The Post Graduate

The Graduate is a classic example of college seduction in which a question of morality is put into test from the mature ones- who should uphold the highest standards of human wisdom;yet it pictures that age is not correlated with morality but "character" is a product of time-tested experience- that can be molded into an unbelievably ugly phenomenon set to be loved by an ailing society.

Mrs. Robinson is a victim turned to victimizer while Ben is a picture of a dead man walking seeking for another chance. While personally I would say that the plot is a reflection of the reality that we are living in, there are certain spots in the plot that I can say, contrary to human nature. This conflict is alluded in the sound-tract but to wave away from the predecessors of the movie, I would beg to disagree on Elaine's responses to the conflict. She is typically no different from Mrs. Robinson, a corruption of womanhood and a figure of weaker vessel in the movie and Ben, the typical chauvinist nature fashioned by a lovable face that is in the guise of a carnal man who never really changed his real skin. I love how the movie portrayed the conflicts. Dustin Hoffman was superb in any angle- his nervousness comes in almost normal to fine acts. I like how the addiction was presented (though some may disagree that it is plainly temptation).

The fornication may not be an issue today but the scene, was bold enough to expose how a man could go further to the extremes of his desires and yet, when confronted with his conscience, the act of transformation to betterment is not just enough to fill in my viewer's taste. If I would have to base that movie to current western culture, I would get murdered, yet the idea there is to explore human emotions which is not vastly portrayed.

Elaine's screaming were not enough, she should have undergone some series of alienation and depression and Ben is the culprit behind- the master opportunist on the situation. We don't sympathize on that kind of person but the movie is wise enough to inject that he was indeed the victim yet he was a maturing adult who is nothing but a blind and selfish person.

I also pity Mrs. Robinson for grabbing into her sense of controlling nature in which she has failed in her character. The succeeding characters were typical parents who are "detached" from their children. I can see injustice for using the house of God as a place for that climax. Yet, the crucifix may symbolize "salvation" in anyway for Ben and Elaine to start a new life together. What if they don't take that bus?