American Beauty is a complex film that heavily relies on mise-en-scene and cinematography to convey its message, capable of effectively telling the story without any dialogue. The film primarily revolves around Lester Burnham, initially appearing to embody the American dream but ultimately feeling hollow due to a deteriorating marriage, strained relationship with his daughter, and mid-life crisis. Through this portrayal, the film sheds light on hidden issues beneath the facade of the idealized white picket fence American dream while exploring struggles many Americans face in finding personal freedom and accepting their own identity.
The film illustrates the contrast between different lifestyles that people can lead while residing on the same street. It also exposes the hidden disorder and confusion within a society that we often
...try to present as flawless. By doing so, it reveals that the only way to bring order to the chaos and attain tranquility is by finding beauty in every aspect of life and embracing one's unique identity. The movie begins with a blurry scene of Jane Burnham lying on a bed, expressing dissatisfaction with her father. An unidentified boy (likely operating the camera) asks her if she wants him to harm her father, and she responds affirmatively, saying, "Yeah."
In the movie, the audience quickly learns that Jane’s dad, Lester, is not the father she desires. As the opening credits roll, the scene changes to an aerial view of a neighborhood. The specific location is purposely left unspecified to avoid critiquing a particular area, but rather, to criticize American culture as a whole. Sikivu Hutchinson describes the aerial view as a reflection on the untimely demis
of the suburban ideal and its connection to American frontierism.
While flying over suburban America, Lester Burnham introduces himself and shares that he will be dead in less than a year. The scene transitions into his bedroom, where he is sleeping alone. An irritating alarm disturbs him, and he reflects in voice-over about feeling already dead in some way. The voice-over persists as the camera captures Lester Burnham entering the shower, where he masturbates – the highlight of his day. The shot is arranged in a way that showcases Lester trapped between the glass panes.
The film repeatedly depicts a prison-like imagery. For instance, there is a shot of Lester looking out the window, where he is confined between the panes. From inside, he watches his neighbors begin their days, emphasizing the separation between Lester and the outside world. This element of imprisonment is also evident in Lester's job, as he works in a large office confined to a cubicle. Moreover, in a conversation with his boss, Brad, Lester is portrayed from a high angle while Brad is shown in a position of superiority from a low angle.
The focus is on Brad's name plate on his desk, indicating his self-centeredness instead of caring for his employees. Lester is depicted sitting alone in a chair with minimal belongings. The next scene shows a close-up of a stunning red rose, followed by the camera panning out to reveal Carolyn Burnham cutting roses from her garden using pruning shears that match her gardening clogs. The American beauty rose plays a significant role in the mise-en-scene of this film. Although renowned for its beauty,
the American beauty rose is prone to decay from its roots and branches.
The film prominently features rose imagery, especially in Lester's fantasized scenes with Angela. Rose pedals fall from the sky, fill up a tub with her, and even cover Angela lying on top. This symbolizes the film's message, as it reveals that Angela represents the fake American glamour concept. While she may seem beautiful and desirable, she is actually corrupt from within. Beneath the surface beauty lies a temptation that will only bring trouble and despair to Lester.
Similarly, American society, despite its idealistic facade, is built on a multitude of corrupt foundations. Kim Goudreau suggests that the film's title, American Beauty, captures this message entirely. One possible interpretation is that what may appear beautiful in America often proves to be deceptive. Angela embodies the image of the perfect American girl - young, cute, thin, cheerleader with blonde hair - yet her true nature is cold and cruel. Conversely, Jane defies conventional standards of beauty and thinness but is genuinely caring and beautiful according to Ricky (34).
Ricky is the sole character in the film who rejects American culture from the start. He perceives beauty in ordinary things that most people would overlook or find unpleasant. For instance, he records footage of a deceased bird and a plastic bag soaring in the breeze, as he finds them aesthetically pleasing. Continuously using his handheld camcorder, he strives to capture the beauty in everyday life. This type of beauty transcends what Angela represents. It delves deeper and extends beyond societal perceptions of appearance. It encompasses appreciating the things we encounter daily.
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Colonel Frank Fitts is a significant character in the film who believes he must conceal his true self by portraying an insensitive, homophobic military man. He takes great pride in his gun collection, showcasing his harsh American stereotype. However, we later learn that Frank is secretly gay. On the same safe and suburban street, the Burnham and Fitts families exhibit stark contrasts. Initially seeming like a perfectly typical American family, the Burnhams present themselves differently upon closer examination.
The Fitts family and the Burnhams, despite being neighbors, exist in separate realms. The Fitts family is characterized by abnormality with a damaged wife, an angry father, and a son navigating a perilous environment as a drug dealer. While their challenges may seem more significant, this doesn't diminish the difficulties faced by the Burnhams. Nonetheless, there are shared connections between these two families that provide context.
Both fathers struggle with their identity: Lester with his age and status and Frank with his homosexuality. The children of both families resent their parents and feel like outcasts. When their paths cross, it becomes clear that these worlds cannot coexist. Ultimately, one world destroys the other when Frank mistakenly kills Lester. This tragic event is triggered by a misunderstanding. While peering through a window, Frank believes he sees his son engaging in homosexual activity with Lester, but this perception is incorrect. This scene echoes an earlier moment in the movie when Lester is shown looking out the window at his neighbors.
He believed they were happier than him, but it was a false front. Likewise, Frank believed he saw his son embracing the identity he had always
disapproved of, which stirred up strong emotions in him that ultimately culminated in him kissing Lester, being rejected, and ultimately murdering him. There is a significant subtlety that can be observed in the movie concerning Jane and Angela's appearance. Over the course of the film, Jane gradually wears less make-up while Angela progressively wears more. This is done to illustrate the evolution of the characters and their self-perceptions.
Angela is embracing the shallow and superficial idea of "American beauty" while Jane is distancing herself from it, embracing her natural and authentic self. This emphasizes that American beauty is not a genuine and tangible concept but rather a facade that conceals reality. The contrasting views of Jane and Angela on desirability make it difficult to comprehend what brings them together as friends. Angela assumes her own desirability and uses her experiences to validate her beliefs, but her understanding of "desire" is limited and degrading.
According to Stephen Tapscott, Jane harbors doubts about her own desirability and derives great pleasure from Ricky's unconventional signals indicating his attraction towards her. Even though Jane lacks self-confidence, her readiness to expose her insecurities somewhat diminishes their impact compared to Angela's. It is hard to envision Jane finding satisfaction in someone's father clumsily flirting with her; on the other hand, Angela takes pride in Lester's interest as it boosts her wavering self-esteem.
Jane is emotionally wounded by her father's fascination with Angela, which reinforces Angela's perception of her own attractiveness and Jane's lack thereof. Conversely, Angela perceives Ricky as a rival because he finds Jane more appealing than herself. Additionally, a pivotal moment in the film occurs
when Lester, intoxicated and rebellious, sits in his car while listening to the song "American Woman". It is crucial to acknowledge the significance of this song amidst the characters' behavior during this scene.
The song "American Woman" can be seen as a critique of American society, expressing disdain for war machines, ghetto scenes, and the captivating effect of colored lights on others' eyes. The chorus reinforces the desire to distance oneself from American culture. This sentiment parallels the film's message that American culture is enticing but ultimately deceptive, suggesting it is best to abandon it. In the film's end, Ricky and Jane make a joint decision to flee together. Jane worries about her parents searching for her; however, Ricky assures her that his parents won't do so.
Although Jane's issues are not as severe technically, she views them as equally important. She desires to break free from her parents and their madness, which is just as significant as Ricky's yearning for unconditional love from his own parents. Even if his father shows affection through drug testing or physical harm, Ricky doesn't mind. The only time he disassociates himself from his father is when he gets physically thrown out of their house. The movie consistently presents opposing circumstances and viewpoints.
The film presents Angela as the embodiment of objectified beauty while Jane represents a deeper form of beauty. It also portrays overbearing parents contrasting with unloving parents, and a masculine military personality hiding his homosexuality. The movie depicts the existence of these different worlds within American culture and how their collision leads to destruction. However, in death, Lester learns a valuable lesson that
eluded him in life. He realizes that happiness lies not only in freedom and material possessions, but also in loving one's close ones and appreciating the beauty in everyday life.
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