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 white picket fence. But from within this bland exterior, the piercing red of Carolyn's roses radiates colour. Is this beauty? Is this the shining light in Lester's life? As the film progresses, the roses are used a symbol for his fantasies. The object of his desire is seen swimming, bathing and writhing in rich, red-rose petals. Red is sexy, passionate, fiery and dominant. It is everything Lester lacks in his miserable life. But as he begins his transformation, he purchases the hot red sports car he has always wanted - a symbol for his new sexual awareness and prowess. The Burnham's house is grey and blue, apart from one bright red door. Although the film itself never really takes on reddish tones, the rich contrast with the films predominantly washed out colours is a feature point in Hall's colour scheme. .
Specifically, this scheme has a very important role in terms of art direction and costumes. This is particularly evident in the treatment of the Burnham's neighbours, the Fitts.