A good example of a film that was extremely notable in its time, but that is not very relevant today.
This film is considered by some to be one of the best that US cinema has given us. It is also the film that catapulted to fame the discreet Dustin Hoffman, one of the most consistent and solid actors of his generation. There is no doubt that he deserved the status, in this and other films that followed. However, considering this film as one of the best ever made in the USA doesn't seem fair to me: the film is satisfactory, it was a huge success at the time and had an impact on pop culture, but it has aged poorly, and today it seems like nothing more than a minor work.
The script is, perhaps, the key point to understanding the film: a love triangle between a young man inexperienced with women, a seductive older woman and her young daughter, with whom he falls in love. Released in 1967, in the wake of the Sexual Revolution and a growing challenge to society's values and morals, it is a film with a strong focus on the characters' sexuality and which places women in the role of seductress before a beardless, clumsy male figure. The sexual evocations are discreet in our eyes – we are too used to films with explicit sexual content – but enough to shock and excite people at the time and give the film a huge success at the box office.
However, let's be honest: watching the film today, it's forgettable. I understand the impact it had and the way it was viewed, but it has aged poorly and seems somewhat dated, uninteresting and conventional. On the other hand, there is a huge lack of morality, an implicit nihilism that is only rebutted when Hoffman's character fights for love, finding a meaning that goes beyond carnal attraction, even though the story between these two characters seems totally unbelievable.
Technically, the film has nothing special, and takes on a conventional aspect as it bets all its chips on the story told and the performance of the cast. There is only extra care in some details, such as the excellent soundtrack, with songs by Simon & Garfunkel, made specifically for the film and which are now known even to those who have never seen it. Dustin Hoffman deserved all the attention he got: he carried the film on his back and wisely took advantage of the opportunity to boost his career. However, he is the only interesting actor in the film. Anne Bancroft fulfills what is required of her, but does not go beyond that, and Katherine Ross is not well used.