In The Graduate, the director, Mike Nichols’, emphasizes the mysterious tone of the film with his overuse of lighting, camera angles, and shadows. The uncertainty Benjamin Braddock feels can be seen right from the start as he stands on the moving sidewalk at the airport. He is positioned at the right hand side of the screen moving forward. You can see a large area to the left where the credits appear. I think the director …showed first 75 words of 493 total…

…showed last 75 words of 493 total…talking to Ben in the pool. This shows how Benjamin is just looking up at him and not registering what he is saying. He is only thinking of Mrs. Robinson. All of these different shots, angles, and lighting techniques make it easier for the audience to “get” the message that the director is trying to send, the feeling of each scene, the tone of the movie as a whole, and the personalities of the characters.