The graduate is a film in which issues of societal alienation, isolation, romance, and generations are depicted. Mike Nichols has effectively applied mise-en-scène, soundtrack, camerawork, and editing techniques to create a successful and mind-blowing film. The director has employed different elements to make the film more captivating while at the same time relay the major themes to the audience. This paper compares the text and the film based on the use of mise-en-scène, soundtrack, editing, and camerawork on the scuba demonstration scene.
Sikov (2010) presents a descriptive analysis of filming techniques and guidelines that are useful for stakeholders in the film industry. The Scuba demonstration theme opens with Ben in full swimming gear. He is cheered up as he prepares to dive into a deep pool. The scene has employed cinematic elements, which make it entertaining and breathtaking to both the audience and the protagonist. Ben is in a full diving costume. In his hand, he is holding an equipment, which will enable him to withstand such great depth in the pool, as the commentator believes.
In Scuba Demonstration, symbolism, such as glass and water motifs have been effectively used to demonstrate Ben’s entrapment and isolation. The motifs have been effectively applied as barriers to Ben’s social life. The film shows Ben’s isolation through water bodies and comparison with fish, which is a perfect use of figurative language. In the film, Nichols illustrates Ben’s loneliness by veering a camera that catches Ben wading heavily towards the pool. While everyone is having fun, Ben is scared and lonely. The sound of his hefty breathing and relaxedness towards the water illustrate his fears. The director uses sound and illumination to show Ben’s loneliness amidst a cheering audience.
The film director has applied several techniques to portray the nature of oppressions Ben faces in his life. At the start, Ben is oppressed visually. As he enters the water his body is obstructed from the camera. A hand is blocking his face and he can see nothing. At this point, the audience share Ben’s frustrations. Sikov analyses the effective use of camera work to produce desired themes, such as oppression illustrated by Nichols.
Nichols has employed a great understanding of camera work in the Scuba demonstration. He blurs Ben’s movements and activities as he enters the water. The cinematic method throws the audience back and calls for their attentiveness. The director makes it hard for the audience to understand what was actually taking place as the protagonist enters the pool. Ben, on the other hand, drifts in the water before being revealed, gradually receding to the bottom of the pool. The sound at this point is distorted. Listeners only perceive chocked gurgling of water as Ben struggles to the bottom of the pool. Due to great camerawork, Nichols has been able to develop a smooth plot (Sikov, 27). He has successfully developed a breath-taking scene by incorporating the major filming elements in the story (The Graduate). Sound has been effectively used both for the advantage of the audience and the film characters. As Ben struggles in the water, all the sounds die except for the gurgling water. The camera is focused only on the water where the audience sees Ben’s struggles.
Sound has been employed to communicate the story plot to the audience. At the beginning of the scene, only cheers of the crowd and commentator’s voice are heard. The sounds are gradually absorbed by Ben’s heavy breaths and wading costumes. As Ben retreats to the bottom of the pool, all sounds die again. The director uses innovatively incorporated silence in his work to highlight the necessity of diegetic and non-diegetic sound among the audience (The Graduate). Diegetic sound has been adopted from the natural environment such as talking of people, sounds made by animals, and trees. In most films, these elements exist but less developed (Sikov 32). On the other hand, non-diegetic sounds from musical instruments, electrical apparatus, and machines have been employed to set mood and speed of activities in the film. The effect of these elements is creation of emotional impact on the audience. As a result, the film underscores deeper revelation of activities in the plot. The sounds have been synchronized with the events. It grows quitter as Ben moves to the bottom of the pond.
Nichol has effectively portrayed Ben’s predicament in the film based on analysis of the text. The director has employed different elements to make the film more captivating while at the same time relay the major themes to the audience. His success was effective use of mise-en-scene, montage/editing, editing, camera and soundtrack. While the film director has maintained the plot, cinematic elements have been useful in sending message to the audience. Based on the text, the work of Nichols is an example of an effective filming technique. The director has used various elements to make the message clear to the audience while at the same time holding the film plot.
Works Cited
The Graduate. Mike Nichols. 1967. Film.
Sikov, Ed. Film Studies: An Introduction. Columbia: Columbia University Press, 2013. Print.