Benjamin's Perspective
Many scenes are shot in a way that reflect Benjamin’s perspective. Sometimes shots are framed through a first-person perspective, as when he is scuba diving in the pool, and in other moments, we watch Benjamin from afar as he fumbles through a situation.
In the sequence when Benjamin is being forced to try out his new scuba diving suit, his subjective viewpoint is all-encompassing, as the viewer hears and sees everything from his perspective. One can hear nothing but Benjamin’s labored breathing, and our frame is the oval eyehole of the mask he is wearing.
Earlier, when Mrs. Robinson comes into Elaine's room naked to surprise Benjamin, her nude body is shown in quick flashes, almost like subliminal messaging. Despite the fact that the flashes are intercut with Mrs. Robinson’s perspective of Benjamin, the flashes evoke Benjamin's difficulty as he tries not to look at her naked body. These scenes provide insight into Benjamin’s state of mind in similar ways, as we get a first-hand glimpse of Benjamin's simultaneous resistance and attraction.
Simon and Garfunkel's Soundtrack
Simon and Garfunkel's gentle folk-rock soundtrack perfectly underscores Benjamin's existential journey, and firmly positions us in the transition towards a counterculture taking place in the late 1960s. "The Sounds of Silence" is played over the opening credits and then again immediately after Benjamin and Mrs. Robinson have sex for the first time. The song becomes a motif, reflecting of Benjamin's emotional state at different points. The lyrics of the song highlight the feeling of youthful longing and alienation from mainstream cultural values with which Benjamin is contending. Situated in a noisy world where communication has lapsed or broken down (think "plastics!"), Benjamin yearns for real communication rather than empty platitudes and vague advice.
Simon and Garfunkel's music is an essential part of the imagery that connects the various parts of Benjamin's journey. Evocative and stirring, their guitar riffs and voices have a similar effect to the various camera angles, of putting us in Benjamin's state of mind. Benjamin's longing for Elaine, as he drives by her house after she has rejected him, is underscored by the emotional strains of Simon and Garfunkel's music. Additionally in the final moments of suspense, a guitar lick highlights Benjamin's frantic journey to save Elaine as he speeds up and down the California coast.
Water
Water is an essential component of the film’s imagery. First, it has symbolic value as the aquarium in Benjamin’s room and the in-ground swimming pool in his backyard where he spends so much time. Most strikingly, water becomes a pressurized substance the deeper one sinks, and Benjamin's feeling of being submerged or "underwater" is most evident when he is literally sitting at the bottom of the pool. As pressure squeezes him from all sides, Benjamin tries to figure out what to do next.
Furthermore, After Benjamin has sex with Mrs. Robinson for the first time, he is propelled into a half-fantasy/half-reality state, drifting around on a flotation device in the pool. Having started his affair with Mrs. Robinson, rebelling against the expectations of his community, Benjamin is relieved of his anxiety, and feels a sense of ease, even if he remains aimless and lazy. The water, which was once a repressive and claustrophobic place, is now a site of Benjamin's laissez-faire attitude. In this moment, he is no longer in the depths, but floating carelessly across the top, without a destination.
Mrs. Robinson's Legs
Mrs. Robinson's legs are featured prominently throughout the movie. When she first takes off her shoes and rests her feet on the barstool, it becomes clear to Benjamin that she is trying to seduce him. In this moment, the camera shoots Benjamin through the foregrounded bend of Mrs. Robinson's leg as he delivers his iconic accusation. Later, when they argue in the hotel room about whether Mrs. Robinson thinks he is unsuited to date her daughter, Mrs. Robinson slowly puts on her stockings, and the camera again foregrounds her legs. The visual storytelling of the film in moments when Mrs. Robinson's legs are featured seems to suggest that they are her chief weapon in her seduction of Ben.
