Humanities Information |
A Look at the Heart of American Beauty
Sam Mendes' darkly comic portrayal of suburbia in his first movie, American Beauty (1999) takes a hard look at what happens when you've accomplished the American Dream only to realize that it isn't enough. Lester, the film's anti-hero wakes up one morning deep in a mid life crisis and decides that he wants something more then the life he has carved out for himself and proceeds to search for that something and in the process, disrupts the lives of those around him, particularly his wife Caroline. Through his use of color and surrealist elements Mendes shows how passionless and unhappy Caroline and Lester are in their seemingly perfect world and how true happiness lies not in doing what's expected or in material goods but in finding the beauty in being true to yourself. The color red and roses are a symbol of passion and desire and Mendes uses the combination to symbolize the lack of passion and in turn the misplaced desires in the character's lives. Caroline, Lester's wife is a woman who on the outside seems to have it all: a family, a big house, and a great career. But we soon find out that nothing in Caroline's world is perfect except for the red roses she takes great pride and care in growing. These roses can be found everywhere: lining the yard, on end tables, the center piece on the dining room table and even in the home she's trying to sell. The roses represent the passion that Caroline has lost for life but can't admit she no longer has. She is a deeply unhappy woman who tries to mask that unhappiness by projecting forth an image of perfection. She believes that if she thinks positive then everything will be okay. She listens to and recites daily affirmations to herself to keep up her positive mental state. The truth of the matter is that she is in a loveless marriage, is estranged form her child and is in a career she hates. She envies and later desires the success (and attention) of her rival, the "Real Estate King" whose image is portrayed by big red signs placed in the yards of the homes he is selling. She learns form him that "In order to be successful one must project the image of success at all times." Caroline's roses are the embodiment of that idea since they are the only thing in her life that she is succeeding at and are as perfect as she pretends the rest of her life to be. Lester realizes that his wife's roses are representative of the lack of desire she has for him and their life together. So, it isn't a surprise that his own misplaced desires are represented by the very flowers that he loathes because they get all the affection and attention he does not. As Lester begins to find his way first by standing up to his wife and then by quitting his job he begins an unhealthy fantasy for his daughter's teenage friend, Angela. These fantasies are very surrealist in nature and are some of the most beautiful and disturbing scenes in the movie. Each of these breaks in reality feature Angela intimately involved with the roses: they are coming out of her blouse or she is only covered in roses or she is immersed in bath that is filled with rose petals. Lester uses this fantasy as the only hope he has in his otherwise miserable life. His desire for Angela spurs him to make life changes that he believes will allow her to desire him and ultimately make him happy. Lester eventually learns that this fantasy isn't they way to his happiness, yet using Caroline's roses as a part of the lust he has for someone else turns the flower that's representative of his misery to one of power and hope for Lester. Mendes continues to play with the theme of color in Caroline's life as a means of showing her unhappiness in the way that she dresses. She is the only one of the main characters that is brightly dressed. Most everyone else in the film can be found in muted colors: earth tones, grays and blacks but Caroline can always be found in color. Under her earth tone suit she has on a bright red slip. Her nightgown that she wears to bed is a light blue. Later in the film in a very comic moment at a drive thru at a fast food restaurant she can be found in a red suit. Her desire to convince the world and herself that she is happy isn't just saying or telling people she is happy but dressing happy as well. This obsession for projecting perfection even through her dress makes for poignant moments in the movie as reality breaks through a happy veneer. Caroline cries as she isn't able to sell the house though she has on her red slip and her roses on the table. She loses out on a moment of closeness with her husband because of her attachment to material goods as she looks perfect in her blue dress and high heels. Her attempt at finding happiness is abruptly lost as she's caught in a compromising situation in her sexy red suit. Throughout the movie Caroline misses the fact that she isn't going to find happiness in all of her stuff or on how pretty the image she projects seems to be but only taking an honest look at herself and her life will bring her the happiness she finds so elusive. Her brightly colored garb makes her stand out in the movie but also makes her unhappiness more obvious. Lester also tries to find happiness in colorful material objects. He turns in his boring Camry for a fire red 1970 Pontiac firebird a car he's desired since he was a kid. He purchases and plays with a red remote control car, yet unlike his wife his use of material goods is a stepping-stone in trying to figure out what will make him happy, not as a way to cover up his unhappiness. As the movie progresses Lester finds searching for happiness out side of himself is pointless, that it starts from within. In the end it isn't a brightly colored car or fantasies of a young girl that make him happy but black and white memories of his childhood, of his daughter of the early years with his wife that give him peace and happiness. Mendes makes us question how we define happiness and success as he explores the inner-lives of a marriage that on the outside seem like they have it all, that they are living the American Dream. Tamika Johnson is a freelance writer and owner of PrologueReviews.com. To read more reviews by Tamika or to have your book, music or film reviewed visit http://www.prologuereviews.com
MORE RESOURCES:
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Unguided Men Humanity - the sole endeavor of sanctity in every man, the moribund symphony serenading in all perceptions, the extinct deference suggestive of life-humanity. Something already sold to that trait of the individual defined as war. A Short Biography on Some of Europes Most Loved and Hated Monarchs - Pt 3 King Ludwig II King Ludwig II of Bavaria, named after his grandfather, was born in Nymphenburg Castle outside Munich on August 25, 1845 and was the eldest son of King Maximillian II and Queen Marie. As a boy, Ludwig's favourite time of the year were the summer holidays spent at the Royal Castle Hohenschwangau which his father restored between 1832 and 1836. Learn Chinese Language Tips and Techniques There's no doubt learning any foreign language requires effort, time and commitment. This holds true even more, especially when there's a big difference between one's native tongue and learning a new language. The New Age Movement New Age - A Paradigm Shift to Divine Consciousness & a Universal PhilosophyThe New Age Movement (NAM) is a revival of spiritual and divine values and can be called as a Divine Regeneration Movement. New Age Philosophy has conquered the West intellectually and Western culture is currently experiencing a phenomenal shift - sociological, spiritual & ideological. How to Create a Multi-Artistic Piece (Article 1 of 2) In the late 19th century the music world was graced by an artist who would push the boundaries of music and art. Richard Wagner laid the foundation for performance art. Accurate Psychic Advice Psychic readings can be an invaluable tool for obtaining answers to your most confusing questions. A psychic reading can help you gain insight regarding your love life, family, career, finances and more!We invite you to select a psychic and begin your personal and confidential psychic reading today!Quality Psychic AdvisorsUnlike most other "live psychic advice" web sites, all psychic readers obtained by Accurate Psychic Advice have been hand selected based on their area of psychic reading expertise!Accurate Psychic Advice also provides you with personal profiles of each psychic reader. Learn How To Draw Faces Realistically Drawing a face isn't as hard as it looks. To draw a realistic human face, it takes mapping out the face correctly before you fill in the finer detail. Flows of Civilization; Views from a Think Tank Over the past few years we have been discussing many topics. Most of what is discussed here has to do with observations of the world we live in. The Saga of Puffed Wheat Anderson, A Minnesota Legend I have no idea how old I was when I first learned about the famed Minnesota scientist and inventor Alex P. Anderson, AKA Puffed Wheat Anderson. The Symbolism Behind an Anchor Tattoo and Anchor Tattoo Design Anchor tattoos were all the rage for sailors. It was often the symbol of a very experienced sailor. The Daily Show is a Must See on Comedy Central Doesn't it seem that today there is nothing but bleak reports to hear on the news? Watching the news can give you a feeling that the world is coming to an end. Hope can be found on Comedy Central by means of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Sun Tzu: The Art of War The Art of War is an ancient Chinese text on strategy and warfare written by a Sun Wu, a brilliant military general more than two thousand years ago. It is considered one of the oldest attempts at analyzing and documenting the specific components of strategic warfare, with wisdom that is as applicable today as it was thousands of years ago. Conspiracies: The Pyramid and the Sphinx Egypt has long been the source of countless conspiracies, ranging from ancient lost civilizations to extraterrestrial markers. The reason for this focus is likely because Egypt is the most romanticized ancient civilization, and also because it is home to the mystical Great Pyramid of Giza, the only surviving Wonder of the Ancient World. Basic Chinese Pinyin Rules * Make sure you set your browser encoding correctly to read Chinese words in this article. Chinese Simplified GB2312 is recommended. The Dating Game Lord Renfrew, Disney Professor of Archaeology at Cambridge University states:"Archaeologists all over the world have realized that much of prehistory, as written in the existing textbooks, is inadequate. Some is quite simply wrong. Progress Versus Perfection From the creative explosion marking the outset of the universe to our advanced human stage in evolution, some fifteen billion years have elapsed. This advanced stage refers to the natural abilities and the cultural realizations of our species. Can You Hear My Secret Calling A true love story"So, was it an eyes-meet-across-the-room-thing and you knew you were destined for each other instantly?" I asked my Mom. "No," she laughed, "it was a swinging-door-thing and once we met, then we knew it was destiny. Archaeology and Spirit Guides One of the northern derivatives of Hopewell of interest to a few scholars is the anomalous Effigy Mound culture of Wisconsin, Illinois, and Iowa. The remains attract attention because of the range of animal forms represented by the low effigy mounds. Druidic University MEGALITHIIC POWER PLANTS:Druidic University:Long before there was a Rome or Eternal City there was a Druidic University near Rennes-le-Chateau. Just as we saw Oxford University was built at the same location the Pheryllts (Druidic Alchemists like the Cabiri discussed by Lewis Spence) had a university you will find many locations sacred to the Kelts are usurped by Rome/Bruttii. Moissanite Earrings, The Modern Brazilian Beetle The history of earrings is a varied history indeed. And the latest in the long line of female body adornments known as earrings are Moissanite earrings. |
home | site map | contact us |