American Beauty analysis

American Beauty analysis

Representation:

In this scene from the film, American Beauty, the protagonist Lester Burnham, played by Kevin Spacey, is presented to the audience as being pathetic and inadequate to his family, as shown through his evident inferiority to his wife. Their marriage is counter typical as Lester is presented as weak and incapable to stand up for himself, whereas his wife Carolyn is clearly dominant as she persistently ridicules her husband, somebody who she supposedly loves. Lester appears to be distant from his family, and the emotional connection which binds families together is not present in this family. This casts Lester as being a bad father due to his submissive attitude towards his family duties and his constant self indulging. 

Carolyn Burnham is presented as being cynical towards her husband as she constantly belittles him to try and assert her dominance in the household. This has the coincidental effect of drawing her daughter away from her father and closer to herself, as Janie is shown to be very distant from her father, and on the whole very fragile. The creepy boy who spies on the family is shown to be concerned and determined, as shown through his facial expressions which indicate that he is full of intent.

Camerawork: 

In this scene, the technique of an extremely slow zoom is employed to give the impression that the audience is eavesdropping on the private family dinner as it makes it seem as if the audience are slowly creeping into the room. Shot reverse shot is used when Lester is talking to Janie whilst simultaneously the boy is filming outside the window, this technique demonstrating how close they are. Point of view shots from the boy's video camera are used to demonstrate how the boy is spying on the family, making him appear creepy as he is intruding on the private conversation that the two family members are having.

Sound:

Diegetic sound is used in this scene in the form of the music which is being played whilst the family are having dinner. The songs is called 'Bali Hai' and comes from the film South Pacific which was released in 1949, therefore making the music appear old fashioned to the audience of American Beauty. Due to it being the mothers choice of music, it's ancient background could indicate the mothers wish to relive the past which might have been a happier time for her and the family. Non-diegetic sound is also employed during this scene, when an eerie piece of music is used when the boy is filming, perhaps used to demonstrate how extremely creepy the boys actions are as they are not at all normal.

Mise en scene: 

Throughout the scene, the environment in which the family live, the house, is completely in the colour scheme of red, blue and white, the colours of the American flag. This could be symbolic of particularly the mothers dream for the family to be the perfect American family envisaged in the American dream. Whilst the family are sitting having dinner, the lighting used on the parents is very dime whilst the daughter is illuminated by the candles. This might symbolise that the daughter is the shining light for both the parents and that she is viewed as being the most important member of the family. The image of the rose is persistently shown throughout the scene, indicating that it might be important in the plot of the film, as it is shown on the table and on the daughters clothes. The attire of each character is very contrasting, Lester's clothes are very bland and blend in with his surrounding, indicating his own feelings that he is irrelevant. In contrast, Carolyn is dressed very formally, indicating that she wants to be seen as smart as it will enhance her dominance over her husband in the household. In the pictures, the family are shown to be very close, contrasting greatly to what they are like currently.