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  • Essay / Analysis of cinematographic techniques in The Graduate by Mike Nichols

    The film The Graduate (1967) is a romantic comedy directed by Mike Nichols. It is based on the 1963 novel by Charles Webb. The main character, Benjamin Braddock (Dustin Hoffman) is a college graduate in his early twenties. He returned home to Pasadena, California. There, he was bombarded with questions about his future and what he plans to do now that he has graduated from college. Other notable characters include Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft) and Eline Robinson (Katherine Ross), who is Ben's love interest. Mrs. Robinson is guilty of seducing Ben and then he falls in love with Eline, who is Mrs. Robinson's daughter and she warned him to stay away from her. Overall, the theme of the film is that of Ben avoiding his future and looking for a distraction. He must accept his identity before it is too late. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”?Get an original essayIn the film The Graduate, the story, editing, cinematography, sound, direction and most notable, the realization. All of these elements coincide to make an award-winning film. However, the filmmaking aspect takes over. The film won the Academy for Best Director thanks to Mike Nichols. Nichols' photographic work revealed the emotional substance of the story and its characters so that the viewer always felt aligned with the rhythm of the story. Highly cropped close-ups align us with the characters and give us insight into the emotional subtleties of their states of mind. Tight shots illustrate the claustrophobia and confinement that Benjamin feels in his situation. Another remarkable element of Nichols's direction is his freedom of tone, moving quickly from the comic to the dramatic, finding the ridiculous even in the most dire circumstances. Therefore, this film received praise thanks to Nichols. After all, the director controls much of what happens off and on stage. In addition to the admired repertoire, the film also has exceptional storytelling. For example, the viewer understands from the start that Ben is the protagonist and what his conflict is. In the early scenes, and when he meets Mrs. Robinson, the awkwardness Ben felt and how intrigued he felt by her at the same time. The next stage of Ben's character development occurs when he meets Eline, Mrs. Robinson's daughter. Eline later rejects him after discovering his attachment to his mother. Ben's transformation as a character ends when he realizes what he wants from his life and decides to flee society and then return to his beloved. As a result, the film's narrative is told simply, but it is breathtaking as Mike Nichols creates a sense of gratitude and, if you understand it, his hidden sarcasm. Moving on to the editing of the film, "The Graduate" is an example of a picture in which there is nothing redundant, and the content of the frame is carefully chosen as well as the story and atmosphere to unite all the characters unique and create a narrative space. For example, in the first scene we are in Mrs. Robinson's house, where the hostess is trying to seduce Ben. The combination of harsh light and contrasting colors creates a tense atmosphere. Another example is the smooth but dramatic transitions between scenes. When one scene transitions into another, it is an important reflection of the rhythmic relationships of the chosen environment and settings that reveal the protagonist and his senses, reflecting the spatial relationships of the shots. The characteristic frame change is shown in the scene where Ben is having fun in bed with Mrs..