America is Not Beautiful in the Movie American Beauty

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