The Graduate: Collector's Edition [DVD] [1967]

This film is a classic. Acting and music are both off the scale good.

It is, ultimately, the film that signaled a renaissance for a certainly debatable industry by the late 1960's. Such was the surprising subject matter of The Graduate at that point in time that it is no wonder the film is still considered a cult classic today, and has rightly been re-released on Blu-Ray with a restoration, accompanying many other classics that Studio Canal have carefully pumped out at very descent prices.It is a film that can apply to (or at least touch on) much of the problems that occur as we come of age, hence it was released at a time when 'College-culture' was coming to fruition as we know it today. For our lead character Benjamin (Dustin Hoffman), the mind-set of being a graduate and not knowing what to do with ones life is a dilemma many of us face, or indeed have faced. As such, it doesn't help that at a family party, Mrs Robinson (Anne Bancroft), a friend of Ben's parents decides to take the situation at liberty and immediately offers Ben an ultimatum that, no matter which way he looks, will always resort to a crazy cougar relationship. The build up to the events that follow, as the two go on secret dates and awkwardly have sex in a hotel is both incredibly entertaining as it is touching, which is equally why the film should be appreciated.Things go from awkward to worse though for Benjamin as he soon realises that the more sensible path would be to date Mrs Robinson's daughter whom his parents very much approve of. Tensions fly, and it soon becomes a battle of wills as Ben attempts cope with the world being on his shoulders. For all the 'education' that he may have gained from Mrs Robinson, he is ultimately compromised by this woman who will go out of her way to ensure Ben never even looks at her daughter, such is her envy of the girls looks and generally off-beat mind-set, though one of the clever ironies of the film which is often overlooked is that, while Mrs Robinson has diverted this sensible young man who did well at College, she herself was once an Art student who went off the rails thanks to a partner of the time. As much as they are both opposites, they are also quite alike.The film here is presented in its original aspect ratio and has undergone a generally good restoration. The problem when a film does have such a wide aspect ratio is that, as the point of view is often more distant so that more information can be put into the wider frame, I don't feel High Definition transfers look "as" good. This is not to say the film is not worth buying, because as with any other restoration/HD transfer, it still reveals levels of detail and perspective that you won't have seen before on DVD, so at this price there is no reason not to purchase this product. The restoration isn't a Lowry Digital job (the Gold standard), but it still retains the natural film grain and has removed any large defects/dirt in the print. Film judder however still remains.Along with a nice splattering of extras and some really lovely packaging, The Graduate is a modern classic that will touch the hearts of many and entertain others. I myself was once in a cougar relationship and, after being frustrated with how such a situation can affect your daily life, I was recommended this film. It not only made me feel better in myself, but I could totally sympathize with Ben and I applaud the acting all round for what turns from a thoughtful beginning to a tense finale.I have provided additional pictures on the top-left of this page.Tom Cat

Great film, hasn't aged at all.

Great to see ‘ The Graduate ‘ again with such good performances from Dustin Hoffman ( so young) , Anne Bancroft and Kathleen Ross. Of course rather dated now and in today’s world Dustin Hoffman would look like a stalker. Music from Simon & Garfunkel was very much part of the film. Made in 1968 I think and worth watching (again).

Absolutely brilliant still totally works !!

Greta film - everybody should see this

Five stars

The movie is amazing, it stands the test of time, with incredible performances and, of course, a great soundtrack.My reason for knocking a couple of stars off is that the visual quality of the movie was disappointing. This might be because we watched the movie via Amazon Prime streaming service, but I doubt it (we have very good broadband width). Bright scenes pulsated/oscillated between too-dark and too-light, and some skin rendering was very questionable. Having said that, the improvement in sound is excellent.

El Artículo está en excelentes condiciones y se recibió en tiempo sin problemas, sin ningún inconveniente al reproducirla. Película muy recomendable

Tout d'abord le film en lui même, c'est une oeuvre charnière, qui donnera en quelque sorte naissance à ce que l'on nommera plus-tard le "Nouvel Hollywood", en gros un cinéma qui respecte celui de papa (contrairement à la Nouvelle Vague) mais ne veut plus faire l'éloge du modèle américain comme son aîné, et poser un regard critique sur l'American Way of Life. Guerre du Vietnam, assassinat de Kennedy, l'oncle Sam commence à douter de sa puissance.C'est la contre-culture des années 60 qui s'immisce dans le débat public. Scorsese, De Palma, Coppola, Friedkin, Lumet, Cimino, Denis Hopper pour citer quelques-noms, assez voir très connu."Le Lauréat" est le chef de file et marque un véritable tournant, le topo est très simple, un jeune fraichement diplômé (Dustin Hoffman, là aussi gros changement, plus de grand, beau et musclé comme Lancaster mais des petits aux gueules atypiques comme De Niro, Pacino, qui n'aurait jamais pu joué dans les films d'avant) doute de son avenir, doute du futur qu'on lui propose. Il va donc passer sa phase de dévoiement, d'initiation, en ayant la bonne idée de se taper la femme du collègue de son père (la fameuse Mrs. Robinson, titre phare de Simon & Garfunkel qui signent la magnifique B.O., rendant le film encore un peu plus culte). Tout va partir de là.Il faut se replacer dans le contexte de l'époque, l'Amérique puritaine a encore très peu l'habitude de parler de sexe, encore moins hors mariage, qui est plus avec une femme beaucoup plus âgée, et mère d'un enfant !Le film frôle aussi le road-movie un instant, comme l'époque en donnera à la pelle. Et c'est superbe.Les plans d'ouverture et de fermeture du film sont parmi les plus célèbres et les plus importants du cinéma mondial, ils peuvent paraître anodin de nos jours (le cinéphile ayant perdu un peu de capacité d'analyse et de culture il faut l'avouer !) mais leur compréhension est cruciale pour saisir l'Histoire moderne des Etats-Unis.L'édition quant à elle est excellente (j'en vois certains la critiquer), c'est en carton certes, mais c'est solide et le rendu est bien plus classe que du plastique (PLASTIC ! vous comprendrez en ayant vu le début du film, on pourrait là aussi épiloguer pendant des heures sur cette phrase, surtout avec la résonance au présent et les commentaires ici !).L'image est d'un rendu excellent, une remasterisation effectuée par Criterion, maison d'édition américaine prestigieuse et réputée. Le son est bon et vous pouvez vous rendre compte du travail effectué en changeant grâce à votre télécommande les différentes pistes.Au vu du prix, aucune hésitation possible.P.S. : Bonus excellent et nombreux, avec interviews du réalisateur Mike Nichols, Dustin Hoffman. Petit livre à l'intérieur, photos du tournage.

film indimenticabile. Dustin Hoffman è meraviglioso. Anne Bancroft stupenda. Katharine Ross bellissima. La colonna sonora da sballo. La scena finale da rivedere mille volte.

Outstanding, typical of the 60s. Must see viewing for anyone who collects old 60s movies.

Una película por la que no pasa el tiempo. Enternecedora historia de un joven perdido en el mundo adulto y acompañada por una maravillosa banda sonora.