NVC & Mise-en-Scéne in American Beauty

Mise en scéne in American Beauty

This is Lester & Carolyn Burham’s house.

Q1 What does this house signify to you? What does it say about the owners?

Q2 Where is it? What country?

Q3 When is it? Season and year.

Q4 Who lives there?

Q5 What are their values likely to be? What impression Is created about the owners

After dinner ‘domestic’ Lester tries to patch things up with Jane Q6 Whose point of view is the audience positioned in here? Where is the camera?

Q7 What does this tell you about them and their relationship?

Q8 What does this shot imply about the inhabitants?

Q9 What is suggested or signified by the props in this scene?

Q10 What is this style of lighting ?

Visual Motifs in American Beauty

Jim Olmeyer (Scott Bakula) and Carolyn Burnham discuss pleasantries over the picket fence

Q13 What does the white picket fence signify?

Q14 What does this image say about Lester Burnahm?

Q15 What does this image say about Carolyn Burnahm?

Q16 What does this image say about Jim Olmeyer?

Q17 Does what she’s doing mean anything?

Study the following pictures and answer the questions overleaf:

Study any two of the following frames featuring an element of American Beauty’s mise en scéne and write an analysis of what you think its saying on a wider reading. 50 words on each.

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