-
Social drama
—
American beauty
一．
Basic elements of social
drama
（社会问题片）
tion
（定义）
:
1)
It
’
s an adverse
condition affecting a significant number of
people.
(
这个问题必须是对规模较大的一群人产生负
面影响的某种环境
)
2)
It
is
something
that
can
only
occur
if
those
concerned
about
the problem
have
enough power and influence to bring it
to public attention.
（它必须足以构成一个问题，即关心这个
问题的人必须有足够的权利和影响力来吸引
公众注意）
3)
If the
appropriate measures are
taken
—
the problem can be
solved.
（人们必须相信，只要采取合理的措施就能解决问题）
teristics
（特点）
:
1
）
2
）
Identify a social
ill(
发现一种社会疾病
)
Find a method to cure the
disease(
找到治愈这种顽症的方法
)
l example(
典型影片
):
1
）
One Flew Over
the Cuckoo
’
s Nest(
飞越疯人院
)
—探讨
精神治疗制度<
/p>
2
）
Phil
adelphia(
费城
)
—探讨
艾滋病
问题
3
）
American
history X(
野兽良民
)
—探
讨
种族歧视
的原因
< br>4
）
Traffic(
毒品网络
)
—探讨
毒品
问题
5
）
American beauty
(
美国丽人
)
—探讨
< br>男性危机
问题
二．
Film
report
—
American beauty
l introduction
Type
：
S
ocial drama
Show time
：
O
ct.1 1991
Main award
：
T
he 72th Oscar
Chinese name
：
美国丽人
English
name
：
American
Beauty
Region
：
America
Director
：
Sam Mendes
Protagonist
：
凯文
·
史派西
Kevin Spacey .....Lester Burnham
安妮特
·
贝宁
Annette Bening .....Carolyn Burnham
索拉
·
伯奇
Thora Birch .....Jane Spacey
韦斯
·
本特利
Wes Bentley .....Ricky Fitts
米娜
·
苏瓦丽
Mena Suvari .....Angela Hayes
克里斯
·
库柏
Chris Cooper .....Col. Frank Fitts,
USMC
tor(
引线
): Lester
(main role) was dying……
Question:
Why was he
dead? How did he dead?
Who killed him?
is(
故事梗概
):
American beauty tells the story of
Lester, a middle-aged man who lives
a
sedated(
平静的
) life with his
family in American suburbia(
市郊
)
。
One day
,Lester is
pressured by
his
wife Carolyn to attend a performance
at their daughter's local school. When
watching the performance ,Lester
is
mesmerized (
迷住
) by his
daughter
’
s best friend
Angela.
Lester
’
s
meeting with Angela awakens
in him
a vitality he
has not known
for years
.With the assistance of his
neighbor
’
s son-Ricky Fitts,
he
begins to rediscover the pleasures
of his youth. Lester quits his
meaningless office job ,at the same
time he begins to work
out(
健身
) .
Meanwhile,
his
wife
betrays
him
;his
daughter
Jane
begins
to
make
friend
with
Ricky. One day ,Lester witnesses his wife's
infidelity(
不忠
);his
daughter Jane falls in love with Ricky
at the same time.
Colonel
Fitts
misunderstands
the
relationship
between
Lester
and
his
son
and he
accosts(
引诱
) Lester. Finally
Lester is shocked.
4.
Introduction of roles and their relationships in
the film:
1)Lester(protagonist):
In his mid-age, lived in a terrible
and
depressed
life,
not
only
in
his
family
but
also
in
his
work.
His
wife
and
daughter despised him
since he is incapable, his boss blamed him and
intend
to
dismiss
him,
even
he
himself
ignored
his
existence.
Then,
what
would
his life be
?
2)Carolyn wife Lester:
A strong
woman,
always
blamed
Lester
for his
incapability(
无能
).She has
strong
husband
vanity(
虚荣
),seek
for
money,
lived
with
his own strong will and
excessively
independent, refuse to be a
victim but
was weak in her inner heart.
3)Jane daughter Lester:
Lived in a depressed family and a dark
life.
Always
thought
being
ignored
by
her
father
parents, couldn
’
t feel her
own
existence,
and
feel
deserted
by
the
world.
Hate
her
father
for
his
weakness.
Longing
for
concerning(
关注
) and
care
（关心）
.
4)Angela friend Jane daughter
Lester:
A beautiful and sexy girl,
Lester fall in love with her at the first
sight, she
accosted(
诱惑
) Lester. Lester
did all the changes because of
her. And
she associated with rose
petals(
玫瑰花瓣
) in the film.
5)Ricky love Jane daughter
Lester:
A handsome young
man, fond of filming(
拍摄
) DV
to record beautiful
things.
He
deeply
loved
Jane,
always
filming
Jane
secretly(
偷拍
).
He
was
the
spokesman
for
“
beauty
”
in
this
film,
and
Lester
was
his
disciple(
追
随者
) .He had his own
perspective(
视角
) of life .He
was satisfied with
his living style
which followed his heart.
6)Fitts
father Ricky love Jane daughter
Lester
：
He
is
rough
and
rude,
a
colonel(<
/p>
上校
),always
brought
his
military
values
to life-in particular
the idea that
—“
you
can
’
t just go around doing
whatever
you
feel
like
”
.He
is
also
a
violent
homophobe(
同性恋憎恶者
)
and
arch-
conservative(
极端保守者
),which
merely
limits
the
free
expression
of
his own homosexual
interests.
5. Typical clips and
analysis:
Question
1:
Lester
did
all
the
things
since
he
want
to
sleep
with
Angela,
however, as he got
the opportunity, he didn’t. Why???
My answer:
All
the changes Lester did were for Angela, he
exercised
everyday , worked hard to
whale on pecs(
练胸肌
), ignored
his wife’
s
infidelity
(
外遇
)
，
< br> began to discover the pleasures of his youth, quit
his meaningless office job and
started to smoking marijuana again, in
flight from the restraints of his
marriage. However, as he really has
the
chance to possess Angela,
he suddenly
came to
realize what he really
wanted are the beauty of life, the
interest and pursuit of beauty, and
the
struggling to fight for freedom to regain his masc
ulinity(
男性气
概
).And
he succeeded, he regained what he want and
satisfied with his
current
condition,
so
he
appreciated
Angela
for
waking
him
up,
and
began
to talk with Angela.
Question2:
Who killed Lester
eventually?
Answer:
As we
’ve
saw,
Carolyn angrily took her gun out and drove her
car to kill Lester; Fitts went back
after he failed to accosts Lester;
Jane
hated
Lester
and
intended
to
kill
him,
Ricky
wanted
to
kill
him
since
he was
Jane
‘
s boyfriend. It seems
that Carolyn had the maximum
possibility
to
shoot
Lester,
while
she
did
n’t.
As
he
saw
Lester
watching
their family photos, they still have
emotion in their marriage, so she
regretted to cry after heard the
shot(
枪声
).Actually, he was
killed by
Fitts, he misunderstood that
Lester was a
gay
(
同性恋
), and
expose
himself
—
a
gay to Lester. Feeling ashamed and
resentful(
悲愤
),he shot
Lester in the head.
Question
3:
Lester laughed when he was dying,
Why ?
Answer:
At the moment
of his death, Lester finally relives the most
beautiful moments of his life, and
comes to realize what it is that he
has
been seeking all long.
6. The art of the film
shot(
镜头
)
1
）
Two functions
of the overhead shot (
俯视镜头
)
A: reinforce the
film
’
s critique of American
suburbia as a dull and
soporific
environment.(
强化电影展开的批判：美国市郊的生活沉闷，让
人
昏昏欲睡
)--- examples: show
Lester in lying in bed
B: give a kind
of
has lived his life.(
创造一种效
果，好像上帝在注视着莱斯特生活的市郊
街区
)
2)Angles of the
camera(
镜头的角度
)
Function: exaggerate the contrast of
the roles
’
status
(
突出角色身份
对比
)
Lester
—
shots
from a high angle
meets with
Brad and Buddy
—
shots from a low angel
6.2.
typical narrative
pattern (
典型叙事结构
)
three-act structure
(
三幕式结构
)
1
）
act
Ⅰ
:Lester first sets eyes on
Angela
2
）
act
Ⅱ
:Lester smashes the plates
during dinner with his family
3
）
act
Ⅲ
:the attempted
seduction(
引诱
) and then
murder of Lester by
Colonel Fitts
6.3. symbolic things in the
film
1) Rose petals
(
玫瑰花瓣
) :
the
appears(
出现
)of rose
petals(
花瓣
)
first
time:
at the end of Jane's performance
second time:
one night, in
Lester's dream
third time
:
Lester fantasizes about Angela bathing
in rose petals
forth time:
Angela's kiss leaves a single rose
petal in his mouth
Question 1: What is
rose petals in this film represents?
Answer:
Obviously, the rose
petals are clearly associated with Angela
--Lester
’
s
fantasy of Angela. It had 3 symbolic values:
A: passionate love
(
热烈的爱情
)
. Angela
associated with rose petals was
a
savor
of
Lester,
she
gave
him
the
hope
of
beauty
and
conducted
his
changes
and pursuit of
beauty.
B: a beauty that is dangerous
in some way compromised.
(
危险的
美，或者
有某种不足
).
C:
the
beauty
of
youth
is
always
short-lived.
(
青春转瞬即逝的美丽
).This
meaning also hints
Lester
’
s death. Not long
after he had realized what
was real
beauty in life, he dead
?
2) Ricky
’
s video
tape
Question :
Ricky
said“
It’s
the
most
beautiful
thing
I’ve
shoot(拍
摄)”.What’s your
under
standing of beauty after you
viewed his video?
My
understanding:
In my opinion, beauty
represents freedom, which means
live
with
your
heart
and
set
your
soul
free.
As
the
plastic
bag,
it
flies
with the
wind lightly, without any burden and
fetter
(
束缚
). We,
as
individuals live in the society,
band up by many things not only
substantially but also mentally band,
however, we should following our
heart
and decide which are the things you really lake
and willing to do.
Only in this way can
you release yourself, lead a happy and relaxed
life
and fight for what you really want
with full passion, and then comes the
hope!
review(
影评：
)
1.
美国丽人
American
Beauty
英文影评
review by Peter
Keough
简介：
Nothing beats death for
establishing a detached, omniscient point
of view, and from the very beginning of
Sam Mendes's haunting and
accomplished
debut feature (and one of the year's first
significan ...
Nothing
beats death for establishing a detached,
omniscient point
of view, and from the
very beginning of Sam Mendes's haunting and
accomplished debut feature (and one of
the year's first significant films),
it's made clear that its hero,
middle-
aged, middle-class lost soul Lester Burnham (Kevin
Spacey) is a
goner. Lester's flashback
voiceover narration has the sardonic serenity
of the beyond, an anarchistic wisdom as
he observes himself jerking off
in
the
shower
(
will
be
the
highlight
of
my
day),
spies
on
wife
Carolyn
(a
strident
and
fragile
Annette
Bening)
tending
the
title
roses
(
how
her clogs
match the handles of her pruning shears? It's not
a
coincidence.
Birch, with
soulful, accusing eyes) surfing the Internet for
breast
augmentation sites
(
tell
her things get better,
but I don't
want to
lie
His
secret?
less
than
a
year,
I'll
be
dead.
.
.
.
But
in
a
sense,
I'm dead already.
Who
actually kills Lester is a mystery. Is it Jane,
who's shown on video
saying
her
dad
is
a
who
should
be
put
out
of
his
misery?
Carolyn,
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