American Beauty

“American Beauty” in a 1999 American comedy drama film. It was directed by Sam Mendes and Written by Alan Ball. It centres on the mid-life crisis of Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey) and his dysfunctional middle-class suburban family. Throughout the film Lester and others come to realisations about happiness, identity and freedom, I chose to analyse the last scene which is the culmination of these character developments. The scene opens with a close up of Lester who says “I’m great” and smiles. This contrasts with the dim lighting and diegetic sound of heavy rain which represents misery. Non-diegetic classical music starts and it cuts to a mid-shot as the camera then pans slowly following him around the kitchen as he picks up a photograph then tilts down as he sits down. This places a very heavy focus on Lester as he is continuously positioned in the middle of the shot. Lester’s body language is very casual; he swings his arms and walks slowly. This, combined with the music and rain, gives it an air of tranquillity which disarms the audience from anticipating the impending violence. However mise-en-scene opposes this as a bouquet of red roses (American beauties) is positioned in front of Lester which symbolises the blood which will be spilled. It cuts to an extreme close-up of the photograph then a reverse close-up shot of Lester in a shallow focus with the shadows of rain falling in the background; again hinting at the dripping blood. It then cuts to a close-up of the side of Lester’s head and the barrel of a gun moves in behind his head. The music fades out as the camera pans left gradually emitting from view: the gun, Lester, the photo and finally the roses until it stops on a close up of a white tiled wall. A gunshot pierces the pattering of the rain and a bright circle of blood sprays onto the tiles which drips like the rain on the windows. The colour is the same as the roses which creates an interesting link in that the red symbolises perfection, life and beauty while also representing brutality, death and vengeance. It is interesting that the two are not juxtaposed in the shot together which highlights how throughout the film these two positive and negative connotations are harshly separated by people’s identity; except in the case of Lester. It then cuts to a hand-held shot down the stairs, the unsteadiness of this expressing Jane and Ricky’s fear before it cuts to a low angle mid-shot of them walking downstairs. The angle obscures their facial expressions but emphasises their nervous body language of clinging to each other. It cuts to an out of focus extreme close-up of Ricky’s hand opening a door behind which is revealed to be a white table covered in blood. A spotlight is shone on the blood giving the effect that it’s glowing. It then cuts to a mid-shot; Ricky stays in the shadows maintaining his dark persona while Jane steps into the light which highlights her innocence as she reverts to a child-like nature in her shock. All of the techniques used in “American Beauty” relate to it’s tagline: look closer.