American Beauty - Movie Review Example

American Beauty Introduction American Beauty is a drama film which has been released in 1999. This film is written by Alan Ball, and it has been directed by Sam Mendes. The major character of this film has been performed by Kevin Spacey as Lester Burnham. The rest of the actors include Annette Bening as Carolyn Burnham, Thora Birch as Jane Burnham, Mena Suvari as Angela Hayes, Chris Cooper as Frank Fitts and Was Bentley as Ricky Fitts. This film revolves around the character of Lester, who is a middle aged family man living with his wife and daughter, Carolyn and Jane, in a suburb (Spacey, Bening and Birch). This drama film is the representation of all those problems which are significantly associated with the American Dream, especially for the middle economic class. It is a remarkable portrayal of tensions in the life of middle class men in order to thrive for better living. There is another sufficient illumination which is efficiently presented by Medes through his direction. This issue is related to the difference is between the conventional conception of beauty in concordance with the American Dream and the real concept of beauty which leads an individual towards happiness rather than mere pleasure. This paper is focused on describing the myth of beauty in the conventional concept which can lead to the illusion of happiness; however, it is a disturbing shift from happiness to misery. This will be described by the analysis of the last scene of Lester in this film in terms of cinematography and mise-en-scene. Description The scene begins in the kitchen where Angela and Lester are in a conversation right after Angela eats something. After some general dialogues about food and unusual incident occurred between them, Lester asks Angela about his daughter Jane. He asks that how is she? Is she happy or miserable? On which Angela replies that Jane is satisfied, and she is in love with Ricky. Lester acts in a calm manner and this answer of Angela brings a smile on his face. This is followed by Angela’s question as she asks Lester about how is he? Lester gently tells Angela that he has not being asked any of such questions regarding his self for a long time. He further tells Angela after a significant pause that he is high. Angela excuses for going to the bathroom and leaves (Spacey, Bening and Birch 01:48:58-01:51:47). The scene continues with Lester in the frame, and he smiles again and repeats that he is high. After repeating his dialogue, he smiles and looks to the left side. Lester moves towards left as the shot cuts and a larger frame covers Lester’s motion towards the photo. Lester picks that photo frame in his hands and starts to look at it while walking towards the dining table, and he sits on a chair (Spacey, Bening and Birch 01:48:58-01:51:47). Lester keeps on staring at the photo ahead of which a flower vase is placed with red roses in it. The short cuts and shifts towards the photo in which Lester and Carolyn (Lester’s wife) and preadolescent Jane are present. In the photo, the whole family seems to be happy. The shot shifts in 180 degree camera angle, framing Lester’s face and he delivers his dialogues. He says, “Man o man” and the shot shifts towards the left shoulder framing his face in a wide angle from the left shoulder (Spacey, Bening and Birch 01:48:58-01:51:47). He repeats his dialogue and a nozzle of a gun comes into the frame from the right side. The scene follows as the camera pans towards the left side covering the photo and the vase with the red roses in motion. The camera stops on the white wall opposite to Lesters direction, and the sound of a gunshot takes place with Lester’s blood sprayed on the wall. The scene ends on the wall on which Lester’s blood drops down in a downwards flow (Spacey, Bening and Birch 01:48:58-01:51:47). Cinematography This scene of the American drama film American Beauty, which has been described in the previous heading, is one of the most significant scenes of the film. In this scene, Lester acquires the realization about real beauty which leads him towards happiness. This scene represents the essence of what the director had intended to develop throughout the movie (Spacey, Bening and Birch). The cinematographic traits, which are present in this scene, plays a key role of catalyst by which the impact of screenplay become intensified for viewers. The camera angles which have been acquired are mainly focused on Lester’s expression. This emphasis intensifies the illumination of Lester’s realization of real beauty and real happiness (Spacey, Bening and Birch). The feelings of Lester when he sees his family photograph depicts his intense emotions towards his family; however, the camera angle on that moment is remarkably set that the following happening of Lester’s murder creates a shocker to the viewers in a subtle way (Spacey, Bening and Birch). The framing of the whole scene flows in a frequent transition in different scales. The movement of the camera in this scene is mainly comprised of panning and zooming out in which the camera motion is in the backward direction to the major character. The wide angle shots are sufficiently placed in this scene which demonstrates the excellence of Mendes (Spacey, Bening and Birch). Mise-en-scène As the cinematographic description of the selected scene has been presented in the previous heading, this heading will provide the description of mise-en-scene in the selected scene. The whole scene is placed in an indoor setting, and the lighting effects which are utilized are soft, dull and mild. This represents that the intention of the scene to demonstrate night (Spacey, Bening and Birch). The most prominent object which is placed in the background of actual conversation is the vase with red roses. Red roses are utilized as the symbolization of the illusion of beauty which Lester holds, and it comes in the scene when Lester imagines Angela in his sexual fantasies (Spacey, Bening and Birch). However, in this scene, the presence of red roses in the backgrounds is intended to represent Lester’s actualized self who has acquired the essence of real beauty and happiness which does not concord to the illusion of beauty proposed by the conventional American Dream. Another significant aspect in this scene is the behavior of Lester which is more calm and satisfied is a comparison with the rest of the film. This transition between the behaviors of Lester is the illumination of Lester’s departure from the illusion of beauty and understanding of real beauty which provides happiness to the self rather pleasure (Spacey, Bening and Birch). Analysis and Conclusion The selected scene of the film American Beauty is the conclusion of the film in which the difference between the illusion of beauty and the real beauty in the world and human relations is signified. The contrast of these two concepts are illuminated through the behavior and imagination of Lester who falls into the illusion of beauty which leads to mere pleasure; however, his realization of the real beauty apart from his fantasies helps him to reacquire his family on which he represents the concept of real beauty and happiness (Spacey, Bening and Birch). The beauty which exists in the fascination of material entities can never lead to happiness. It can only provide pleasure on the cost of satisfaction. The material concept is the derivative of material principles and it deeply associates itself with the American convention, i.e. the American dream. The real beauty of life is required to be realized and understood with leads to the happiness and satisfaction in life and even in death. Work Cited American Beauty. Dir. Sam Mendes. Perf. Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening and Thora Birch. 1999. Read More