Over the weekend I dusted off my record player (which looks as if it's made by Fisher-Price) and put on Simon & Garkfunkel's Greatest Hits while I crammed for my design 101 midterm (which I probably did fine on, fingers crossed). Naturally I felt the urge to rewatch The Graduate* so I put it on as background noise.
I love this film so much. I'm sure everyone's felt a little bit like Benjamin Braddock in the last few months. I didn't think much of it after my first viewing since I had to watch it for my histoire du cinéma class and I could only get my hands on a VHS copy of Le Lauréat. Dubbed Dustin Hoffman = no fun. My professor prefaced his lecture on the film by pointing out that DH was not "très beau" (direct quote!), and I found myself outraged. Since my French comprehension at the time was considerably low compared to now, I didn't really understand all the dialogue in the film, but I sure wasn't blind! DH was so beautiful, a perfect embodiment of youthful apathy. I can't imagine any other actor pulling off that empty, glazed look that he has in 80% of the movie. And he sure did look fit in all those pool/bedroom scenes...
The cinematography, of course, is also stunning, but that's pretty obvious. Ha, every time I'm at the airport I find myself staring blankly off into space on the moving walkways (easiest way to set up a tracking shot, no?!) then I start to hum "The Sound of Silence" quietly to myself. (I have a similar ritual at train stations, I whistle "I Will Wait For You" from Les parapluies de Cherbourg as I sob on the platform!)
Here's my favorite S&G tune from the film, a somewhat lesser-known track called "April Come She Will." (I love songs with references to months. "June in January," anyone? John Mayer's "St. Patrick's Day"?)
April come she will
When streams are ripe and swelled with rain;
May, she will stay,
Resting in my arms again
June, she'll change her tune,
In restless walks she'll prowl the night;
July, she will fly
And give no warning to her flight.
August, die she must,
The autumn winds blow chilly and cold;
September I'll remember.
A love once new has now grown old.
Sigh. Love it.
*I dedicate this post to Bernie because she insisted the film was amazing and was patient with me when I kept stopping the movie to take notes!
2 swoons:
I loved this movie the first time. Was somewhat bored the second time and haven't watched it since. But I still love the end and love spotting homages to it in other movies.
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