Another essay on the same topic. Feel free to comment.
To what extent do you agree that films offer an insight into society (past or present)? Respond to this question with close reference to a film you have studied.
Film directors can make a point of using film and cinematography to offer an insight into society and their perceptions. The film American Beauty, directed by Sam Mendes, is an example of a crafted piece of cinematography that gives a perceptive insight into society’s ideas on beauty. This film, in the role of a suburban satire, manages to portray all the stereotypical perceptions of beauty then paint the reality of it. Watchers of American Beauty cannot fail to recognise that society and its idea of beauty is false and unrealistic.
American Beauty shows what society traditionally associates with beauty to be superficial and false. The red rose is a running motif in the film, and is closely associated with the character of Carolyn Burnham who grows them. Carolyn Burnham is a frantic, cold and miserable woman, desperate to be seen as successful and happy by those around her. The red roses are continuously in the Burnham home because they symbolise to Carolyn beauty and perfection.
This idea is matched by society’s view on the beauty of the rose. However, American Beauty makes us realise that this rose is not a symbol of beauty, but in reality a symbol of falseness. In essence it represents Carolyn and her wasted life spent trying to be successful and present an image of impossible domestic perfection. It reminds us of the manufactured roses purchased for Valentines Day: these red roses are thoughtless and false. They have no scent and are ‘mass-produced’. Thus what we initially see as a symbol of traditional beauty becomes a plastic signpost for materialism.
The tag-line of American Beauty is ‘look closer’, which immediately makes us think that the characters we perceive to be good, perfect or beautiful are not all they appear. It comments on society’s tendency to judge people on outward appearance. This is shown in the character of Angela. A blonde and popular teenager she fits in with society’s traditional ideas of beauty and femininity. She reflects on many people’s fears when she says:
“I don’t think that there’s anything worse than being ordinary.”
To see that this apparently perfect girl fears the same things we do is a shock, and installs the idea that society’s ideas on perfection and beauty are not only wrong but also impossible. No one is perfect. This is made even more apparent when Angela is contrasted with Jane, who seems at first to be plain and unremarkable. This changes as Jane becomes involved with Ricky.
Ricky likes filming things he sees to be beautiful. His ideas of beauty are not in keeping with those of society. Often he films things which most people would find repulsive, like a dead bird. For him, beauty is more than just a face value, and we often look at things form his perspective because there are sequences taken from his camera as he films it. This gives us the unique opportunity to be inside Ricky’s head.
Ricky finds Jane beautiful. We see this when his camera zooms in on Jane’s face reflected in a mirror, completely ignoring the beautiful Angela’s strip tease. As Jane becomes more confident over the course of the film she wears less make-up. In the climatic scene where Jane agrees to leave with Ricky, the falseness of Angela’s beauty is revealed. Ricky informs Angela of her worst fear, that she is completely ordinary:
“Yes, you are (ugly). And you’re boring, and you’re totally ordinary, and you know it.”
This exposes to us that society’s idea of beauty is false and at the end of the day doesn’t matter in the big scheme of things. Society thinks that beauty brings happiness, but it is apparent that Angela is incredibly insecure and uses Jane to make her feel better abut herself. Thus we realise that our idea of beauty is manufactured and is so common that is becomes ordinary and boring.
American Beauty is a film that opens our eyes to the way society perceives beauty. It is insightful because we recognise that there is so much more to life than the stereotypical looks that everyone associates with happiness. The film allows us to realise that much of the uncertainty and misery in the world is caused by people trying to be an image that isn’t real but manufactured and false.
scholarship@cc 
This essay is okay for a first attempt although there are many adjustments that would help to build it to becoming a stronger response to the question.
They have tried to link all of their ideas in with how society is related to these ideas but I think that there has been no extra thought put into constructing this answer as all the ideas are like those we have been taught. It’s very easy to form an answer by cutting and pasting ideas we’ve been told by our teacher.
By focusing on only the main symbol, the red roses, it seemed to have little personal opinion added. They have tried to explain that humans never truly recognise real beauty in life like that of the characters out of American Beauty (except Ricky) generally we judge things on exterior appearance rather than what really is important.
I agree that this is a really important message being portrayed in American Beauty but I think there are other ideas that should be brought to the readers attention more. The rain is a really important symbol as it shows the perception of how Colonel Fitts views life. Frank Fitts wears his denial as if it was a cloud and it affects everything that he contact with, for example the relationship with his son and wife are both completely fueled by lies. His denial affects these relationships as their on strong basis is the lies that Frank is straight. His denial builds up to a point to where he can’t hold it back from the world any longer. The rain represents the revelation of Frank’s “coming out” and how it affects everyone. Sam Mendes uses rain to symbolize this, as he links it in with many of his films to show rain being a foreshadowing symbol of death. The rain is the ultimate affect that his lies has on the people around him, I think this issue needs to be addressed by more viewers because in the end Frank’s build up of denial is what powers him to kill Lester.
The quotes aren’t worked into the paragraphs seamlessly they are more or less shoved in there to back up the statements. It would’ve worked nicer to slip them in to reinforce the ideas with evidence without hem sticking out as quotes.
Dear Ellen,
I have edited your comment slightly!
In response, I do always appreciate hearing from someone from my FAVOURITE class!
I found your comments interesting and your discussion of the rose in the essay and your suggestions for improvement very useful. A thoughtful and considered comment! 🙂 🙂
Well firstly I would agree with Ellen the writer has focused very mainly on the fact of materialism and of the rose. Reiterating the same points a few time over to drill in to our head the meaning, but also slightly boring us.
Some things the writer did well was they used a wide variety of useful and exciting vocabulary. Also they supported their opinions and conclusions with example from within the text, though as Ellen said they could have been a little more cleanly inserted, instead of bluntly shoving them into the text.
The sentences run smoothly throughout the text, but I feel there wasn’t enough variance between points in the paragraphs. Having me feel that if I have read only one of the paragraphs, I would have been able to report on all of them sufficiently.
Miss, what do you mean Ellen is from your FAVOURITE class??? Isn’t that a little bit of favouritism!
I dont think this essay is very good. It is averagely developed but it doesnt convince me of the quetion. There is not enough development of the question and it is not answered sufficinetly. It is a good attempt with good use of words and writing conventions but i dont think it is ok. I think they couldve made more conections to the real world and situations but that just what think. The emphasis on the rose is good but it is over done and focussed on too much in the essay. They should have focussed on some other ideas or symbols in the movie to make the piece more interesting.
from your fav student
As Ellen said, this author lacked originality in this piece. They needed to involve some of their own perception of the movie rather than just than words straight from the horse’s mouth. The idea linked to the Valentines day roses was however a good idea, as having links to real life is always a spiffing idea.
I think the essay didn’t flow quite as well as it could have, as it had some words and sentences out of place e.g. “Jane finds Ricky beautiful”. this sentence doesn’t go like primo and should be replaced with somkething a little more discriptive i.e “Ricky recognizes subtle beauties, even in a girl as solemn and “plain” as Jane.”
in the essay at the top of the page it seems as though the person who wrote it has rote learned an essay and then tried to adjust it to answer the question. and they haven’t done this very well. you only see a sentence related to the question every second paragraph and even then it isnt very insightful. in saying this it would be a good essay had the question been different.
Well, thanks for the comments people. Hmmm…we will need to talk a little about how to discuss an essay Kelsi. Curious comment Craig – “it would be a good essay had the question been different.” Huh?
ms cowie my comment didnt come up 😦 do you know why?
Hi Vanessa, if you sent it from school the problem is the school server. It packed a sad today 😦