American Beauty Sequence Analysis Essays

The Graduate/American Beauty Sequence Analysis Essays The Graduate/American Beauty Sequence Analysis Essay The Graduate/American Beauty Sequence Analysis Essay Essay Topic: American Beauty Sequence Analysis: The Graduate The Graduate is a subversive, wistful coming-of-age tale epitomizing the ambiguity of reaching adulthood, and the struggle of this experience. Robert Surtees, the cinematographer, successfully uses mise-en-scene to illustrate these particular themes. A variety of props are scattered throughout the opening sequence that allude to Ben’s melancholy and detachment. Additionally, the same sequence uses social and graphic blocking to depict the impedance Ben feels from his parents and their friends. The sequence begins with a scene of Benjamin sitting in front of his fish tank, submerged in thoughts of his future, and later confronted by his father. Fill lighting isolates Ben’s face from the dim background, and enhances the overall sense of glum and dispassion. Moreover, Ben’s impassive expression and wish for a ‘different’ future is also in strong contrast to the enthusiasm and conformity seen later at the party. The subtle placement of the sea-diver beside Ben only adds to this sense of alienation, while, at the same time, foreshadows the comical events at the second cocktail party later in the movie. In fact, the use of water is frequent throughout the film as tool to illustrate Ben’s self-reflection and wavering identity. Perhaps the prop most indicative of Ben, or at least humorous, is the black and white portrait of a clown frowning behind a painted smile, which is briefly shown before Ben’s parents lead him into the party. Clearly, the painting acts as a metaphor for Ben’s character within the sequence, yet, it is so outlandish that the mise-en-scene momentarily teeters from naturalistic to theatrical. However, this is characteristic of The Graduate as a whole. While the movie seems to maintain a certain level of absurdity throughout, it is always hidden behind a certain amount of reality, which is what makes the film’s message so poignant. The quintessential example of this is when Mr. McGuire informs Ben about â€Å"Plastics† at the end of the sequence. From a modern viewpoint, this advice seems to be downright elementary, but considering the film was released prior to the industrialization of plastic, a viewer at that time would find no more use of the information than Ben appeared to. Thus, the shallow dialogue exemplifies Ben’s lack of direction, while appealing to the despondent generation at the time. Surtees continues to build these themes and messages with the use of social and graphic blocking. At the beginning of the sequence, Ben’s father and mother are positioned in a way that blocks him within the shot, obviously representing their overbearing nature. His mother, in particular, consumes the entire frame when she enters the room. You can also see how tight their hold is on Ben by the claustrophobic camera shots at the graduation party later on. The following series of scenes within the sequence show Ben being grabbed and bounced back and forth between forced conversations. Altogether, these social and graphic blockings attempt to illustrate Ben being forced in a disappointing direction through a superficial society filled with high expectations. The sequence also serves as a strong parallel to the movie’s ending where Ben figuratively and literally overcomes these obstacles by pushing Elaine and himself through a furious horde of adults at the wedding. In this respect, the two sequences function as bookends, giving resolution to the controversies constructed within the movie. Sequence Analysis: American Beauty American Beauty successfully builds off of the themes in The Graduate, while also developing modern messages that appeal to a contemporary audience. The film follows Lester Burnham, a depressed suburban father in the middle of a mid-life crisis, as he attempts to free himself from his mundane and mediocre lifestyle. The mise-en-scene in the early sequence of Lester at his office effectively conveys this initial feeling of mediocrity and repression. One of the subtlest yet illustrative dimensions of the sequence’s mise-en-scene is lighting. For instance, the natural lighting in Lester’s cubicle is soft and consistent, signifying the monotony of his work duties. When the shot pans out to depict the entire office space, the grid-like pattern of desk lamps suggest a repetitive nature to his workplace, and the similar arrangement of overhead lights possibly indicates a similar pattern in upper management. The cinematographer, Conrad Hall, also uses harsh directional lighting later on when Lester enters Brad’s office. There is a small ray of outside light radiating from the closed blinds next to Brad’s desk that illuminates Lester throughout the conversation. This streak of light is used to highlight Lester’s face during key instances such as when Brad tells him that this is his one chance to save his job, thus creating a stronger emotional moment. In conjunction with lighting, the color within the sequence tends to add to the vapidity of Lester’s workplace. In strong contrast to the predominant and bold red frequent throughout the movie, Lester’s cubicle is consumed in bland neutral colors that are mirrored in other parts of the sequence. Altogether, Hall effectively uses soft lighting compounded with weak colors to create a feeling of mediocrity that fuels Lester’s future escapades. Comical props and costumes within the sequence lighten the glum ambiance in the sequence while also foreshadowing later events. Exemplary, Brad wears a classic business style suit with a dull blue shirt underneath, mirroring the bleak and repetitive colors in the office. Laughably however, he is also wearing a flamboyant tie that alludes to the person he truly is; a manager attempting to befriend his subordinates and reduce feelings of intimidation. In addition to this, Lester waives a pencil with an overly large soccer ball eraser when conversing with Brad. The funny pencil top hints at the immature state that Lester resorts back to while attempting to overcome his mediocre lifestyle. One could also argue that Lester’s sarcastic demeanor is also reminiscent of an adolescent and is epitomized when he states, â€Å"For you Brad, I’ve got five! † These blatant facades are exemplarily of American Beauty as a whole. Typically, the more troubled a character is, the more they attempt to cover their reality with an illusion. This is clearly an attempt to point out flaws in a modern superficial society. However, the funny props add a humorous touch to the film that makes its social messages less harsh. Hall uses camera angles within the sequence to display the hierarchy of authority in the workplace, which is also representative of the repression Lester tries to free himself of. For example, the camera is always looking up toward Brad while the opposite is true for Lester, obviously portraying Brad in a higher position of power than Lester. The high angel shot of Lester in his cubicle not only depicts him in a minor and passive manner but also places his coworkers within the shot. This gives the perception that Lester’s position and purpose within the workspace is relatively small and negligible. In contrast, Brad is isolated from his peers in the shot, enhancing his overall sense of superiority and reaffirms he is indeed above everyone. The following scene in Brad’s office enhances this effect with the use of perspective. The same camera angles are used for Brad and Lester; however, Brad is much larger in his shots while Lester appears significantly farther and hence smaller in the screen. Consequently, the hierarchical relationship is once again displayed.