Leitmotifs in The Graduate (11/1/2020)

 A film reflection I had to write for school. Word limit was 300-400 words, but I have a lot more to add so this is more of an extended version. The prompt is basically just about how leitmotifs (musical motifs in a film) affect the film.

Maybe one of the biggest strengths that attribute to the legacy of The Graduate is the spectacular soundtrack, written and performed by popular folk-rock duo Simon & Garfunkel. Three songs are prominently featured in the film: “The Sound of Silence,” “Mrs. Robinson,” and “Scarborough Fair.” These are each used as leitmotifs to signify one significant theme of the film. “The Sound of Silence” matches the motif of passive driftfulness, and just as “Mrs. Robinson” is matched with Mrs. Robinson and danger, “Scarborough Fair” serves as a symbol for Elaine and Ben’s pursuit of her.

Unlike the rest of the film, “Scarborough Fair” occurs at a point where Ben is actively pursuing a goal, instead of following where life takes him. “Scarborough Fair” first plays after Elaine realizes that the older woman that Ben had an affair with was actually her mother. It is soon evident that Ben has fallen in love with Elaine, as a montage featuring “Scarborough Fair” plays, showing shots of Ben following Elaine around and even a shot of an unfinished letter that only has Elaine’s name desperately written on it. This goal is mirrored in the lyrics of the song which ask, “Are you going to Scarborough Fair?...she was once a true love of mine.” These lyrics are mirrored in the narrative, as Ben was once with Elaine, and after they break off Ben realizes that the one he truly loves is Elaine. Ben’s answer to the question the music imposes is a resounding yes, as he pursues Elaine across the state from Beverly Hills to Berkeley, where as the second time the song is played the camera utilizes a zoom in to highlight Elaine just as Simon & Garfunkel sing “Are you going to Scarborough Fair?,” giving the audience another connection between Elaine and the song.

However, the film’s ending act reverses the songs to prove that relationship is realistically impossible. Elaine reveals that she already has a fiancé, and despite this Ben still decides to ask her to marry him. Just as Ben buys a wedding ring for Elaine, the tune of “Mrs. Robinson” starts to play, instead of the expected “Scarborough Fair.” This is an indication that this time, Ben has gone too far in his pursuit. Soon after, everything starts to go downhill. Ben is confronted by an aggressive Mr. Robinson, and when he reaches the fraternity house (with “Mrs. Robinson” still playing in the background) to find the location of the wedding, the fraternity brothers jokingly call the wedding a shotgun wedding, implying a potential reason for the rush. Ben then drives to Santa Barbara, but as his car's engine sputters out, "Mrs. Robinson" also interestingly stops, implying that this break might actually be something positive. As Ben continues his journey on foot, a few chords are roughly struck again just as Ben reaches the church, again tying the connection between his doomed relationship and the song. However, Ben is too late. The delay caused by his car has caused him to not be fast enough to stop the official wedding. Although in the end Elaine chooses to run off with him, as they board a bus they are stared at disdainfully by the other passengers, and we watch as his and Elaine’s smiles slowly fade away while the film ends just as it started; with Ben being carried along a fixed path while “The Sound of Silence” plays overhead.