American Beauty - scene analysis

American Beauty 

Representation:

Carolyn (wife):
The way that Carolyn is represented in this film is that she takes control in the house and she's the 'man of the house' she chooses the music as she makes the most of the effort in the house. With her choice of music this could mean that she misses the past and she wants to go back as that could mean that was when the times were better for her and her family. This could mean that she has a poor life and she's in despair. When she's at home it's as if she's acting and putting on a different persona and acting as everything is fine when it isn't.

Jane(daughter):
The way that Jane is represented in this film is that she isn't close with her parents, she doesn't talk to them what so ever. She is the typical teenager as she is always moody, she's ungrateful and is quick witted. Although in this Jane is more 'put together' than her parents and is more mature, for example in the scene when the mum is driving them to work/school the father is in the back, asleep whilst the daughter is sat in the front with a mature posture.

Lester(dad):
The way that Lester is represented in the film is that he isn't the man of the house, he's quite pathetic in a way and that his only highlight of his day is masturbating in the shower. When they were sat in the dining room he is slumped in his seat and talks in a childish way. Lester is submissive, he's meant to be the man of the house and is meant to be in control. Although at home he can't talk much, he's depressed but whilst he's at work he can stand up for himself and acts like a man whilst he's at work.

Camerawork:

At the beginning of the film there is a slow zoom into the house as he does the voiceover and it slowly zooms into the house. During the dining room scene it also slowly zooms into where their all sitting when it's doing this it makes us feel as though we're ears dropping/intruding on them.

When the camera is in the kitchen it zooms into the family photo that is on the side, also when they are both arguing there are over-the-shoulder shots for when each person talks and for us as an audience it makes us feel as though we're in the house with them.

When the mysterious boy turns up it slowly zooms into his face and also with a extreme close up this shows what his reaction is after Jane walks out of the kitchen. The camera changes from the boy recording them outside and then back to the normal camera of them arguing. There is cross cutting between the shot reverse shot of Lester, his daughter and then the boy in the bushes(close up/extreme close up)

Sound:

In the dining room scene in the background the song 'Bali Hai' is playing from South Pacific, because it's quite an old song this could mean that she would want to go back to the old times when everything was normal and they were the perfect American family again. 

When the boy is looking at Lester and his daughter through the window there is a composition in the background and is a creepy sound, but then in the dining room the music that the mum choose it is 'soft' and 'light' which is the opposite of Carolyn.

Mise-en-scene:

The house is more of a 'old fashioned house' and most of the scene the house is features throughout the movie.

The dads outfit is bland(colour wise) and this represents the he acts/feels whilst in comparison the wife she is wearing a blue formal outfit which is the complete opposite of the dad. The photos that are in the house show a happier version of them which is also the complete opposite of what they're like now.