The Graduate April 13, 2010

The first time I watched ‘The Graduate‘ I was in my first real phase of movie-loving. I think I was going down the AFI 100 Movies list (note: before the 10th anniversary one) and checking off at least a movie a day. I was a teenager.

And ‘The Graduate’ was ranked as the 7th best film of all time. At the time, I thought: Really? Better than ‘Some Like It Hot’ or ‘Psycho’ or (the poorly ranked and yet undeniably fantastic) ‘Fargo’? I like the rankings on the old list better than the 10th Anniversary list, all films considered, but that is a topic for another post.

So the first time I watched ‘The Graduate’ I was underwhelmed because I did not relate much to any of the characters. I was just pleased to have seen another ‘classic’. Now, having watched it again at a new stage in life, it has left a completely different taste in my mouth, despite Ben’s awkwardness and the tonal dichotomy being the same.

Paths of Glory (1957) February 22, 2010

‘Paths of Glory‘ has something special. More than 50 years later, it is watchable and completely original. Was it the best film of 1957? The Academy didn’t think so, giving it zero Oscar nominations. It’s no ‘Twelve Angry Men’, but it’s definitely among the best.

What makes this film so special? Like anything else, it is different. There is a crucial point towards the end of the film where it has to take a stance one way or another. If the three men had not been executed, if the General would have stopped them from dying, it could have been a pro-military film. But he didn’t, the men were executed, and this becomes so clearly an anti-military film.