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6.3/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.3/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. I Graduated, But... remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you have ever been totally broke but too embarrassed to tell your family, you need to watch this. It is worth it just to see that people in 1929 were dealing with the same dumb ego problems we have now.
History buffs will love it, but if you cannot stand silent movies or fragments where half the story is missing, you will probably hate it. It is very short because most of the film is lost.
So, we have this guy, Tetsuo. He just finished college and he thinks he is the smartest man in the room. He goes to this job interview and they offer him a job as a receptionist.
He gets offended. Like, visibly insulted that they would ask a college man to sit at a front desk. He walks out with his nose in the air, which is such a classic 'young person' mistake. 🙄
The problem is his mom and his fiancée show up unexpectedly. They think he is this big-shot salaryman already. Instead of just being honest, he starts this elaborate lie where he leaves the house every morning in a suit just to go sit in a park or wander around.
There is this one scene where he is just leaning against a wall looking miserable. It feels more real than most modern movies about the economy. You can see the regret on his face, but he is too stubborn to go back and ask for that desk job.
The apartment they live in is so small and cramped. It reminded me of the sets in Fool, where the walls feel like they are closing in on the characters. It makes the lie feel much heavier.
Ozu is the director here, but he is not doing his famous 'pillow shots' or low camera angles yet. This is early Ozu, so it feels more like a standard silent comedy-drama. There is even some slapstick when his friends show up.
Kinuyo Tanaka plays his fiancée and she is honestly the best part. She has these wide, expressive eyes that tell you she knows something is wrong long before she says it. Her performance is way more subtle than the guys in the film.
One weird thing I noticed was a poster on the wall for some old American movie. It is a tiny detail, but it shows how much Japan was looking at Hollywood even back then. It felt like something you might see in Taxi for Two or other comedies from that era.
There is a moment where Tetsuo gets really snappy with his wife because he is stressed about the money. It is uncomfortable to watch. He is taking his shame out on the person trying to help him.
Eventually, she finds out he is lying and she does something he should have done weeks ago. She gets a job at a cafe. This absolutely crushes his male pride, which is kind of satisfying to watch, honestly.
The movie is a bit of a mess because so much of it is gone. You are basically watching a 10-minute highlight reel of a 70-minute movie. It jumps around and some transitions make zero sense.
But the stuff that survived is gold. Like the scene with the mom. She is so proud of him, and he just sits there eating his dinner, looking like he wants to disappear into the floorboards.
It is not as heavy as something like The Road to Ruin, but it has this quiet sadness under the jokes. It is about how a degree does not actually mean you are special.
I kept thinking about how many people I know who are exactly like Tetsuo. They want the corner office right away and end up doing nothing because they think they are above the 'grunt work.' Pride is a hell of a drug.
The ending we have left is actually kind of sweet. He finally humbles himself. It is a nice reminder that life usually forces you to grow up, whether you want to or not.
Don't expect a masterpiece because, again, it is a fragment. It is more like looking at a beautiful broken vase. You can see what it was supposed to be, and that is enough. 🏺
If you have ten minutes, just go watch it on YouTube or wherever. It is a tiny slice of life that still bites. Even with the grainy film and the missing scenes, the feeling of being a failure is crystal clear.
IMDb —
1920
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