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Art is life and life is art. What people connect with and what artists strive for is this idea of capturing the human experience. Film is often underrated. People judge it not as a art, but solely as a form of entertainment. What is interesting about the medium of film is the way it captures life. Using mimesis, a film has the ability to capture humanity in an outlet that allows for mass distribution leading to a hope of societal change because of it. Through this "imitation of the real world", the line between what is fact and what is fiction blurs as the viewer connects with the experience and can release their emotion (catharsis) because of it. As Kenneth Lonergan, film maker, states, "Filmmaking, like any other art, is a very profound means of human connection," the goal being "to communicate itself to other people". In a world where communication defines the age, people are suprisingly disconnected. Film allows people to feel less alone. Within Almost Famous, American Beauty, and Amelie, film techniques are utilized to understand the role film plays in portraying memesis and catharsis to emphasis the importance of looking closer into a person's own life in order to find authenticity, self identity, and leading to the viewer's own connection.

Within Almost Famous, William finds self identity in discovering passion and authenticity through living in the "uncool" adding to the idea of mimeses and catharsis in film. At the end of the film, William finds meaning and is finally able to interview Russell with the courage of a journalist who is not afraid to live outside of the norm. In William's room, the medium cinematic shot of William's face cuts to a long shot of the two finally facing each other man to man. William is no longer intimidated by the people around him, but instead, willing to face Russell as his true self. When William asks Russell, "What does music mean to you?" the camera zooms into his face blending with the uplifiting background music cutting to a view of the dominant of the tour bus moving down the road. The ending shots of film is often when the viewer will receive their truest form of catharsis because it serves as the pay off in character evoltuion. Everyone has felt sometime in their life like they don't belong. Whether that means being alone or feeling alone in crowd full of people, feeling "uncool" can lead people to conform into something they are not . William struggles with being an outsider the whole film until speaking with Lester causing him to realize how cool it is to be "uncool". The viewer connects with William, but also leaves the theater wanting to find a truer form of self. True beauty is finding a passion and delving into it without the perceptions of others conforming a person to something they are not. The subsidiary contrast of the sunlight streaming across the frame with the parallel edited bus is used as a lyrical movement in defining the evolution of William's character to finding beauty in his own self identity. What Cameron Crowe does so well is capture the emotional tone of the characters and the scene through music. The thematic montage flashes forward to events (like William's Rolling Stones cover) catalyzed by William's new self identity without using anything but music. This use of silence allows the emotional appeal of music to come through as the audience connects to William as an outcast and, hopefully, feels a need to change their own way of life because of it.
As Lester Bangs says in the film, " Yeah, great art is about conflict and pain and guilt and longing and love and love disguised as sex, and sex disguised as love... and let's face it, you got a big head start". Within this scene, a close up of Lester cuts to William's reactionary shots and shows how this conversation resonates with him. It doesn't matter if William is "cool" as defined by others. If he loves art and wants to peruse it, it can be found in experiencing life the way a person wants to live it themselves. This statement by Lester is mimesis itself. It is the idea that William's life and journey to finding self could be another person's as well. As such, the film serves as an artful form of medicine to be taken in order to live a more authentic life. Within Almost Famous, memesis and catharsis are used to make a statement on the importance of finding passion and living authentic lives.

Within American Beauty, Lester takes a journey to self discovery through breaking free of self imprisonment and becoming a more authentic form of self adding to the idea of catharsis and mimesis in film. A monologue begins immediately after Lester is shot swiftly panning from left to right as the filter of the screen changes from color to black and white to represent a flashback versus present time. This left to right movement suggests an organic form of evolution for Lester's character as death sets him free. Starting from the dominant of the black and white picture within Lester's hands, he realizes the importance of embracing the little things in his life like family and human connection. Although people may have not experienced the exact circumstances as Lester, they can see how the search for society's defined perfection can lead to a "rotted" or "ugly" person. Just like the American Rose, something perceived as beautiful can be rotted at the core. Beauty is in human relationships not in striving to become a person others think is beautiful. There is no self identity in conforming to society's definition of beauty. Although Lester has this epiphany right before his death, the viewer can have catharsis in knowing they don't have to. A long aerial black and white filtered flashback shows Lester lying on his lawn as a kid enjoying the little things of his life. Re-establishing shots with the synchronous sound of the gun shot flash back to present day reactions of the characters realizing Lester's death. Again, the camera pans to an extreme close up of Lester's grandmother's hands, Janie in a fairy halloween costume, and Caroline laughing. It's the simple things that are beautiful and upon looking closer into his life, Lester realizes the "beauty"he was striving for was nothing but rotted at the core. These flashback moments are moments of resonance all people have experienced at some point in their lives. They are the simple moments of beauty that outsiders normally pass over, but leave the most meaning in a person's own life. Through connecting with these experiences, the viewer can have catharsis in knowing their life can be filled with these beautiful moments by finding authenticity. The final scene of the film is an aerial zooming out shot of suburbia as Lester states, "It's hard to stay mad

when there is so much beauty in the world." It's ironic that the dialogue and this shot would be associated with each other, since beauty and suburbia have just been contradicted. That being said, suburbia is a common life for people and it resonates as something similar for a wide audience. As such, the film is saying that although a statement is made on looking closer from these preconceived notions of suburbia, true beauty can still be found in authenticity (allowing catharsis for the viewer). American Beauty uses catharsis and mimesis to track Lester's journey into self discovery by living life authentically.

Within Amelie, the character evolution to self confidence comes from Amelie learning to love herself leading to a more authentic life adding to the mimeses and catharsis of the film. Within the cafe where Amelie works, Nino recognizes Amelie for the first time. In a high angle shot cutting to continuity from Nino's medium shot recognition of Amelie and her own nervous nature demonstrates how Amelie has not yet found her own identity. Although Amelie sees so much beauty in the world, which can be seen through the warm colors of the film and the background filled with representations of life, she still doesn't have the self confidence to find love as she hides behind the glass barrier creating depth. In her interior monologue, Amelie recognizes the beauty of Nino as an extreme close up, high angle, slow motion shot of Nino coming to recognize Amelie's identity in the picture is shown. The motion in the close tightly framed shot of Nino touching his finger to the sugar shows Amelie's recognition of the simple aspects of life bringing the most joy. Despite this, she is not able to find the self confidence she needs to find happiness in loving herself and therefore, loving another person as well. The viewer can connect with Amelie, in terms of mimeses, due to all people having moments lacking in self confidence. On a person's journey to self identity, there will always be moments of doubt and worry impeding with a person's own personal happiness. The viewer connection makes the film more meaningful as realism always leaves resonance. As the fast motion of Amelie walking away creates depth away from Nino, a formalist shot of Amelie turning into water and the sound affect of water crashing to the ground is shown. Again, Amelie is trapped in these tightly framed shots due to the battle to self confidence that prevents her from finding love. Another possible form of mimesis could be the journey to finding love. Love, in all its forms, is exciting and nerve-racking all at the same time. A love story is a critical part of many people's lives. Making a statement on the importance of a person loving themselves first before loving another person is key to societal change. In the final shot of the film, tracking shaky camera movements follow Amelie as she rides with Nino on the scooter. The kinetic symbolism of the fast motion allows the audience to experience the beauty of life just the way Amelie sees it. Jump cuts to Amelie and Nino laughing or closing their eyes to enjoy the beauty of the moment captures life and love in its purest forms. This is when the viewer

experiences catharsis because they can see Amelie's happiness in her control and self confidence. The scenes are still filled with the simple moments of beauty which Amelie loved from the beginning, but now Amelie has embraced her own life, instead of only looking onto others. The viewer can have catharsis in realizing the importance of living life to the fullest and not letting insecurities disrupt a person's journey to happiness. Through experiencing life through Amelie's eyes, the viewer can see what comes from seeing beauty in the simple things leading to finding the self confidence to love. Hopefully, the viewer will feel a release of emotion in wanting to change their lives for the better, just like Amelie. Within Amelie, catharsis and mimeses in the film make a statement to the viewer about finding self confidence and authenticity on a person's journey to love.

Within each film, the character's journey to self identity and authenticity allow mimesis and catharsis for the viewer. What makes art so beautiful is its ability to make people feel. In life, humans may feel alone in their experiences, but art allows them to have catharsis in realizing they are not so alone. Within Almost Famous, William finds passion and identity in living authentically. The audience can connect to being the outcast and seeing the importance of not letting others define what is "cool". In addition, Amelie's journey to self confidence (through seeing not only the beauty in others lives, but also the beauty in herself) allows a further catharsis for the viewer in their journey to understanding the importance of living authentically. The human search to self discovery is universal. If in that search art can make people feel less alone, it should be embraced as something beautiful worth exploring.