American Beauty Film Analysis

Introduction There are few films that achieve the high level of quality exhibited by American Beauty. The film is a true masterpiece in both content and how this content is delivered to the viewers. It excels at being an enlightening and relevant drama about American life, and never fails to keep the audience entertained by providing many instances of well-placed humor. Every scene was filmed containing metaphoric elements that not only show great set aesthetics, but also create a mood and feeling for the theme of the movie. If one can’t somehow relate to anything in this film, then they have only looked at the surface. To “look closer” is a must for truly appreciating this film.
Form
As with most dramas, American Beauty contains few special effects and not a whole lot more than the basic and necessary elements of video. An exception to this is during the metaphoric dream scenes where rose petals float everywhere. These scenes contain music using a wide variety of instruments, including a bird call. The music helps create the mood that these scenes are dream sequences, and go along with the theme that things are not what they seem. Many of the sets contain luxurious furniture and bright red American Beauty roses, symbolizing beauty and the American Dream. Many scenes are metaphoric in how they are shot, and what is in the frame symbolizes a higher, deeper meaning. For example, in the beginning of the movie, Lester (the main character) is looking out the window of his house at his wife, and the blinds on the window represent jail cell bars. Even the blocks of text on his computer screen at work represent jail cell bars. Lester is “in jail” because his life at this point is so empty and missing substance. The lighting is excellent, and never distracts from the action or dialog of each scene. It is used very well to create a mood in each scene. For example, a green and somber soft light is used in the scene where Ricky gets hit by his father and looks at