Certain sociopolitical dynamics of The Graduate may have shifted with contemporary audiences. Is Mrs. Robinson predatory? Is she a neglected housewife with sidelined interests? Both could be true or false, but they are secondary to the broad satirical brushstrokes of Mike Nichols’ timeless comedy. Benjamin Braddock’s (Dustin Hoffman) immediate concern may be a flirtatious older woman and her lovely young daughter, but the real burdens dogging the 21-year-old are the ideals, expectations and trophies of suburban life.
Braddock is at the precipice of commitment; a commitment to manicured lawns, shimmering pools, cultivated planters, and a TV set in every room. The Monkees sang about this in the summer of 1967 with Pleasant Valley Sunday, and while The Graduate — released six months later — would very much echo its sentiments, the track’s inclusion would have been rather on-the-nose. Also, it may have deprived the film of Simon and Garfunkel’s iconic score, which defines The Graduate for so many. Roger Ebert’s scorn for the duo’s “limp, wordy songs” is almost as curious as his prediction, 42 years later, that Avatar would become a “cult film.” But I digress.
The point of all of this is that StudioCanal has released a new 3-disc collector’s edition box set — and the results are good. Front and center is The Graduate’s first 4K transfer, which proves a marked upgrade on the already excellent 2017 Blu-ray transfer included in this boxset. Whether you view the disc in Dolby Vision or HDR, the improved contrast, colour and clarity produce a new benchmark that is, as any 4K enthusiast will tell you, especially satisfying on a huge, wall-spanning screen.
As you enjoy the gorgeous transfer, handle the tactile box set, and work your way through the extensive extras, you will remember why The Graduate is such an enduring landmark, regardless of all the bells and whistles of this superlative release. While other films stay in their time, this star-making comedy — despite its zeitgeisty aesthetics — finds new generations with human performances and well-observed commentary.
