“JESUS LOVES YOU MORE THAN YOU WILL KNOW”

By Raymond Benson

Although it has been released before on Blu-ray, the “Criterion treatment” is always welcome for a classic, well-known film such as The Graduate. Quite simply, it’s one of the most beloved pictures of the 60s, one that hit a nerve in the public consciousness. It helped define those wildly changing years at the end of the decade, illustrating how the country’s youth rebelled against an established society that they were expected to join. The Graduate is a landmark of the New Hollywood movement that took over the studios in those years and held reign through the 70s.

Director Mike Nichols, fresh from his success as a debut helmsman for Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966), gave us a romantic comedy unlike anything we’d seen previously—mainly because of the radically daring casting of an unknown actor named Dustin Hoffman. Highly influenced by French New Wave, Nichols brilliantly directed the entire picture, but his most important contribution to the film’s triumph was the re-imagining the story not to be about a tall, blonde, suntanned, southern California leading man type (i.e. “not Jewish”) that was the norm for Hollywood. No, Nichols saw that The Graduate would be so much better if it was about a schlemiel. An Everyman that the audience could perhaps recognize as one of them. Hoffman’s Benjamin Braddock is okay-looking, he’s not un-attractive, he’s smart, and not a loser. Yet here he is, just out of college, not knowing what the hell he’s supposed to do now, and he allows himself to be pulled into an affair with an older, married woman who is one half of a couple that is close to his parents. The youth of America apparently could relate. The Graduate changed the casting philosophy in Hollywood overnight, opening the door for “unusual” actors to come to the forefront and play leads.

Another striking directorial choice Nichols made was the use of songs by Simon and Garfunkel as a soundtrack. Movies had previously contained pop music—but a specific artist’s work hadn’t been used in such a personal, meaningful way. It’s as if Paul and Art’s voices are our guides along Ben’s journey to find his elusive purpose in life. It’s a perfect fit. It’s interesting to note that the only original song in the picture, “Mrs. Robinson,” was an on-the-spot creation, only the bare bones of which is used in the film. It was later, after the movie’s release, that Simon fleshed out the song and the duo recorded the hit single that appeared on the LP Bookends in 1968. The hugely popular song was also a bit controversial, being that it was about an adulterous affair and the Lord’s name was mentioned as “loving Mrs. Robinson more than she will know.”

The three leads are marvelous. Anne Bancroft, who received top billing, plays against type as well. Robert Surtees’ carefully considered lighting and photography makes her appear much older than 35, which is what she was at the time. Ironically, Hoffman was 29—they were only six years apart in age. Bancroft performs the unhappy Mrs. Robinson with cold and cynical aggressiveness, but also with a vulnerability that is palpable. Katharine Ross became the heartthrob of many young men in 1967, including me. She’s wonderful in the role, but it is indeed her beauty that serves as yet another layer to the film’s theme that yes, even a schlemiel can end up with Katharine Ross. As for Hoffman, he plays Ben with just the right amount of realistic, nervous anxiety—he is so true to the dramatic action that some of the public accused him of not acting at all—he was “being himself.” He, of course, would prove them wrong with his next choice of roles—the radically different Ratso Rizzo in Midnight Cowboy—confirming just how good Hoffman had been in The Graduate.

While it was nominated for many of the major categories at the year’s Academy Awards—Picture, Actor (Hoffman), Actress (Bancroft), Supporting Actress (Ross), Adapted Screenplay (Calder Willingham/Buck Henry)—only Nichols walked away with the Director Oscar. For my money, The Graduate was robbed (In the Heat of the Night—granted, a wonderful picture—won).

Criterion’s new 4K digital restoration looks tremendous, the colors are rich and solid, emphasizing the “modern” 1967 look and feel that distinctly identifies the period. The film comes with an uncompressed monaural soundtrack (and optional 5.1 surround remix, approved by Nichols, presented in DTS-HD Master Audio). You’ll be humming “Scarborough Fair” for days. There are two audio commentaries—one from 2007 with Nichols and Steven Soderbergh, and one from 1987 featuring film scholar Howard Suber.

The bountiful supplements include a new, long, fascinating interview with Dustin Hoffman (his interviews are always good, he comes off as such a personable guy); a new conversation between Buck Henry and producer Lawrence Turman that reveals some surprising tidbits about the making of the film (e.g., Willingham’s script was thrown out and only Henry’s re-write was used for shooting); and a new interview with film writer and historian Bobbie O’Steen about editor Sam O’Steen’s work with Nichols. Several pieces of vintage material appear on the disk—a documentary from 2007 on the film’s influence; a 1992 vignette on the making of the picture; a terrific interview with Nichols by Barbara Walters on NBC’s Today show in 1966; and an excerpt from The Dick Cavett Show featuring Paul Simon as a guest. Along with the trailer are some interesting casting screen tests—one with Hoffman and Ross, of course, but also other candidates for the roles such as Tony Bill and Jennifer Leak, and Robert Lipton and Cathy Carpenter. The booklet contains an essay by journalist and critic Frank Rich.

The Graduate was the most intelligent, witty, and surprising comedy-drama of its era. If you’ve never seen it, you owe it to yourself to dive into Criterion’s superb new release.

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