American Beauty Essay 2 Question (a) A successful film offers an insight into our own society. To what extent do you agree with this statement? Many successful films provide insight into our own society. This is observed in the film ‘American Beauty’ by Sam Mendes‚ which presents us with the idea of the American Dream/Materialism which is also relevant in today’s society. In this essay I will explore this idea by linking our society to what is portrayed in American Beauty‚ along with the aspects
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The American Dream is futile. There is not much point chasing after something that is pointless and unsatisfying once it is thought to be obtained. People thought that the American Dream was a measure of how successful you were in life. If you had a wife‚ two children‚ a nice house‚ two cars and a stable job you were the definition of success. If you didn’t have a few of those things‚ or had none at all‚ then you hadn’t succeeded in your life. That is not the case. Procuring the American Dream does
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As Lester from American Beauty once said‚ “This isn’t life‚ it’s just stuff. And it’s become more important to you than living. Well‚ honey‚ that’s just nuts.” This classic film is replete with themes‚ symbols and motifs‚ but the most noteworthy theme relates to everyday happiness. An individual’s happiness depends on a plethora of psychological factors such as interpersonal relationships as well as individuation and this film explores the psychological aspects that determine happiness (Hewison)
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Reflection Paper American Beauty 4/14/2011 American beauty is a quirky film about a middle aged mans rebellion‚ and the live of the people surrounding him. The opening scene shoots over what appears to be the perfect suburbia. Perfect little white houses‚ friendly neighbors‚ the whole nine yards. The question is “Is suburbia perfect. is After watching this film‚ I felt the best way to go about a reflection paper was to do more of a character analysis. In the beginning of the film‚ we are
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The theme of beauty‚ and specifically American beauty‚ emerges through all of the main characters in the movie. The American Beauty could be the sultry teen Angela‚ the epitome of blonde American sex appeal. Carolyn’s obsessive tending her rose garden is a pervasive and double-sided symbol of beauty‚ as her flowers are a thin cover for the ugliness in her life. Perhaps the greatest messenger of beauty in the film is Ricky Fitts‚ the eccentric pot-smoking teenager who through his camera lens perceives
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American Beauty American Beauty‚ directed by Sam Mendes‚ exploits the overwhelming misconception of beauty‚ and of how to achieve happiness. The tag line‚ “look closer”‚ prompts viewers to look deeper into the characters and thus into themselves; something that society should also be prompted to do. The characters in American Beauty are not what they appear‚ and throughout the course of the movie‚ reality hits and many realize the life they have been living is somewhat unsatisfactory. Through
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Existentialism: American Beauty American Beauty is a movie that sets in suburban America. The story is about Lester‚ whom is a middle-aged writer working in a magazine company. He was having a midlife crisis where he felt lonely and numbed by continuous unchanging routine of his everyday life. In the movie‚ his wife portrayed as a successful real estate agent‚ but she was also going through her own midlife crisis in both her career and personal life. Lester’s daughter‚ Jane Bumham had alienated
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HSUN TZU AND MENCIUS: Their Conflicting Perspectives of Society The Warring States period in China (453-221 BCE) presented a time of great confusion and chaos among the people of China. However‚ it was also a great period for the philosophy of Confucianism‚ with the teachings of Mencius and Hsun Tzu to lead the way for their lost followers. According to Hsun Tzu and Mencius‚ human beings give birth to their children with a sense of an inherent reaction to life. Without proper teaching‚ children
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Leslie Raygoza Professor Chris Fill Appreciation American Beauty American Beauty has a lot of interesting scenes that catches the watchers attention. This film is a comedy drama that tells the story of Lester and Carolyn Burnham and their daughter Jane‚ a stereotypical American family who have a beautiful home like a typical rich family would have. This creates the illusion that they have the perfect American family. Lester is facing a mid-life crisis. His life is meaningless because of a job
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In Sam Mendes’ American Beauty‚ sound is an crucial tool in communicating narrative and constructing characters. Although many films use both diagetic and non-diagetic sound in their productions‚ American Beauty amalgamates both forms of sound throughout the film. In the film’s cheerleading sequence‚ the protagonist Lester‚ is watching his daughter cheer whilst the synchronous sound of cheering and clapping is accompanied by a diagetic song ‘Lights on Broadway’. The sound changes when Lester notices
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