American Beauty/A Beautiful Mind

American Beauty
1. The setting for this movie is a suburban area and is a very appropriate choice to set the stage for all the events that happen throughout the movie. The homes, school, and other buildings are typical of the average city suburb. It’s a common setting for most people to relate to but not necessarily relate to all the events that surround it.

2. A suburban area is a logical location for a movie that is supposed to represent a location that the majority of Americans can identify with. The look of the neighborhood is supposed to be typical of the normal family. The house, its backyard with a garden, a couple of cars in the garage, and kids, all represent today’s American family. However, I don’t think the characters in this movie were the average and ordinary people. The main family characters all had personal issues. Actually, the families in this neighborhood were all a little dysfunctional. Their problems were apparent almost immediately as they were introduced.

3. The costumes are those that today’s modern family would wear. Each character’s costumes are designed to tell the viewers what their personalities are like. For example, the teenager that Lester fantasizes about dresses the part of someone with loose morals.

4. The director uses lighting to emphasize the moods and events that were occurring. For example, it was dark and raining when Lester discovered his wife’s affair, as well as the other tragic events that were soon to follow such as his daughter’s leaving with her boyfriend, and Lester’s own shooting.

5. The lighting used is meant to help create the moods of the characters and establish an atmosphere for the viewers. At times the lighting is natural but the majority of the scenes are shadowy and dark, creating a mysterious element to the scenes. This helps capture the viewers’ attention.

6. The obvious color in this movie is red. It’s everywhere – red roses, rose petals, bus stop signs, clothing, the paint on the wall, and Lester’s hot dream sports car. The symbolism of the color red means so many things to different people. Red is one of those colors that grab attention. It could mean love and passion, heat, warning, stop, danger, power as in the red carpet for celebrities, or anger, just to name a few. With all these meanings, it could be good or bad. In this movie, there’s a definite mix, but I think red means the different levels of power that each character has to control their own fate. I don’t think they realize it though and things end tragically.

A Beautiful Mind
1. The movie’s setting is predominately centered at an academic location. The opening scene is a classroom at Princeton University. It is of a professor telling his graduate students the importance of mathematics and science for the future. This setting is very important to the overall effect of what the whole movie is about. If the action isn’t in the classroom, it’s in the university’s library, John Nash’s (Russell Crowe) dormitory room, or his office, and later at MIT. In addition, there are several scenes at the psychiatric hospital which profile Nash’s treatment of his schizophrenia. Several scenes take the viewers back to Princeton throughout Nash’s lifetime. Nash’s goal in life was to come up with something, an original idea that would distinguish him. His fascination for numbers and codes eventually led to high achievement in mathematics and a Nobel Peace prize.

2. This story is based on a true story although it is not uncommon to magnify storylines to make things more interesting. The main set location was at Princeton University. This is where it all began for Nash. We first were introduced to the competition and stress that the graduate students felt in trying to accomplish or discover something that no one else had. Then, it was at a Princeton dormitory that we first met Nash’s imaginary roommate, Charles. Charles was so real to him and he was real to the viewers until later on in the movie when Nash’s mental illness was revealed. MIT was another very significant location in the movie. This was where Nash was first employed to teach after he completed graduate school and where he met is wife, Alicia. His wife stood by him through all the most difficult times throughout his life. The most touching scene is when he is presented the Nobel Peace prize and he takes out the handkerchief that Alicia gave them on their first date during his acceptance speech. He says something like love is in the mysterious equation that solutions can be found. To me, this summed up what life is all about.

3. The costumes are chosen to reflect the time periods of the characters’ lifetime. The movie starts in the late 1940s, with scenes in the mid 50s, into the 70s, and as years go by into the 1990s when Nash receives his award. By doing this, the director gives the viewer the feel of each time period.

4. The lighting for the movie is appropriate. It appears natural most of the time with the remainder soft and diffused when Nash was in his office working on his numerical equations.

5. Natural lighting makes for a more believable atmosphere and setting. If the director would have chosen something more direct and harsh, I think the effect would have given it more drama and would take the viewers’ attention away from what the whole story was about.

6. The only colors that I recall in the movie are earth tones like brown and tan, and occasionally gray and black. The majority of the clothing were in these colors. These are conservative colors to me and set the tone for the movie. There was nothing flashy as far as colors go and this was probably the intention so it wouldn’t distract viewers from the movie’s message.