Editing Analysis of The Graduate

              The film scene I have decided to analyze for my blog is the final scene in the film The Graduate (1967) dir. Mike Nichols.  The scene begins as both characters Benjamin and Elaine are running towards a bus after Benjamin crashed her wedding in pursuit to be with her. The camera follows them in a medium shot as they run into the bus and head towards the back in excitement. The camera stays steadily on them with a medium close as they cheer and exclaim their enthusiasm. The camera then cuts to a wide shot of all the passengers on the bus turned around staring seriously at Elaine and Benjamin. The scene cuts back to Benjamin and Elaine looking into each other’s eyes happily, only this time the camera is at a medium close up angle. The camera remains steadily on Elaine and Benjamin for a total of 40 seconds as their smiles and laughter begin to fade. This particular sequence was interesting to me because there were no cuts at all. I believe this shot was made purposely by the director to express the characters inner emotions by their facial expressions. A song also begins playing during this quiet uncut sequence called “The Sound of Silence” by Simon and Garfunkel. Both the song and the long take coincide to create a dramatic and serious tone within the plot of the film. The long take is focused heavily on Elaine and Benjamin in order to convey a sharp turn of emotion within the characters. The scene cuts to the back of the bus, as we see Benjamin and Elaine from behind, the camera slowly follows them. The camera eventually stops following the bus as it drives off, becoming smaller and smaller in the frame as the scene fades to the credits.