There is a constant use of roses and rose petals throughout the film American Beauty. At first they appear to represent the mundane "American Dream" style life that Spacey leads. Bening opens the film cutting red roses, symbolic of her cutting the life force from their suburban home. The idea that the roses represent a life force gives Spacey's dreams a new meaning.Many would say that he has the perfect life, a good house, family etc. These are all things that are meant to be beautiful but to him are boring and ordinary, being cut down as soon as they start grow and peak.
In his dreams about Suvari it represents how her youth and beauty has given Spacey back his life force. In their final encounter there is a vase of roses on the table, this is also when Spacey appears to living his life at the fullest.
The video camera is used to see things through Bentley's view, which shows us a starker reality. It could be said that it portrays the way Bentley see's the world and how juxtaposes Spacey's skewed view. Suvari appears to think she is central and she is seen as the stereotypical "American Beauty" and is always shown with the rose petals. Birch however doesn't think highly over herself yet she is always being recorded and is central to many of Bentley's videos.
To Thora Birch the video camera is used as somewhat of a confessional she always shows her true self and honest views. Bentley films the wind blowing a plastic bag around, in this scene he says he films things he thinks are beautiful and it adds a whole new spin on the life that Birch takes as dull and mundane. It shows how there is a beautiful side and drive behind everything in life. The bag itself is made symbolic through Bentley's video and represents the every day beauty in life that people take for granted, things that may at first come across as ugly; a description that is applicable to how the audience view Birch's character.
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