The Techniques Used in American Beauty Essay - 1140 Words

The ï ¬ lm American Beauty, directed by Sam Mendes is a ï ¬ lm about imprisonment and escape from imprisonment (Mendes, 1999). American Beauty explores the breakdown of a suburban family man whose life journeys from self loathing and emptiness to freedom and liberation but at the ultimate cost of his life. Mendes effectively employs a range of techniques to help convey the meaning of this ï ¬ lm such as set design, camera angles, colour and soundtrack. Cinema often uses structured set design and camera angles to convey meaning to an audience. Throughout American Beauty, MendesÊ ¼ use of set design and camera angles have been carefully structured to emphathise the ï ¬ lmÊ ¼s theme of imprisonment. In the opening scene the audienceÊ ¼s introduction to the†¦show more content†¦Interestingly, as the ï ¬ lm progresses and LesterÊ ¼s relationships evolve, the camera angles also evolve in reverse and the audience begins to see Lester shot in a low angle and characters like Carolyn are shot in a high angle, indicating that Carolyn is now vulnerable. These altered camera angles give Lester a triumphant image. Another technique Mendes uses is colour. The use of colour is often an important technique utilised by ï ¬ lm directors to communicate themes and ideas to an audience. In American Beauty, Mendes powerfully uses colour to communicate that the characters are attempting to escape from their imprisonment. Initially the characters are seen in environments that are very dull and nondescript, as Mendes (1999) states when referring to LesterÊ ¼s work setting. As LesterÊ ¼s quest for escapement gains momentum, the vivid colour of red is gradually introduced more into this ï ¬ lm through subtle furnishings in the Burnham house and particularly integrated with LesterÊ ¼s sexual fantasies. The use of the vibrant, red rose petal is ï ¬ rst introduced when Lester and Carolyn attend JaneÊ ¼s cheer performance, where Lester loses himself as he enters his ï ¬ rst â€Å"tunnel of fantasy† (Mendes, 1999). Deschler (1999) states the rose is symbolic of American beauty, and the colour red symbolises passion and love. The signiï ¬ cance of the rose petal and the colour red is repeatedly seen throughout the ï ¬ lm in house furnishings such as a bouquet ofShow MoreRelatedAmerican Beauty By Sam Mendes1008 Words   |  5 PagesAmerican Beauty (1999) is directed by Sam Mendes (also the director of Skyfall and Spectre) and stars Kevin Spacey which examines the â€Å"ordinary† occurances of a family who live a desirable life but are unhappy and stagnant. 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