American Beauty - Scene analysis

American Beauty - scene analysis

 

 

 Camera work

The scene starts off with showing these photos before it transitions to the dinner table. The

 camera work uses a slow zoom when showing the photos. This gives the audience time to look at the photos and get the impression of how the family used to be. From the photos shown to the audience given three photos of Jane from when she was younger. The photos of Jane show that she had a happy childhood as she appears full of laughter and happiness in the photos. showing these photos of Jane happy when she was younger shows how much she has changed before we see her in the present day. The second photo shown is one single photo of the family. Dad, Mum and daughter. They all appear happy. The photos are very key to the audience as after the characters are shown in present day its intriguing to understand what has happened in their life that was so bad to make their family so  miserable and dull. This implies that further on in the movie we discover what caused them to drift apart which would interest the audience to watch on. Further on in this scene there is a young boy stood out side the house recording Jane and her father having a conversation. This is shown through the boys camera. This is very suspicious as we do not why he is recording them until later in the movie. In this scene whilst he is recording them through his camera shot reverse shot is used.

 

Mise en scene

Throughout this scene there is a lot of red, white and blue used. These colours reflect the colours of the American flag which represents good old USA. The family consistently are surrounded by these three colours. This suggests that the family are traditional Americans. However inside the house everything appears very bland. The furniture in the house is very basic and the colours are very dull. The setting being very dull and bland reflects the mood of the family and the relationship they have with each other. The house is very bright using a lot of red, white and blue on the outside which reflects a happy joyful mood however on the inside of the house the mood is reflected sad and miserable. This implies that is how the characters are feeling they are sad and miserable on the inside however they are trying the act happy and not say how they are really feeling on the outside to keep the family together. This is particularly shown through the character of the mother. The composition of the characters is often very distant. The daughter is usually in her bedroom on her own or at school. The mother usually is gardening and the father is usually at work or sitting alone. The only time that you see the family close by is at the dinner table. The daughter is in the middle and the mother and father sit far away from each other. This suggests that the daughter is stuck in the middle of her parents arguments. The father and mother In this scene are wearing the costumes of work clothes. The mother is always seen in formal clothing however Lester wears more casual clothes when having dinner. This suggests that Lester is more laid back compared to the mother. This shows differences in the characters.  Jane is always wearing very dark baggy clothes this reflects how she may be feeling therefore she expresses her feelings through her clothing choices. For this scene during dinner Jane wears a black jumper with red roses on it. This links to the often appearance of roses. The mother wears light face makeup however she wears a bright red lip. This links to the colour theme of red, white and blue which. And also links to the colour of a red rose. Jane wears dark heavy makeup which implies she also expresses her feelings through her makeup. The prop of roses are also frequently used. The roses are placed in the centre of the dinner table which suggests a barrier between the family. At the start of the scene the mother is gardening and chopping rosses.

Representation
Lester is presented as a very depressed man. He appears very vulnerable when he is at home compared to when he is at work which shows he is never really relaxed when he Is at home. When Lester is at the dinner table he is very sarcastic when speaking about his day he pretends that his family may possibly care when he states that they do not. when he walks he slouches which implies his sorrow and how he feels sorry for himself. when he is around his family he struggles to express his feelings which shows how he feels patronised and sorry for himself. The mother is represented as very formal and organised women. She is very snappy at Lester and her daughter she is very patronising towards him. she gives the impression that she is so unhappy with her life that she has to be organised and patronising to make her self feel better. Jane is presented as a stereotypical teenager. she seems very upset and alone and doesn't really often show happy expressions. Jane does not really appreciate what her parents do for her as she doesn't really make an effort with them or show them her appreciation. She seems very angry at her parents and expresses that through her attitude.

Music
The music at the start of the scene is built up as Lester is at home however it slows down when he is at work. This shows the juxtaposition between home and work. The music at the start of the scene is repetitive and annoying which suggests the family's life is the same day after day and the music creates anxious feelings. when the boy is stood outside the house recording Jane and her father speaking creepy music is played. This builds up the tension and emphasises the danger of this stranger recording them at the window. At dinner the mother plays boring dull music. 'elevator music' is what Jane refers to it as. This reflects the family's relationship at dinner when they are all together.