For this assignment I viewed two very different movies from different time periods and explored the portrayal of traditional (heterosexual, similar age etc.) vs nontraditional (nonheterosexuality, age differences etc.). The first film was The Graduate which was released in 1967. My second movie choice was Being John Malkovich (BJM) which was released in 1999. Both movies have elements of relationships including seduction, affair and betrayal. These two films clearly demonstrate that societal views on relationships changed in the time between the release of these two movies. Another interesting comparison to make between these two films is the medium. The Graduate is much more mainstream in that it represents the current thought of the majority (affairs do happen but they should be kept behind closed doors). Whereas BJM is much more of an expression of fantasy or art (i.e., one person can’t really take over the body of another).
The Graduate plot deals with the seduction of a recent college graduate Benjamin Braddock by a much older family friend Mrs. Robinson, which leads to an affair. The movie starts as a nontraditional relationship (a single man and a married woman with a wide difference in age). However, it does evolve into a traditional relationship, that of a single man and women of similar age when Benjamin breaks off the affair to pursue a traditional relationship with Mrs. Robinson’s daughter Elaine. It’s interesting that the movie is very “PG rated” regarding the physical aspect of a relationship. While the plot revolves around seduction and affair, there is very little evidence of intimate contact on screen.
The following is an article by Rob Lowman from the Daily (11/20/2014) news entitled “How Mike Nichols The Graduate changed American culture and movies”. (Mike Nichols directed The Graduate.) A key line for the article is “It remains of the most compelling and debated moments in movie history.” Lowman argues that “While many thought the film addressed the generation gap of the ’60s, Nichols didn’t. In interviews, the filmmaker said “The Graduate” was about somebody trying to become active instead of passive and learning how to not be used as an object.”
BJM was release 32 years after The Graduate. BJM is a very interesting fantasy story of Craig Schwartz a struggling puppeteer in a traditional relationship with his wife Lodi. Craig engages is a sexual fantasy over a co-worker Maxine, who rejects him (nontraditional relationship). Craig stumbles upon a “portal” into the mind of the actor John Malkovich. Craig is able to manipulate John Malkovich, much like a puppeteer, into a sexual relationship with Maxine (nontraditional relationship). Maxine is the subject of male desire from Craig and John Malkovich but her true desire is a lesbian relationship (nontraditional) with Lodi Schwartz – a very crazy plot. While The Graduate has no onscreen sexual conduct, BJM has a number of sexual oriented scenes. This is a reflection of societies changing attitude of openness toward nontraditional relationships.
I came across a video review of BJM indicating 3 reasons why you should see this movie. Reason number 2 includes a fantastic complication of the multiple relationships; both traditional and nontraditional that occurred in the movie (Craig and Lodi, Craig and Maxine, Maxine and John Malkovich, Lodi and Maxine).
I enjoyed both movies. The Graduate is reflective of the how personal relationships and affairs were in that time period and is credited with taking on such a private subject. BJM is more modern and is reflected in the use of nontraditional relationships yet was generally accepted by audiences.