How To Write An Essay On American Beauty
American Beauty is a complex film that relies so heavily on mis-en-scene and cinematography to portray its message that the story could have been told with no dialogue at all. The film focuses on Lester Burnhan. Lester appears to have the American dream, however he still feels empty. His marriage is falling apart, he has a poor relationship with his daughter, and he is on the verge of a major mid-life crisis. The film shows the many hidden problems in the white picket fence American dream. It also addresses the problems many Americans have with feeling free and accepting their identity. The film shows the vastly different worlds people can live in while still living on the same street, and the chaos and disarray that lies veiled in a society
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The camera pans out to show Carolyn Burnham snipping roses from her garden with pruning shears that match her gardening clogs. The American beauty rose is a major element of this film’s mis-en-scene. The American beauty is a breed of rose that, while being known for its beauty, tends to rot from the roots and branches of the plant. Rose imagery can be seen throughout the film, particularly prominent during Lester’s fantasy scenes with Angela. Rose pedals can be seen raining from the sky, filling up a tub with her, or even filling the entire frame with Angela lying on top covered only by more rose pedals. This, once realized, is a very blatant nudge to the message of the film. It shows that Angela, who is the embodiment of the falsified American glamour concept, may appear beautiful and desirable; however she is rotten from the roots. Underneath the beauty is a temptation that will only lead Lester to trouble and despair. Similarly, The American society, while seemingly idealistic, has many foul underlying foundations. As Kim Goudreau puts it, “The whole message of the film is in the title, American Beauty. One way to take it is that things that appear to be beauty in America, often are not. Angela, the perfect American girl-a blonde, young, cute, thin, cheerleader, is actually cold and cruel, while Jane, the not so thin, not so (conventionally) gorgeous and lively girl is truly caring and beautiful (which Ricky recognizes)
The camera pans out to show Carolyn Burnham snipping roses from her garden with pruning shears that match her gardening clogs. The American beauty rose is a major element of this film’s mis-en-scene. The American beauty is a breed of rose that, while being known for its beauty, tends to rot from the roots and branches of the plant. Rose imagery can be seen throughout the film, particularly prominent during Lester’s fantasy scenes with Angela. Rose pedals can be seen raining from the sky, filling up a tub with her, or even filling the entire frame with Angela lying on top covered only by more rose pedals. This, once realized, is a very blatant nudge to the message of the film. It shows that Angela, who is the embodiment of the falsified American glamour concept, may appear beautiful and desirable; however she is rotten from the roots. Underneath the beauty is a temptation that will only lead Lester to trouble and despair. Similarly, The American society, while seemingly idealistic, has many foul underlying foundations. As Kim Goudreau puts it, “The whole message of the film is in the title, American Beauty. One way to take it is that things that appear to be beauty in America, often are not. Angela, the perfect American girl-a blonde, young, cute, thin, cheerleader, is actually cold and cruel, while Jane, the not so thin, not so (conventionally) gorgeous and lively girl is truly caring and beautiful (which Ricky recognizes)