american beauty analysis (1 Viewer)

[colosus]

hi,
im doing changing self and was wondering if anybody can help me out with an analysis of american beauty.

if you could kindly give me yours or help me out much appreciated.


ive also chosen creed"s with arms wide open if anyone thinks this is good or know better help me please.


for my portfolio i also have to answer the following questions.

*)how does it relate to youre area of study? (changing self)

*) how does it relate to 1 piece of related material in youre stimulus booklet.

* ) How does it relate to youre set text(away)

any help much appreiated.

 

[colosus]

any one helppppp

 

[tieki]

hehe...u sound stressed

Unfortunately, though, I have nothing to offer...I did an essay on With Arms Wide Open, however you're doing Away and I'm doing Harwood, so they wouldn't mesh very well...might help to do a search for American Beauty - there's got to be some stuff on this site somewhere...

 

[colosus]

anybody please help me

 

[snakeoils]

Basically, off the top of my head, the central character in Changing Self changes as her discovers (or rediscovers) parts of himself that he didn't knew existed - inner strengths, a sense of youth etc... he goes on a journey of change, represented by his pursuit of Angela (sort of)... his Wife has a similar experience in the form of an affair, and the daughter changes her attitude as she realises the importance of reality vs appearances...

ummm it relates to stimulus of 'sky high' as lester has an opposite experience to hannah - he is able to recapture his youth, but there are too many things tying her to the ground...

i dunno, thats just off the top of my head.

but yeah, if you don't know how to analyse the text you have chosen, then why did you choose it in the first place?

 

[um..]

this is an extract from one of my essays from last year. dont remember how i went but

The second text which has helped me better understand the concept of changing self is the film American Beauty, which details the changing views and values of a typical American middle-aged accountant, Lester Burnham. Lester is struggling through a rough patch in his career, and feels he has lost contact with what are the important things in life. He is constantly fighting with his wife and daughter, has no real friends, and is stuck in a dead end job. Because of these factors, Lester decides a change in his own world is needed. He quits his job and concentrates on doing the things that make him feel happy. This, however, further alienates him from his wife and daughter, with his wife becoming involved in an extramarital affair, and his daughter deciding to form a relationship with her strange next-door neighbour. These events lead to a disastrous end for Lester, completely upheaving his surrounding world.
The director of American Beauty has used diverse film techniques to portray Lesters change. The use of narration, spoken by Lester, helps the responder understand the events of the film, and gives a deeper insight into what Lester is thinking and feeling, making the film more accessible. Eerie music used throughout the film gives it a peculiar and abnormal feel, for what is essentially an eerie an abnormal film, due mainly to its unorthodox view of the typical middle-class American family. Lesters constant erotic daydreams, which involve his daughters friend and get more and more vivid as the film progresses, are another technique used in the film, as they are a symbol of his changing ideals and values.