The Color Red in American Beauty Essay -- essays papers

The pretenseing Red in American Beauty The smasher that addresses itself to the eyes is and the spell of the moment the eye of the body is not always that of the soul. George gumption hit the nail right on the head when he say this in 1872. Appearance versus reality has been a central theme in many American creative works including the take aim American Beauty. American Beauty is a film that delves into your typical, middle-class suburban American mob and slowly uncovers all of the abnormalities that lie within. The family is portrayed as normal only if as the films tag line suggests look closer then it is thinkable to fully understand the implications that takes place in this seemingly happy home. The film is masterfully directed by the famous theater director surface-to-air missile Mendes and encompasses a great number of cinematic techniques that appear fresh and exciting. Critics take on mentioned many of these techniques. However, they failed to notice the clever u se of color utilise passim the film--especially the color red. surface-to-air missile Mendes effectively uses the color red as a central musical theme to accentuate mood and theme, to contrast families, and to reveal characters personalities and feelings. In American farming red is a color of various meanings and images. The color red is the essence of life it is the color of blood. It can insinuate energy, vitality, passion, anger, power, excitement, and sacrifice. It is a grounding color. Red can stand for warmth, danger, love, sex, death, rage, lust, and beauty. Red is the color used for the womens clothing, the cars, the doors and similarly it is the color of Lesters blood splattered across the white prorogue at the end of the movie. Red is the central motif of the film. Sam Mendes integrated many of these meaning of red within the film American Beauty, non only did Sam Mendes implant a motif of red, he also incorporated a motif of the red rose. Roses in American c ulture atomic number 18 the ultimate symbol of love, life and death. Flowers are a sizeable part of the American culture. They have come to symbolize compassion, caring and love. The beauty of roses are superceded with danger, for they have thorns that can prick. Roses epitomize beauty perhaps that is wherefore they chose the title American Beauty. The title American Beauty is a welter of symbolism it encompasses a variety of meanings. For the viewer it can stand for the American beauty rose... ...aroline. Jane and Ricky are important too, they are the more grounded of the characters, they are both(prenominal) presented in neutral colors throughout most of the film. They represent residuum and neutrality in the movie. Rickys parents are not so neutral they are dressed in pale, washed out colors to show their overlook of vitality. Especially Mrs. Fritts, she plays a minor role in the movie and that is scarce the point Sam Mendes makes. She is seen as a minor role in the fa mily. She is usually wearing a long white nightgown and appears intimately as a ghost in the picture, t her family, she barely exists.American Beauty is a fantastic film that encourages viewers to look closer. Sam Mendes directed a film about American Beauty and inane things that Americans do to keep up with appearances. He is urging us to find oneself beauty in our lives, and to forget about having the perfect garden and home. He effectively uses the color red as a central motif to accentuate mood and theme, to contrast families, and to reveal characters personalities and feelings. Mere colour, unspoiled by meaning, and unallied with definite form, can speak to the soul in a special K different ways.--Oscar Wilde