scene, after Ben gets off the plane, he is shown standing on a conveyor belt through the airport. Ben’s use of solely mechanical transportation throughout the film shows how he is simply following the path put out for him. It would appear as though in this scene, where Ben is running, that he has broken a barrier. The music as well as the tracking shot helps illustrate the importance of this scene because as his car breaks down, the music slows down and comes to a pause, suggesting that this is an important scene where Ben’s character has come to a crossing ground. However, the only reason that he isn’t using mechanical transportation is because his car failed him, not because he chose to. Furthermore, when he enters the church, instead of going straight to Elaine and facing everyone, he goes upstairs. Similar to other parts of the movie, Ben is behind glass in this scene. This glass could be seen as his protection, because even though he ran to the church, he still needs to hide behind his protection, suggesting that he hasn’t strayed so far from the person that his parents wanted him to be. This point is also highlighted when him and Elaine leave the church, where they hop on a bus, another form of mechanical transportation. In this scene, even though he appears to be fighting for what he wants, he is still acting on what his parents wanted to do. Throughout the earlier parts of the movie, his parents were always urging him to take out Elaine. This final scene re emphasizes Ben’s immaturity. He believes that this great act will lead to his happiness and will solve all of his problems, yet he realizes that this may not be the case as he hops on the bus. When they are sitting on the bus together, it is very awkward, other people are looking at them, and Ben and Elaine aren’t even looking at each other. Although in this final scene it would appear as though Ben has undergone a transformation, he truly hasn’t, as he still conducts himself based on societal and parental expectations.
ReplyDeleteIn the final scene of the film, Nichols uses a variety of unique techniques to bring meaning to the action on screen. One of the first things he does is slow down the background music and make it somewhat choppy to imply that Ben's car is running out of gas and is about to breakdown. This is an interesting way to portray Ben's misfortune, as the viewer does not actually see that the car is out of fuel until it stops, but can tell that Ben is about to stop. As a result of the stop, Ben has to run from his car to the wedding. This is another unique aspect of the scene, as throughout the film, Ben is being carried around by cars and other forms of transportation, but in this moment, he has to transport himself by running to the church. However, by the end of the final scene, Ben is once again being transported around, this time by a bus. This scene displays a duality between Ben being pushed around as others see fit, and Ben making his own decisions. Finally, there are a few great examples of the entrapment that is so prevalent in the film. When Ben finally gets into the church, he is stopped by a glass wall that stops him from reaching Elaine. Then when Ben and Elaine escape the church and get on the bus, the camera pans out the back window, showing them stuck in the bus. Both of these show that Ben still can't make his own choices and that his decisions are still being affected by his prior actions.
ReplyDeleteThe symbolic motifs present in Nichols' cinematography brings out the major themes of The Graduate early on in the film. After the continuous tracking shot that followed Ben's claustrophobia through the smothering attention of his parents' friends. After he hastily retreats to his room the audience finds him behind the fish tank in his room. He appears to be trapped within the aquarium as Mrs. Robinson makes her main appearence of the film. She opens the door and casts light into Ben's dark's room. This use of light is a Nichols staple and symbolizes Mrs. Robinson both enlightenment and further entrapment of Ben from the very start of the film. This is compounded by Mrs. Robinson physically throwing Ben's car keys into the fish tank and forcing him to reach into his symbolic self during his relationship with her.
ReplyDeleteBen drives her home and Mrs. Robinson uses their currently formal relationship to lure him into the dark house. The door itself is black against the white of the rest of the house and the light from inside the house casts shadows on the two characters. This further use of light adds depth to the house and beckons Ben even deeper into Mrs. Robinson's seduction. All in all, Nichols' cinematography relies on lighting, visual motifs, and coloring to accent the themes of the film and sublte convey those themes to the audience.