《美国丽人》——人物形象及内容赏析(课堂PPT).ppt

单击此处编辑母版标题样式,单击此处编辑母版文本样式,第二级,第三级,第四级,第五级,*,单击此处编辑母版标题样式,单击此处编辑母版文本样式,第二级,第三级,第四级,第五级,*,美国丽人,1,人物形象,2,莱斯特,他年近中年，工作显得并不是很顺畅，而此时他的妻子却和他吵着房子和车子的价钱，使得他很不顺畅。就在这个时候，他们两口子去看了女儿的表演。可是在看表演中，女儿的一个同学竟让他浮想联翩，后来他也因为这同学好象看透了什么似的。他改变了以后的生活方式，首先他把原来的老板给炒了，并在辞职书上狠狠地骂了老板一通。而后他在街头找了个自己认为很快乐的工作，而他的这份工作别人怎么也不理解，在后来他自慰、吸毒、偷偷地约会女儿的同学，反正干了很多常人无法理解的事情。最后他死在了里奇,Ricky,父亲的枪下。对于这个人，我的理解是将他们放入有关人的,“,异化的环境来解读的。在很早以前马克思就曾对,“,异化,”,进行过阐述，可惜国内的马克思著作很少真正对这一理论进行了介绍，对异化进行的介绍起了很大贡献的著作要算，,法兰克福,代表人物,马尔库塞,的,单面人,（又译,单向度的人,）。现代社会虽然有了高度的工业文明，但随着工业文明人们越来越失去很多宝贵的东西，而逐渐被人们所铸造的工业文明所奴役。比如，为了追求名誉有的人失去诚信，弄虚作假甚至虚伪，为了金钱不少人不择手段出卖尊严。这样的情况下，人与人的情感变得淡漠，良知和信誉变得苍白。在美国这样的表现得更加明显。所以我很能理解他所选择得的生活方式，工作做得不开心了就换一个开心的工作，后来在他的生活变得我行我素的表现不正是他对人,“,异化,”,的反抗吗？,3,珍妮,莱斯特的女儿，在压抑的环境中长大，有角色错位的父母亲，从父母身上看到毫无收敛的人性的丑陋。对生活的看法，人生，难免灰暗。在遇到,Ricky,后，她的浓重黑眼影没有了，她还感受到爱，因为有个人和她在一起，相互支撑。对于生活，她有些麻木。她和她父亲一样，被人忽略，甚至被父母忽略。内心的敏感、变化，没有人关心的孤独，只有一个作伴的安吉拉。她一直是倾听的角色，但是谁来倾听她的内心,4,里奇,有着自己的生命视角，他的父亲（退休军官）是个很古板的人，于是他背着他父亲贩毒、偷窥，甚至拍邻居女儿的裸体。在别人的眼里他很另类甚至很讨厌，但他对自己的生活并没有感到有什么不妥，自己想怎么活就怎么活。其实在美国现代社会为了各种这种我行我素的生活，在为了应付各种关系的异化的背景下还多少显得有一点可贵。,5,安吉拉,校篮球队的拉拉队长，用自以为是的,“,成熟,”,的来让自己,“,不同,”,。她是诱惑、卖弄，引诱同学的父亲,对她来说，感官刺激的诱惑，还有这是自我价值、魅力的证明，但是其实也是单纯，,“,无知所以无畏,”,的挑战社会的伦理。,6,Frank Fitts,里奇的父亲，他的身份可以在女儿在新邻居家中所见到的一个盘子可以看出，盘子的背面是一个德国纳粹的标志。不管这位邻居的真实身份是什么，我都认为他的性格中有德国纳粹的气质。而传统上，德国文化与,美国文化,是两种不同的文化类型。德国文化是一种理性的文化模式，历史很杰出的思想家都出自德国，比如,康德,、黑格尔、马克思等。而美国则是一种典型的实用主义文化模式，,19,世纪末,20,世纪初的实用主义思潮就发端于美国。因而这个邻居就显得与周遭的人物格格不如，对什么都看不惯。而最终看不惯使他对看不惯的事情发起攻击。他看不惯的人主要有两个，一个是他的儿子，另一个就是莱斯特了。起初他和自己的儿子打起来，随后他的儿子只有离家出走。而莱斯特则被认为是带坏他儿子的人，而被他邻居给枪杀了。（实际上并不是因为莱斯特带坏他儿子，而是因为他自己本身是个,“,潜在的,”,同性恋者，在误会莱斯特也是同性恋后，向其表白，明白莱斯特其实不是同性恋后因羞愤杀死了对方）,7,故事梗概,8,莱斯特,伯,哈姆,已经活不到一年了，而现在似乎还看不出什么迹象,他的家住在平静的市郊，他有一个美丽的妻子,卡罗琳,和一个未成年的女儿,珍妮,。但是，他的家庭并不象外人看到的那么幸福。他的妻子事业有成，已经拥有了一个自己的房地产公司，而他自己在工作中却没有取得任何的成就，他为一家,广告公司,已经干了整整,14,年，他对自己的工作感到厌倦，因为他讨厌那些他不得不巴结的顾客以及公司里自以为是的老板。他相信他的妻子一定认为他是一个失败者，因为他们已经有好几年没有碰过对方了。卡罗琳把自己的精力都花在了事业上，她看起来是一个自信的事业女性的形象，然而她的感情却在渴望着抚慰。女儿珍妮憎恨自己的父母，因为她感到他们几乎从未真正注意过她，于是她整日围着女友,安吉拉,转，而一天她发现她的新邻居,里奇,曾正在用摄像机身偷拍她，这使她每天的生活开始充满刺激。终于有一天，当莱斯特遇上了刚做完中学篮球赛拉拉队的珍妮和安吉拉时，他立刻被安吉拉的美丽深深地打动，心中的那种久已死去的感觉好像又重新的复燃了。从此莱斯特的生活开始发生变化：他勇敢的面对老板辞退了工作，他开始注意自己的形象，他还在里奇那里买回一些上等的大麻吸食，已过中年的他落入了一个未成年少女的爱情陷阱。与此同时，卡罗琳对莱斯特变化也产生了反应，她开始与房地产商,“,国王,”,私通，事态逐渐地向着十分有趣却无法预料的方向发展，直到有一天里奇的父亲举起枪口，对准了莱斯特。,最后飞舞的塑料袋，正如,阿甘正传,羽毛舞动出人生的平凡和美妙，这个塑料袋似乎诉说着人生的无助和无奈。,9,电影名称赏析,10,American Beauty,被中译的,“,美国丽人,”,对观众领会影片所要传达的主旨造成不小的干扰。,Beauty,在其中直译作丽人过于草率，,Beauty,一词其实更应代表一切的美丽。同时，,Beauty,还具有美女和美丽这物化和精神化两方面的双关含义，为电影本身也增添了些许魅力。而影片引用吸大麻的,Ricky,所观察的事物，以那般,“,美丽,”,的诠释作为片名，用黑色幽默揭示（美国）当代生活的普遍现象。是一部非常有意义的电影。,American beauty,是一种生长在美国的蔷薇科植物，一年四季都开着大朵的紫红色花，又名,月月红,，,American beauty,也是,哥伦比亚特区,的区花，曾经在美国十分受欢迎，但现在由于没有太多的商业价值而备受冷落。,11,美国丽人,赏析,12,片名,美国丽人,实际上是玫瑰家族的一种。导演门德斯用这种玫瑰象征生命中的完美。莱斯特对安吉拉的性幻想永远在铺天盖地的玫瑰花瓣中展开，其久旱逢甘露一般的铺张想象充分喻示了他的生命中是如何的缺少,美,。还有他的妻子卡洛琳，也要通过料理花园弥补与家庭的缝隙，从中找寻填充自己的意义和美。,13,美国丽人是一幅美国风情画，它包含的很多社会问题都是欧美等发达资本主义国家普遍存在的症结。诸如拜金主义造成的精神压力，生活的单调乏味，个人的挫败感，性，毒品，暴力等等。感同身受的美国观众会处处与影片的细节产生共鸣,14,那么，,不伦,关系究竟在,美国丽人,中占据了什么样的地位呢,?,这种社会禁忌，只要稍微处理不好，就会严重影响人物的发展和故事的和谐。一个十六岁的小女孩成了一个四十二岁的中年男人的,拯救者,，她给了他美的希望，给了他一个改变生活的理由，可以说，这样的角度是同类题材里从来没有过的。当然，这并不是说导演在肯定这样的关系。虽然他们最终获得了一定程度的解放和成长，但两个人的出发点都是自我和自私的。,15,莱斯特有一个失败的家庭，在妻子和女儿眼里他是一个不折不扣的失败者。他长期没有,性生活,，每天的最高潮就是在淋浴的时候手淫。女儿恨他，工作又不顺心，几乎周围所有的人都不关心他的存在。,没关系,，他说，,连我自己都不会记得自己的存在。,直到有一天他和妻子卡洛琳去女儿的学校体育馆看她的拉拉队演出，安吉拉异常耀眼的出现使他瞬间看到无数朵美丽的玫瑰花在她胸前绽放。似乎是有生以来第一次，莱斯特一下子被欲望击中了。从此以后，他迈出了精神重生的第一步,16,在莱斯特看来，,美,就是一种解放，他追求的美，本质上就是在追求使自己冲出围困芸芸众生的牢笼。安吉拉是粗俗的，高傲的。她的座右铭是,没有比平庸更糟的了,，所以她要拼命的在男性面前表现自己的千娇百媚，要拼命的在同学面前吹嘘自己的性经验,(,如跟某某,摄影师,上床,),，即使在好友珍的面前，也毫不掩饰自己对男性,(,尤其是珍的父亲莱斯特,),的统治欲望，,如果有完全不认识的人看着我，想和我上床，那就说明我真的是块做模特的料。,她要通过征服男人证明自己的存在，表明自己的与众不同。应该说，这种内心渴望是很值得同情的。在安吉拉看来，,美,就是一种力量。她追求的美，本质上就是在追求使自己凌驾于芸芸众生的力量。可见，两个人都不是为纯粹的性爱牵在一起，他们彼此都是对方获得转变的,契机,。,17,影片似乎说明，美就是自由，就是打破,禁锢,的思想，就是无拘无束的灵魂。然而莱斯特最终还是被一枪打死了，尽管他刚刚逃离丑陋的世界，刚刚体会到生命的美。看来，真正的,美国丽人,，是可望而不可及的。我们只能在梦中幻想自己醒来。,18,评论,19,毫不掩饰的说，,美国丽人,是杰作，是勿庸置疑的年度最佳影片，是影史上的经典。,纽约邮报,斯帕西的天份是独一无二的。,今日美国,热闹、伤感而残酷。,华盛顿邮报,20,演员表,21,Lester Burnham,凯文,史派西,/Kevin Space Carolyn Burnham,安妮特,贝宁,/Annette Bening Jane Burnham,索拉,伯奇,/Thora Birch Angela Hayes,米娜,苏瓦丽,/Mena Suvari,Col.Frank Fitts,USMC,克里斯,库柏,/Chris Coope Ricky Fitts,韦斯,本特利,/Wes Bentley Buddy Kane,彼得,盖勒,/Peter Gallagher Barbara Fitts,阿丽森,詹尼,/Allison Janney Sale House Woman,丽萨,克劳德,/Lisa Cloud Jim Olmeyer,Scott Bakula,22,职员表,23,制作人：,艾伦,鲍尔,/Alan Ball,；布鲁斯,科恩,/Bruce Cohen,；丹,金克斯,/Dan Jinks,；,Stan Wlodkowski,导演：,萨姆,门德斯,/Sam Mendes,副导演（助理）：,Tony Adler,；,Rosemary C.Cremona,；,Carey Dietrich,；,Chris Edmonds,；,Michelle Edmonds,；,Peter E.Hirsch,；,Stephanie Kime,编剧：,艾伦,鲍尔,/Alan Ball,摄影：康拉德,赫尔,/Conrad L.Hall,配乐：托马斯,纽曼,/Thomas Newman,；安妮蓝妮克丝,/Dont let it bring you down,剪辑：,Tariq Anwar,；,Christopher Greenbury,选角导演：,黛布拉,赞恩,/Debra Zane,艺术指导：,Naomi Shohan,美术设计：,David Lazan,服装设计：朱莉,维斯,/Julie Weiss,视觉特效：,David Goldberg,；,Rob Hodgson,布景师：,Jan K.Bergstrom,24,创作背景,25,美国丽人,是金克斯,/,科恩电影公司成立以来着手筹拍的第一部电影，金克斯在谈到影片剧本时说：,“,这是我们看过的最棒的剧本，它的不同寻常实在让人过目难忘。,”,制作人布鲁斯,科恩补充道：,“,我会永远铭记第一次看到本片剧本的惊喜之感，我们开办公司的初衷是制作真正睿智和注重人物的电影，我马上意识到这是我们梦寐以求的剧本。,”,这部影片是导演萨姆,门德斯第一部公演的影片。他是一个在戏剧方面有深厚阅历的导演，,1998,年因重排,Cabaret,而广受赞誉。影片将戏剧效果与黑色喜剧融合起来，形成了独特艺术风格。,美国美人,中无疑带有着深刻的戏剧色彩，影片以相反的方式讲述了一个类似于古希腊俄狄浦斯王的故事，三位主角斯帕塞、,贝宁,、伯奇在片中的出色表演堪称一流，尤其是伯奇的表演使得简这一角色成为片中的一个情感焦点。,26,凯文,斯柏西是曼德斯最赏识的男星之一，曾凭,普通嫌疑犯,获得奥斯卡奖的斯柏西将片中失意的中年男主人公的心理及神态都演绎得活灵活现。安妮特本宁在片中饰演的因丈夫改变而不得不被动改变的妻子一角也博得不少观众的同情。从,150,名竞争者中脱颖而出的米拉苏法莉,(,美国派,),、索拉,伯奇与,韦斯,本特利三位青年影星的表演亦可圈可点，也正是由于演员们不露痕迹的表演使得片中展示的,90,年代末期美国城郊家庭生活诸多危机更加发人深省。,27,关于导演,28,萨姆,门德斯,Sam Mendes,1965,年,8,月萨姆,门德斯出生在,英格兰,的雷丁，父亲詹姆斯,彼得,门德斯（,JamesPeterMendes,）是一位退休的,大学讲师,，母亲是儿童作家。萨姆,5,岁的时候，父母离异，他跟着母亲生活。从,剑桥大学,毕业后他加入了奇切斯特节日剧院，此后他执导了,朱迪,丹奇,（,JudiDench,）主演的,樱桃园,（,TheCherryOrchard,），该片为他赢得,评论家,协会最佳新人奖。他加入皇家莎士比亚公司后，与,拉尔夫,费因斯,（,RalphFiennes,）一起执导了,特洛伊勒与克莱西达,（,TroilusandCressida,）和,理查三世,（,RichardIII,）等剧。,1992,年他成为伦敦多玛仓库剧院的艺术执导，导演了舞台剧,玻璃动物园,（,TheGlassMenagerie,）和新版音乐剧,卡巴莱,（,Cabaret,），并因此荣获包括最佳音乐复兴剧在内的四项,托尼奖,。此外他还导演了,妮可,基德曼,（,NicoleKidman,）主演的舞台剧,The Blue Room,。,1999,年门德斯执导的首部故事片,美国丽人,（,AmericanBeauty,）大获好评，并为他赢得最佳影片和最佳导演在内的五项奥斯卡奖，这对首次执导影片的导演来说极为难得。,29,30,获奖记录,31,奥斯卡（美国电影学院奖）,2000,最佳导演 萨姆,门德斯,最佳原创剧本 艾伦,鲍尔,最佳影片,Dan Jinks,最佳摄影 康拉德,赫尔,最佳男主角 凯文,史派西,最佳影片,Bruce Cohen,最佳剪辑（提名）,Christopher Greenbury,最佳原创配乐（提名）托马斯,纽曼,最佳剪辑（提名）塔里克,安瓦尔,最佳女主角（提名）安妮特,贝宁,32,金球奖（,Golden Globe,）,2000,最佳导演 萨姆,门德斯,Best Motion Picture-Drama,最佳编剧 艾伦,鲍尔,最佳女主角（剧情类）（提名）安妮特,贝宁,最佳男主角（剧情类）（提名）凯文,史派西,最佳原创配乐（提名）托马斯,纽曼,33,影片截图,34,35,36,37,38,39,40,41,42,43,44,American Beauty,From Wikipedia,the free encyclopedia,45,American Beauty,is a 1999 American drama film directed by,Sam Mendes,and written by,Alan Ball,.,Kevin Spacey,stars as office worker Lester Burnham,who has a midlife crisis when he becomes infatuated with his teenage daughters best friend,Angela(,Mena Suvari,).,Annette Bening,co-stars as Lesters materialistic wife,Carolyn,and,Thora Birch,plays their insecure daughter,Jane;,Wes Bentley,Chris Cooper,and,Allison Janney,also feature.The film has been described by academics as a satire of,American middle class,notions of beauty and personal satisfaction;analysis has focused on the films explorations of romantic and paternal love,sexuality,beauty,materialism,self-liberation,and redemption.,Ball began writing,American Beauty,as a play in the early 1990s,partly inspired by the media circus around the,Amy Fisher,trial in 1992.He shelved the play after realizing the story would not work on stage.After several years as a television screenwriter,Ball revived the idea in 1997 when attempting to break into the film industry.The modified script had a cynical outlook that was influenced by Balls frustrating tenures writing for several sitcoms.Producers,Dan Jinks,and,Bruce Cohen,took,American Beauty,to,DreamWorks,;the fledgling film studio bought Balls script for$250,000,outbidding several other production bodies.DreamWorks financed the$15,million production and served as the North American distributor.,American Beauty,marked acclaimed theater director Mendes film debut;courted after his successful productions of the musicals,Oliver!,and,Cabaret,Mendes was nevertheless only given the job after twenty others were considered and several A-list directors turned down the opportunity.,46,Spacey was Mendes first choice for the role of Lester,even though DreamWorks had urged the director to consider better-known actors;similarly,the studio suggested several actors for the role of Carolyn until Mendes offered the part to Bening without DreamWorks knowledge.,Principal photography,took place between December 1998 and February 1999 on soundstages at the Warner Bros.,backlot,in,Burbank,California and on location in Los Angeles.Mendes dominant style was deliberate and composed;he made extensive use of static shots and slow pans and zooms to generate tension.Cinematographer,Conrad Hall,complemented Mendes style with peaceful shot compositions to contrast with the turbulent on-screen events.During editing,Mendes made several changes that gave the film a less cynical tone.,Released in North America on September,15,1999,American Beauty,was positively received by critics and audiences alike;it was the best-reviewed American film of the year and grossed over$350,million worldwide.Reviewers praised most aspects of the production,with particular emphasis on Mendes,Spacey and Ball;criticism tended to focus on the familiarity of the characters and setting.DreamWorks launched a major campaign to increase,American Beauty,s chances of,Academy Award,success;at the,72nd Academy Awards,the following year,the film won,Best Picture,Best Director,Best Actor,(for Spacey),Best Original Screenplay,and,Best Cinematography,.,47,PLOT,48,Lester Burnham(,Kevin Spacey,)is a middle-aged magazine writer who despises his job.His wife,Carolyn(,Annette Bening,),is an ambitious real-estate broker;their sixteen-year-old daughter,Jane(,Thora Birch,),abhors her parents and has low self-esteem.The Burnhams new neighbors are retired,United States Marine Corps,Colonel,Frank Fitts(,Chris Cooper,)and his introverted wife,Barbara(,Allison Janney,);their teenage son,Ricky(,Wes Bentley,),is a secret marijuana smoker and drug dealer whom the colonel subjects to a strict disciplinarian lifestyle.Ricky,who had been forced into a military academy and mental hospital,spends time recording his surroundings with a camcorder;he keeps dozens of taped videos in his bedroom.,Lester becomes infatuated with Janes cheerleader friend,Angela Hayes(,Mena Suvari,),after seeing her perform a half-time dance routine at a high school basketball game.He begins to have sexual fantasies about Angela,during which red rose petals are a recurring motif.Carolyn begins an affair with a business rival,Buddy Kane(,Peter Gallagher,).When Lester is about to be laid off his job,he blackmails his boss for$60,000 and quits,taking employment serving fast food.He buys his dream car(a 1970,Pontiac,Firebird,)and starts working out after he overhears Angela tell Jane that she would find him sexually attractive if he improved his physique.He begins smoking marijuana bought from Ricky and flirts with Angela whenever she visits Jane.Jane becomes involved with Ricky and they bond over what Ricky considers the most beautiful imagery he has filmed:a plastic bag dancing in the wind.,2,49,Lester discovers Carolyns infidelity,but reacts indifferently.Buddy ends the affair,saying he is facing an expensive divorce.Frank becomes suspicious of Lester and Rickys friendship and finds his sons footage of Lester lifting weights while nude,which Ricky captured by chance and leads Frank to believe Ricky is gay.Carolyn becomes distraught,loads a gun,and drives home.That night,after watching Ricky and Lester through Lesters garage window,Frank mistakenly concludes the pair are sexually involved.He later beats Ricky and after Ricky falsely admits the charge,he goads his father into kicking him out of the family home.Ricky convinces Jane to flee with him to New York City and tells the vain Angela she is ordinary.,Frank confronts Lester and attempts to kiss him;Lester rebuffs the colonel,who leaves.Lester finds a distraught Angela,who begins to seduce him.After learning that Angela is a virgin,Lester stops and comforts her;the pair instead bond over their shared frustrations.Angela goes to the bathroom and Lester smiles at a family photograph of himself,his wife,and Jane in happier times in his kitchen.A gunshot sounds and blood splatters on the wall.Ricky and Jane find Lesters body.Carolyn is seen crying in the bedroom,and Frank returns home,bloodied,a gun missing from his collection.Lesters closing narration describes meaningful experiences during his life;he says that despite his death he is happy,as theres so much beauty in the world,50,Themes and analysis,51,Multiple interpretations,Academics have offered many possible readings of,American Beauty,;film critics are similarly divided,not so much about the quality of the film as their interpretations of it.Described by many as about the meaning of life or gender identification or the hollow existence of the American suburbs,the film has defied categorization by even the filmmakers.Mendes is indecisive,saying the script seemed to be about something different each time he read it:a mystery story,a kaleidoscopic journey through American suburbia,a series of love stories,.it was about imprisonment,.loneliness and beauty.It was funny;it was angry,sad.The literary critic and author,Wayne C.Booth,concludes that the film resists any one interpretation:,American Beauty,cannot be adequately summarized as here is a satire on whats wrong with American life;that plays down the celebration of beauty.It is more tempting to summarize it as a portrait of the beauty underlying American miseries and misdeeds;but that plays down the scenes of cruelty and horror,and Balls disgust with our mores.It cannot be summarized with either Lesters or Rickys philosophical statements about what life is or how one should live,.He argues that the problem of interpreting the film is tied with that of finding its center,a controlling voice who unites all of the choices.He contends that in,American Beauty,s case it is neither Mendes nor Ball.,Mendes considers the voice to be Balls,but even while the writer was strongly influential on set,he often had to accept deviations from his vision,particularly ones that transformed the cynical tone of his script into something more optimistic.,With innumerable voices intruding on the original authors,Booth says,those who interpret,American Beauty,have forgotten to probe for the elusive center.According to Booth,the films true controller is the creative energy that hundreds of people put into its production,agreeing and disagreeing,inserting and cutting.,52,Imprisonment and redemption,Mendes called,American Beauty,a rites of passage film about imprisonment and escape from imprisonment.The monotony of Lesters existence is established through his gray,nondescript workplace and characterless clothing.,In these scenes,he is often framed as if trapped,reiterating rituals that hardly please him.He masturbates in the confines of his shower;,the shower stall evokes a jail cell and the shot is the first of