Ideological Analysis: The Graduate - Essay Example

Ideological Analysis: The Graduate Introduction Communication is critical in the conduct of activities across the world since it is the only reliable means of communication since time immemorial. In this regard, communication has taken a paradigm shift thanks to the rise in information communication technology that condensed the world into a global village. For these reasons, many media of communication have emerged such as videos, radios and films among others. This has therefore given rise to the proliferation of information across ages to help in information dissemination. Consequently, rise in information communication technology techniques in the world has increasingly changed the film industry and transformed it radically and with each passing day come other films each with a different theme and ideologies. In light of this, the main focus of this paper is providing a critical analysis of The Graduate film, putting into perspective its perceived ideologies and its co-relation with Sturken articles on film. Film plot summary: The Graduate In the world today, the film industry is arguably the most versatile trade in regards to production levels and techniques. In light of this, many films have been produced ranging from action to comedy and real life experiences representations. However, films propagate diverse themes and ideologies and the Graduate is not exceptional. I chose the Graduate film since it propels two generations of individuals without compromise to creativity. The film is an example of a popular film thanks to the inter-connectivity of generations without much ado. It is able to consolidate both the lives of the elderly and young in a more humorous way without injury to creativity and theme orientation (Keith 33). The Graduate seeks to promulgate the ideology of moral decadence in modern day world through the reflection of the affairs of Mrs. Robinson and Braddock. Through images of the main stars, viewers construct an image of the society and understand how it lives. This means that the images portrayed in the film illustrate America during those days. It tells the viewer about the culture. Image thus remains a critical focus in the film making process since its acts as a bridge towards the intended message of the producer and his/her cast. Shifting focus to The Graduate film, the completion of studies at a higher institution of learning is considered as the prime time age and future opening for any individual with a bright outlook ahead. This is since the completion is characterized by continuous job hunt. Job searching is evident to most graduates and luxury comes last but as the holy book-the Bible states an idle mind is eventually a devil’s workshop. True to these words is the Graduate film. Shot in a home setting, the Graduate sheds light on the lives most graduates exist in to make ends meet after a fruitless job hunt and depression coupled with boredom. The Graduate is regarded as a popular film due to its ideology consecutiveness to today’s society although it was shot in the 1960s. Defined as the ground-breaking film of the 1960s, the Graduate is a film that chronicles the life of a college graduate known as Braddock who finds himself in compromising situations in trying to fit into the societal values of his time. Braddock is introduced to a society he knew nothing thanks to the confinement to schoolwork. Engrossed in a society inherent of diverse moral values such as sex, the graduate brings out the lives many-a-college graduates’ face in their daily lives. It provides an analytical predisposition of the emergence of earthly beliefs cognizant of heavenly teachings. Moreover, the graduate film portrays a confused graduate worried about his future in the social-gratifies environment. The graduate film opens up with Benjamin Braddock’s face; the youthful lad in his early 20s and son of a successful Los Angeles lawyer and a typical housewife who has only returned home after triumphant honors at the university unaware of his future prospects and idleness eats his up. His life takes a twist in several weeks after his father’s ally and workmate’s wife Mrs. Robinson seduces him to have a secret affair with her but Braddock first rejects the idea purely on grounds of Mrs. Robinson age and relations to Mrs. Robinson family. However, as fate would have it, young Braddock gets bored with his mundane life and decides to have an affair with Mrs. Robinson. The relationship illustrates the decay of modern day population and how they have thrown their manners out of the window. This leads to Braddock planning secret meeting with Mrs. Robinson at a local hotel. Without prior information about the happening, Mr. Robinson singles out Braddock as the one to accompany her daughter Elaine back home after her studies in Berkley. However, Mrs. Robinson remains adamant about the decision that eventually triggers love between Elaine and Braddock. Film Ideology: The Graduate Ideology is simply a system of social and political beliefs that characterize a society. In this regard, ideology has increasingly been applied in the film-The Graduate. It blends between two generations represented by Braddock and Mrs. Robinson. Selection of this film as a popular film is augmented by the moral inclinations off today’s generation as cast four decades ago and still blends min modernity. The film plays a significant role in the promotion of the 1960s hegemonic ideology that is evident presently. Moreover, the film seeks to promote patriarchal ideology that dictates men’s supremacy in society. For instance, Braddock represents a section of the male population that is not ready to be cowed by societal values. Conversely, it also illustrates the common ideology that women are strong in their own way as the biblical Eve whom seduced Adam to consume the forbidden fruit, a replica of Mrs. Robinson’s seduction of Braddock. Perceptively, the film also brings out the ideology that age is just but a number when it comes to love and affection. This is portrayed by Mrs. Robinson’s seduction of Braddock, a young man enough to be her son. The Graduate film thus displays an immoral society. The Graduate film revolves around the life of a young person a clear illustration of the dynamics graduates undergo after successful schooling. Its focus was to promote the ideological perspective of the young populace of the time. In light of this, the film captures the separation of the entire generation in a humorous way. For instance, Braddock’s affairs with an older woman bring out the ideological assumption that the youths of the time were bored and had no ability to generate positive reasoning thus the promotion of vices. Additionally, the film although represents the American society of the 1960s encapsulates today’s generation. For example, the behavior displayed by Braddock and Mrs. Robinson is ideally practiced by today generation. In relation to production, the Graduate film employs the ideological imperative of dialogue overlap whereby a scene dialogue starts before another scene halts. Ideally, Sturken emphasizes on the viewers connotation of the images displayed by films. For example, in respect to the Graduate film, viewers produce their own perceived meanings out of the actions and images of Braddock and Mrs. Robinson. Images in films provide a critical analysis of not only the theme of the film but also the intended message for the viewers (Nelmes 22). In light of this, the film confirms the ideological perception that ‘love conquers all’ since even with Mrs. Robinson’s advanced age, Braddock still fall in love with her, a scene that creates the impression in the viewers mind that love is strong and cannot be disrupted by the forces of nature such as age (Sturken 1). Conversely, the film images might contradict their intended meaning. For example, use of Mrs. Robinson and Braddock can be interpreted to represent whole society with total regard to selective exposure and retention models of film viewership. This is whereby individuals conceptualize the film in their own way and make their conclusions based on their cognition. This in the end injures the reputation of the filmmakers and the intended message. Moreover, the conduct of the affairs of the two lovebirds Braddock and Mrs. Robinson tends to portray men in a negative manner and hegemonic ideology. For instance, Mr. Robinson takes time to recognize that his wife is having an affair with the son of his friend and colleague. This illustrates that men are too busy for their families to the extent that they have no time to be with them making them seek love elsewhere. In this regard, the choice of stars also sends the wrong signal to the viewer and the acting itself. The Graduate film dictates the ideology that your friend is your worst enemy since in real sense a friend such as Mrs. Robinson could not at all betray the trust Braddock’s family had on them to cheat her husband with the son of her husband’s law firm workmate. In addition, the film erroneously portrays education in a negative manner owing to the fact that Braddock had spent numerous years in school in readiness for a bright future only to be envisaged in immorality. It can be understood that education is of no use to society thanks to the actions of Braddock and his long stay at home without innovations. Education helps individuals to shape their lives positively. In contrast; education is known to be the pillar of modern day society with educated people holding high-profile jobs unlike their uneducated fellows who perform mere jobs for survival. Conclusion In conclusion, the graduate film is a critical revelation of lives lived by individuals in the society and provides an outlook of modern day society that surpasses morals for their own selfish reasons. Works Cited Keith, Barry. Film Genre: From Iconography to Ideology, London: Wallflower Press, 2007 Nelmes, Jill. An introduction to film studies, NY: Routledge, 2003 Sturken, Marita. The Viewers, the viewed and the Panopticon, Available at: Read More