American Beauty

Within American Beauty, sound techniques are utilized to create a statement on the power of perception in creating a false reality due to character's who repress their true selves and fail to live authentic lives. Lester was living in a prison that he created himself. He failed to see the beauty of his own life and the importance of valuing the relationships around him. In a medium tightly framed shot, Lester is trapped by the Colonel's gun, yet it is the one moment when he realizes what beauty truly is (authentic relationships). Lester only finds relief and truth in death which serves as a satirical statement on what happens to those who choose superficiality over authenticity (the life others expect a person to live, versus how a person wants to live their own life). The non-synchronous sound of the unseen rain creates a feeling of release or renewed life for Lester. Through using silence, added emphasis is put on establishing tone and sound (or lack thereof) symbolism. The camera pans from the profile of Lester's face, to the family picture in his hand, and then to the white wall splattered with blood emphasizing the transitional epiphany of his character. By having a lack of sound in the scene, except for the off screen sound of the gun shot, more significance is put on the meaning of Lester's death versus the action of violence itself. As Adam Norman, film critic, states, "By the end of the film, most of the characters get a taste of their dreams and discover the underlying emptiness of their lives. Looking closer, they see the decay that has replaced genuine beauty and meaning." Lester's realizes this in his inner monologue that focuses on the aspects of his life which he took for granted including lying on his back at Boy Scout Camp, yellow leaves from the maple leaves on his childhood street, Janie, and Caroline. A nostalgic background music focuses on Lester's realization of  how the beauty of his life was replaced by ugliness (dreams of being with Angela, unstable marriage, no connection with Janie). Lester is one of the only characters to realize the

importance of living authentically and not to feel pressured into morphing into the perceived perfection of suburban society because just like the American rose, those perceptions are rotted at the core. American Beauty utilizes sound techniques within this scene to make a statement on the power of  perceptions in creating a false reality of true self causing a sacrifice of authenticity.

Within American Beauty, sound techniques are utilized to create a statement on the importance of looking closer at the beautiful things humans spend their lives yearning for because often times, they are not what they seem. In terms of the satirical complex of suburban society, a world perceived as perfect is often not, when a person takes the time to look closer. This is shown through the use of color throughout the movie. Through using red, white, and blue a commentary is made on the faults of the American Dream and how reaching the goal is not always what it seems to be. Within just this scene, color is used to heighten the intensity of the broken family living within a home of perfection. Sound is focused on the dialogue of the conversation as it rises in intensity and chaos. Background music of Frank Sinatra's Call Me Irresponsible is ironic in the lyrics perfect exemplifier of the scene. Lester is calling Caroline out for her faults and is acting "irresponsible" and taunting her with it. The emotional appeal of an up-beat song adds to this idea of needing to keep up appearances even when their world is falling apart around them. David L. Smith's, film student, brings up the question, "If freedom does not consist in doing what one wants, then what is it?" A critical question of the film in light of Lester's childish behavior in this scene, sound creates fluidity behind it. Using silence as a mechanism of tension, the dialogue stops and the background music's lyrics appear to almost rise in their volume. Lester and Caroline's crazy behavior has reached its climax in the synchronous sound of the breaking of the plate against the wall. In that moment, the perfect perception of the world which the American Dream sets up families to desire is shattered. The mise en scene or balance of the scene creates a feeling of order within a family that is anything but organized. American Beauty uses sound techniques to emphasize the meaning of looking closer on the ideals of a person's life because they are often not what they seem. 

Works Cited

"Journal of Religion and Film:  Rosetta Stone: A Consideration of the Dardenne Brothers' Rosetta by Bert Cardullo." Journal of Religion and Film:  Rosetta Stone: A Consideration of the Dardenne Brothers' Rosetta by Bert Cardullo. Web. 14 Dec. 2014. <http://www.unomaha.edu/jrf/am.beauty.htm>.

"Looking Closer at "American Beauty"" Aishcom. Web. 15 Dec. 2014. <http://www.aish.com/ci/a/48929712.html>.

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