The Graduate
Kirsten Thouvenot
323648
kdtf4d@mail.missouri.edu
Film Studies 1800
Lesson 2 Mise-en-Scène The Graduate, a film released in 1967, involves a young man going through the crisis of finding himself after graduating college. Ben Braddock is at a stand still, unsure of what to do with his future. The film is set in the late 60’s in a suburban upper middle class area in Southern California. Mostly, the movie takes place at the Braddock’s home, a hotel nearby, a University, and a Church. The plot does not drift very far from a few different places, because the central theme includes the realization that Ben is just “drifting” through life, with no real concrete plan and no destination. As a way to cope with his crisis, Ben decides to have an affair with a family friend of his parents after she seduces him on the night of his Graduation celebration. As Ben succumbs to the affair with Mrs. Robinson, he slips in to a dream-like state. As the affair continues, a scene unfolds in which it simply becomes a routine to Ben, as well as Mrs. Robinson. This sequence involves mostly music, with only a little bit of talking at its close. The song that is playing is “April Come She Will.” The tune symbolizes Ben merely going through the motions and letting life pass by him, as he tunes everything else in his life out. “April Come She Will” begins as only Ben’s face is illuminated by the use of directional light and everything else in the frame is black. It is as if there is nothing else in the world besides Ben as his face is expressionless and almost lifeless. He meekly stares at the TV, which is strategically placed in the foreground to emphasize that Ben blankly looks straight ahead with seemingly no emotions, even though the TV is on and Mrs. Robinson walks past it multiple times. He does not even blink and it is as though she doesn’t even exist. Mrs. Robinson’s face is not even shown in this clip to display that the affair has become so meaningless and emotionless. Blocking
323648
kdtf4d@mail.missouri.edu
Film Studies 1800
Lesson 2 Mise-en-Scène The Graduate, a film released in 1967, involves a young man going through the crisis of finding himself after graduating college. Ben Braddock is at a stand still, unsure of what to do with his future. The film is set in the late 60’s in a suburban upper middle class area in Southern California. Mostly, the movie takes place at the Braddock’s home, a hotel nearby, a University, and a Church. The plot does not drift very far from a few different places, because the central theme includes the realization that Ben is just “drifting” through life, with no real concrete plan and no destination. As a way to cope with his crisis, Ben decides to have an affair with a family friend of his parents after she seduces him on the night of his Graduation celebration. As Ben succumbs to the affair with Mrs. Robinson, he slips in to a dream-like state. As the affair continues, a scene unfolds in which it simply becomes a routine to Ben, as well as Mrs. Robinson. This sequence involves mostly music, with only a little bit of talking at its close. The song that is playing is “April Come She Will.” The tune symbolizes Ben merely going through the motions and letting life pass by him, as he tunes everything else in his life out. “April Come She Will” begins as only Ben’s face is illuminated by the use of directional light and everything else in the frame is black. It is as if there is nothing else in the world besides Ben as his face is expressionless and almost lifeless. He meekly stares at the TV, which is strategically placed in the foreground to emphasize that Ben blankly looks straight ahead with seemingly no emotions, even though the TV is on and Mrs. Robinson walks past it multiple times. He does not even blink and it is as though she doesn’t even exist. Mrs. Robinson’s face is not even shown in this clip to display that the affair has become so meaningless and emotionless. Blocking