68. Revisiting adolescence in The Graduate
57 years later, the youth haven't changed.
suggested reading method
To best savour this artwork, please take a moment to eliminate distractions. Consider minimizing all other windows on your computer; putting other devices (phone, tv etc) aside; taking a deep breath, to the full extent of your lung capacity; and focusing solely on the “artwork” section.
Once you’ve processed that to your satisfaction, the rest of the post is optional reading, provided only to share my own impressions and reasons for choosing this piece.
artwork
Please note this video is not safe for work. However, the audio is clean.
“The Sound of Silence” and “April Come She Will” by Simon & Garfunkel, as featured in the film The Graduate (1967).
interpretation
The Graduate resonates far past its release. Coincidentally, the late 60s were another era of student protests and societal unrest, and I am returning to this film as another cohort of my students graduate this week. While high school graduation represents one life transition and release into the world, completing college brings another level of “adult” freedom – and attendant aimlessness. The swimming pool is a fantastic symbol for this, as the protagonist Benjamin floats through life. He has the luxury of perpetuating an affair all summer, while he contemplates his next move under the crushing pressure of his family’s expectations.
With that in mind, I love the juxtaposition of deadened eyes with lively music at 2:32. Simon & Garfunkel’s poetic lyrics might lead the audience to think Benjamin is virtuous – but practically speaking, he’s still drifting, unmoored.
Then at 2:48, Ben closes the door on his parents at the dinner table, to stay in the dark room. This shows him cutting off society with all its traditions and rules, and retreating into his self-absorption. The teenager within me can relate to those impulses, to the point where I can’t fault the protagonist too much.
I think most people in Western society have a self-indulgent period similar to Benjamin’s: a time of intentional immaturity. Perhaps this is natural, for the same reason babies put objects in their mouths; young adults grasp at the world, wanting to see how far they can push their luck. Taking self-destructive risks is part of the folly of youth, as idealism and naïveté coexist.
This clip helped me realize that, although the modern world has immeasurably changed, the essence of youth remains: unpredictable and hand-wringingly frustrating at times, yet always attractive in the popular imagination.
context
Simon & Garfunkel were an American folk rock duo who were most active in the 1950s and 60s. “The Sound of Silence” is one of their most commercially successful tracks, selling over 100 million copies by 1966. They are also well-known for their final studio album, Bridge over Troubled Water.
The Graduate is a 1967 independent film based on the 1963 novel by Charles Webb. The mix of romance and drama was a hit at the box office, with massive revenue as well as several award nominations and wins including Best Director (Mike Nichols). Of the decision to cast Benjamin as a more relatable character than the novel’s protagonist, Nichols said, “I need a loser who is really more, which is how we all perceive ourselves as we begin.”
(One final note because I can’t keep myself from mentioning James Blake at every opportunity. I was going to write about Blake’s cover of “The Sound of Silence,” which recently got me back into the song. In fact, a YouTuber laid Blake’s version over this same film clip. However, I believe the driving drums of Simon and Garfunkel’s version, and the optimistic lilt to their vocal harmony, provide more hope than Blake’s. Sometimes it’s hard to beat the original!)
Have you seen this film? Either way, what did you think of the songs and clip this time around? Feel free to share your own thoughts in the comments!