American Beauty: A Lighting Analysis

Look closer. American Beauty is a black, startling look at the nuclear family in suburban America. Lester and Carolyn Burnham are - on the outside - a perfect husband and wife, with a perfect house, in a perfect neighbourhood. But inside, Lester is a powder keg of depression. The cinematography of Conrad L Hall acts as a vehicle for carrying the films plot and its connotations. This essay will cover colour, key lighting, light intensity and the use of lighting in plot. All four are crucial elements to the films success.

The film is cold, grey and blue. Lester’s world is one of suffering, and the use of colour conveys that clearly. In the opening scene, we see Lester sprawled in bed, a cool blue filtering in from the window, showing the first light of a cold and unforgiving day. Lester’s face is drawn and dull, illustrating the misery raging inside of him. As he peers outside the window, he sees his wife Carolyn gardening wearing a bland grey business outfit inside the clichéd w...