American Beauty
American Beauty tells the story of one man's search for happiness. The film introduces the audience to Lester Burnham, an ordinary- looking married man and father in his forties. Lester is in a loveless marriage. Lester's wife, Carolyn, is so wrapped-up in her real estate career that Lester often claims that Carolyn doesn't even acknowledge him. Furthermore, Lester's daughter, Jane, is completely distant, often claiming how "pathetic" she thinks her father is. Moreover, Lester has dedicated fourteen years to his occupation, and suddenly, he is in danger of losing his job due to downsizing. All of these factors dramatically effect Lester and culminate into feelings of desperation and vulnerability for him. Lester is therefore in search of an escape and a rebirth. He is seeking the slightest possibility of happiness. Throughout the story Lester is consistently reminiscing on his past; wishing he could have it back. In the beginning portions of the story, Lester, as the narrator, states that "it is never too late to regain your past." The catalyst to this frame of thought is Jane's friend, Angela. Lester feels excited by the thought that a teen-age girl thinks he is "hot." Lester overhears Angela state that she would have
This, once again, displays the degree of enchantment that Angela has placed over Lester. The music comes to an abrupt end when Angela reveals that she is a virgin. This takes place when Lester is rubbing his hands around Angela's thighs. Editing complements this scene by adding more definition to the "relationship-to-be" between Angela and Lester. The first two technical elements used to exemplify this scene are composition and camera movement. Lighting is used to focus the audience on Lester's eyes and to show that he is being enchanted by what he sees. This scene has plenty of zoom shots of Angela and Lester. sex with him if Lester would start working-out and build-up his body. It is important to note that Lester and Angela are not shown in the same shot during these actions. Suddenly, Lester realizes that he cannot have sex with a teenager. If you were in the scene you would be able to hear raindrops. It is important to note that Angela and Lester are never shot in the same frame while sex is still a possibility between the both of them. Also, the audience is unsure if Lester is going to go through with having sex with Angela. This is an example of non-diegetic sound.
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Acceptance Essays
