HNC Photography, IFC - Coursework, Introduction to Film Culture Blog, Part four - Rites of passage, Project 2 - Finding yourself
To what extent to The Graduate (1967) and Y Tu Mama Tambien (2001) present a similar idea of sexual awakening despite temporal and geographical difference?
The Graduate (1967) and Y Tu Mama Tambien (2001) are both movies that focus on the experience of sexual awakening within the journey to adulthood, although this is ostensibly all they have in common. An American movie, The Graduate was released during the 1960s, which was an era of significant political activism, shifts in sexual awareness and politics, and challenges to the established socio-cultural order within the United States (Bordwell & Thompson, 2004). This is undoubtedly reflected in Benjamin Braddock’s exploration of sex, women and relationships within the movie. However, the context in which Y Tu Mama Tambien was made and released was significantly different. Set in Mexico just after the turn of the 21st century, it emerged from a socio-political climate that brought unprecedented political change and a greater social inclusion in the region, that challenged the traditional macho stereotype of the Latin American male. Although the situation and location of Julio and Tenoch are entirely divorced from that of Benjamin, there are commonalities that may be identified within the characterisation, personal journey and narrative within the movies. This essay will explore all three of these elements, discussing the intersection of representations in order to test the thesis that location and era may impact upon the way in which sexual awakening is presented on film but the experience of young adults is fundamentally similar, thus demonstrating the universality of the human experience.
The characterisation of the male protagonists within both films is one source of commonality between them. They are all relatively inexperienced, naive and typical of those on the cusp of adulthood in that they are able to brag about their experiences but hesitate when presented with an opportunity to embark upon a sexual relationship with a woman. Furthermore, they are all willing to give up their personal power to a woman. Benjamin does so when Mrs Robinson seduces him because he originally tries to leave the house and ultimately gives into her pursuit of him. Julio and Tenoch do so when they pursue Luisa after she leaves them in the middle of a fight about their girlfriends. These similarities are indicative of masculinity in crisis (Nelmes, 2012) as all three of them pursue identities that emerge from sexual awakening but do so beyond the parameters established by their lives to that point. The narrative of the two movies is also markedly similar, encompassing the pursuit of an older woman by a teenage protagonist. Although Benjamin is aware of girls and Julio and Tenoch have girlfriends who, it later transpires, they have both had sex with, the progress of their relationships with Mrs Robinson and Luisa respectively are indicative of a gradual awakening of desire, bridging the gap between fantasy and reality (Nowell-Smith, 1997).
The personal journey that is often explored in conjunction with sexual awakening is of vital importance in both films as a direct result of their collective need to navigate the process of sexual awakening. The relationships that are established in both films are important here because they are vital in establishing exactly how they discover sexuality and begin to define it in line with their socio-cultural and pleasure-based identities (Villarejo, 2013). Although Cuaron shifts the relationship between Julio and Tenoch to explore sexual freedom when the two kiss passionately during sexual activity with Luisa, this is an extension of awakening and enlightenment via the relationship between the pair rather than a desire to expand upon their sexual orientation. Indeed, the 21st century does have more enlightened attitudes towards homosexuality than previous eras (Nelmes, 2012) but the fact they do not continue their friendship afterwards suggests that the action is indicative of cultural barriers and attitudes. Although this is not a feature of The Graduate, the idea of forbidden sexual relations being a key element of sexual awakening is. In the case of Benjamin Braddock, the forbidden sexual relationship is both that with the older and married Mrs Robinson and then, subsequently, her daughter, Elaine. Of course, this has moral implications as well as cultural ones but it is interesting to note that illicit trysts are a part of both cinematic texts despite the fact that they are very different as a result of the moral and cultural frameworks in place in each nation and in each time. These points also have a further point of interest in terms of the boys’ personal journey. In fact, it is necessary for each of the characters to embark upon such relationships in order to ultimately get to where they end up in the final scenes of both movies. Benjamin’s journey leads him to Elaine as she abandons her wedding for him whereas Julio and Tenoch ultimately catch up a year after their trip having gone their separate ways. Although the outcomes are different, the purpose of the journeys are the same.
In conclusion, this essay specifically sought to identify and examine comparable traits between the journey of sexual awakening in The Graduate and Y Tu Mama Tambien. Although the two are ostensibly very different, the analysis has explored several key thematic ideas and issues that link the two, stressing the universality of the experience. The main protagonists are similar in their desire to explore sexual relationships and discover how their sexuality redefines them, with the narrative exploring the metaphorical journey in response to the need to make sense of the transition to adulthood. Although the metaphorical journey is an actual road trip in Cuaron’s movie whereas it manifests in a jaunt to a hotel in The Graduate, this aesthetic difference should not detract from the fact that the protagonists must experience the journey in order to realise their sexual awakening, relinquishing their grip on their naivety and embrace an agency that comes with sexual independence. In short, this reinforces the thesis that location and era may impact upon the way in which sexual awakening is presented on film in a literal sense but the experience of young adults is fundamentally similar when cinematic products are examined in depth, thus demonstrating the universality of the human coming-of-age experience.
Bibliography
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