Part 1
The film American Beauty (1999) directed by Sam
Mendes is a character-centric movie that profoundly criticises the modern
society of America. However, the characters of the film are not merely developed through
interaction with each other. In confronting everyday life, they also develop
deep internal conflicts within themselves. In one of the opening scenes,
Carolyn cuts off the red roses and socialises happily with the neighbour.
Lester, her husband, looks at her and says that “she used to be happy” and
complains about the unhappiness in the family life.
However, in the end, we notice that it is not Carolyn or any
other character that causes unhappiness in Lester’s life. It is Lester himself
who realises that he should have appreciated life earlier. The gratitude is not
possible unless Lester acknowledges his true self and it only happens after he
has been killed. Ironically, the one who complains about the unhappiness in his
life gets immersed in ecstasy and contentment just after the moment he dies.
American Beauty can be interpreted in various
ways, including modern society pushes you to deny your true self, and thus,
happiness is impossible unless you die. This way the movie criticises the
modern society by raising the fundamental question of happiness and that is why
its credibility goes beyond the films that criticizing the American modern
society superficially. It is the ugliness of modern America. In other
words, American Beauty represents the America that is not
beautiful.
Part 2
Carolyn is at the front yard and she cuts off red roses and
greets with the neighbour. Lester, the husband looks at her from inside the
house and says, “she used to be happy”. This is the outset of the movie American
Beauty. At first glance, it is pretty damn disappointing that a husband
cannot bear the happiness of his wife but wait a minute, this is something more
than a dissatisfaction in family relations. After all, the slogan of the movie
persuades us to 'look closer'. If you do so, you will find that Lester seems to
be behind the bars when he looks from the window. The film is full of symbolic
scenes to demonstrate a kind of confinement that you often do not notice.
Lester has failed to see how beautiful his surrounding world was. You notice
this when he was immediately released from his confinement upon his death. However,
the movie is not intended to blame Lester or any other character. It criticizes
modern American society, which has made it impossible to recognise and
appreciate life before it becomes too late. That is why American Beauty
reveals deeply what is not beautiful in America.
Reference:
Mendes, S. (2012, May 18). American Beauty Ending (1999)
[Video file]. Retrieved on 17 August 2019 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtbbqjiFaGY