The Film American Beauty Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Film American hit - Essay ExampleThe philosophical idea of debaucher Since the early days of Greek philosophy circa 427 B.C., the question of what is peach tree has been asked. And in the earthly yet lofty discussion of the Dialogues, Plato narrates how his teacher Socrates draws them to realize that beauty is not only what is fair in physical form-- such as of a face, hands or other parts of the body --- but also what is fair or intimately in speech and knowledge. Is not the good also the elegant, says Socrates (Jowett Translation 204). Apart from what is readily understood, Socrates speaks in more mystical terms as he teaches contemplation as a mental scan to see the very essence of beauty itself, everlasting not growing and decaying, or waxing or waning. . . which if beheld one would look and be with, bringing frontward and nourishing true virtue (118). The vision of Socrates on absolute beauty is not what is commonly known about the picturesque things in everyday li fe. Ordinarily, beauty is referred to with reference to appeal or loveliness mainly of the physical form, often enough of women. It would therefore be interesting to be clarified on what Socrates means by true, simple and divine beauty which when beholden with the eye of the mind enables one to realize realities beyond images or physical form. The movie American Beauty may just have a comparable idea about absolute beauty. What American Beauty is In the movie American Beauty, the idea of beauty or the good is typified by the main characters. Living up to his ideal of the military service, Col. Fitts of the Marine Corps thinks military-like authority and discipline is good or beautiful for his family. He therefore subdued his own wife to full subservience and his son Ricky to outwardly regarding him as a role model and war hero. adjacent door neighbours are the Burnhams with Caroline Burnham bravely standing for the beauty of Americas economic rat-race which has turned her into a f ierce competitor at the cost of her husband Lester, who has become less of a husband and more of a liability in her life. The teenage Angela Hayes typifies the young American beauty, obsessed with the command for attention and popularity among schoolmates. Her best friend Jane, daughter of Lester and Carol Burnham, has become the sounding board to her constant craving for adulation and her unending need to be individual special and not ordinary in school. Central to the movie, however, is not Angela, but Lester Burnham. The movie flows with his off-cam narrative and dramatic solutions to solve a middle-age crisis and discover the good and beautiful in life. Closely helping him in his count for lifes meaning is the young Ricky Fitts who introduced him to life space through drugs until Lesters life was compress short by an assailants gun, that of Rickys own father Col Fitts. The varied objects which turn outed good or beautiful to the movies characters appear to compose the tota lity of beauty in the American way of life -- authority drawn from soldiery for Col. Fritts, drive for success at the expense of family for Carolyn, search for life space for Lester Burnham, popularity and attention for the insecure Angela, and the double life of discipline-and-drugs for the young Ricky Fitts. Who is the American Beauty It is easy to say that Angela Hayes, the object of a fleeting friendship of Lester Burnham is