American Beauty

Film Analysis
American Beauty is a drama, romance film made in 1999 and directed by Sam
Mendes. The film stars, Lester Burnham played by Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening
(Lesters wife, Carolyn), Thora Birch (Lesters daughter, Jane), Mena Suvari
(Angela, Janes friend). The film also features Wes Bently (Ricky, their next door
neighbours), Chris Cooper (Rickys father, Frank) and Peter Gallagher (House
auctioneer). The film American Beauty has won many awards, including winning
five Oscars. The film became extremely famous throughout the world and was
embedded into the pop culture with its plastic bag scene and roses. Even other
shows like family guy has used the famous roses from American Beauty.
American Beauty is revolved around the protagonist of Lester Burnham, his
family and the American dream, his quest to find happiness. Lester a middle
aged father who is in a midlife crisis, trying to find himself again. He has a poor
relationship with his daughter and in a loveliest marriage with his wife. Lester at
the start of the film is lost in a world where he is unable to do anything to make
himself happy. He is powerless, conservative in his job with money and his life
lets his family drive his life while altogether trying to find his quest of happiness.
He eventually finds his quest of happiness when he first met his daughters
friend Angela. In the end he had figured out what his quest for happiness was,
which was not Angela but his family but sadly he was shot by Frank the next door
neighbour
The main theme and issue of American Beauty is finding happiness as well as
beauty. The issue and main theme that are explored in the film is when Lester
Burnham the protagonist finds himself again. Lester at the start of the film is an
ordinary man with a family who doesnt like his life. Lester soon changes and
finds himself because of the event in which he first met his daughters friend
Angela dancing. Lester began to fall in love with Angela. He soon started to stare
at her and fantasize about her. Sam Mendes lets us know all of this through his
use of different techniques such as acting, lighting, camera angles and shots,
sound and costumes. He did this to capture the audience by looking at specific
things such as lighting (spotlights), camera shots (zooming in, focusing on a
character), sound (changing music), acting (facial expressions) and editing (using
repetitive shots).
Within the film, there are numerous sections that can be analysed, however the
scene that will be analysed is the death scene of Lester Burnham where Lester is
figures out that his quest for happiness was his family Jane and.