Skip to main content

Shallow Space and the Relationships of American Beauty

Written By: Ella Stone
In the film American Beauty, we get insight into a dysfunctional all American family. Lester, Carolyn, and Jane Burnham appear to be the model family from the outside, but the truth is that they have extremely unhealthy relationships with one another. These unhealthy relationships are made apparent by the actions of the three Burnhams over the course of the film but are also brilliantly shown by the cinematography. Specifically, the use of shallow and divided space is used to highlight distant relationships of the Burnham Family.
In this kitchen scene, the use of shallow space and surface division shows the emotional distance between Lester, Carolyn, and Jane Burnham. In this scene, the Burnham family is eating breakfast before work and school, and Jane is asking her mother if her friend can stay the night. The moment is tense because of Lester’s strange obsession with Jane’s friend, and because of the conflict that Carolyn and Lester are in. The use of space that is most apparent in this shot is the shallow focus that shows us Lester and Carolyn, but not Jane. This use of space is purposeful, as it emphasizes Janes distant from her parents and represents that they don’t have a close relationship. However, Jane being distant from both her parents doesn’t mean that her parents are close, they are just as distant from each other as Jane is from them, which is shown by surface division. Carolyn and Lester are split into separate frames by Jane, showing that they are divided in their relationship. Therefore, through the use of space in this shot, it becomes clear that this family isn’t emotionally close to one another.
    In the establishing moments of the film, the struggling marriage of Lester and Carolyn is hinted through shallow space. In this shot, we see Lester peeking through the window at Carolyn as she speaks to a neighbor. Carolyn and the neighbor are out of focus in the foreground, while Lester remains in focus in the background. This shows the idea that the two aren’t meeting eye to eye because when one is in focus the other is blurry. Also, not only is Lester’s focus opposite of his wife’s, but he’s also separated from her by the window he’s framed in. This separation hints at the distance that Lester and Carolyn have from each other in their marriage.

     Early in the film, the distant relationship between Jane and Lester is shown by the use of surface division. In this shot, Jane and Lester are talking to one another about their relationship. Although Lester is trying to reach out the Jane, the two don’t have an intimate moment because of their distance from each other in their relationship. This is an early shot in the film, and the audience does not yet know the extent of what their relationship truly is. To establish that Lester and Jane are not close, divided space was utilized. Within this shot, Jane and her father are each placed in their own frame by the window. This represents that the lives of Lester and Jane are very separate from one another, more than what is normal for a father and daughter. Therefore, it is clear that the two have a very distant relationship.
     American Beauty is a fantastic example of the use of space. Not only does it’s use of shallow and divided space create beautiful shots, but it also does an amazing job of subtly telling the story. Without the well-planned cinematography that gave the entire film an additional layer of depth, the movie would have not been the same.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Power of Lionel Dobie's Painting

In his short film, Life Lessons, Martin Scorsese shows off his directing skills and techniques in a variety of ways. Throughout the film, he utilizes stylized camera techniques to enhance the story and make it visually interesting. Those camera techniques combined with his direction produces a very compelling and entertaining film. One scene, in particular, stands out as a great example of the directing skills of Scorsese. In that scene, we see Paulette go from being determined to leave New York to her falling back under Dobie’s spell and deciding to stay. This scene stands out due to the fact that rather than dialog, it utilizes visuals and music to successfully convey Paulette’s decision to remain with Dobie in New York. Approximately halfway through the film, we are shown a conversation between Paulette and her mother. Paulette wants to come home because she feels that she has no future as a painter after Lionel cannot compliment her work. Towards the end of the conversation,...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Symbolisms of Life Lessons

The Symbolisms of Life Lessons Martin Scorsese’s Life Lessons is a story about Lionel Dobie desperately trying to finish his painting for his upcoming show in three weeks. He uses his muse, Paulette as his only inspiration. Within the film itself, there are small elements such as the set design, props, or costume choices that are either symbolic or expands on the personality of both characters. These elements are not very obvious but they add just that tiny bit of believability and symbolism to the film. Most will not notice if these props and costumes choices are changed, but to me, they accessorize the main plot of the whole story very gracefully. The hole in the wall imagery relates to the dynamic between Dobie’s and Paulette’s relationship. By having Dobie gazing into Paulette’s room through a hole in the wall, Scorsese is creating a metaphor for looking into the abyss. Dobie is ultimately trapped in his own sexual temptations. More specifically it creates a Romeo and Jul...
Post a Comment
Read more

Limited and Flat Space in Rear Window

Limited and Flat Space in Rear Window By: Cassie Galonsky The film Rear Window , directed by Alfred Hitchcock, uses different types of space to convey the story that he is telling.  The film is shot with space in mind to create different feelings for the audience. Limited space and flat space are both used at different points, in order to portray different things.  The majority of the film is told through the eyes of L.B. Jeffries, or Jeff, a freelance photographer who has been confined to his apartment as his broken leg heals. Alfred Hitchcock uses the opportunity to demonstrate to the audience his confinement with the different types of space.   During the course of the story, Jeff observes the actions of his neighbors through his open window.  One day, he sees a series of events that leads him to believe that one of his neighbors, Thorwald, has murdered his wife after her unexplained disappearance.  He enlists in the help of his gir...
Post a Comment
Read more