A dancing plastic bag

Analysis of the significance of the ‘dancing paper bag’ in the film “American Beauty” (1999)

A dancing plastic bag

The film “American Beauty”, directed by Sam Mendes highlights a series of problems for a typical American middle class family in an ironic way. The film uses several examples of imagery in the course of story to pass the message of the fleeting nature of beauty that is a façade in the American middle-class. One of the most profound scenes in the film is that of the dancing plastic bag which Ricky plays and watches with Jane. Though brief in comparison to the rest of the film, the image of the plastic bag being pushed around in the wind is symbolic of several situations that are depicted in “American Beauty”

The first way in which this dancing paper bag is symbolic in American Beauty is the fact that it represents the different characters and their moments of ‘beauty’. At this stage it is necessary to analyze this dancing plastic bag as it were before and during when Ricky filmed it. This piece of plastic was merely a piece of garbage that was poorly disposed thus making it float around in the wind. It only becomes special because Ricky manages to get it on film due to his fascination at its ‘dancing without a care in the world. His almost mundane love for unique elements in nature enabled him to see its ‘beauty.’ When he stopped filming, the plastic bag resumed to being a piece of garbage. This is highly symbolic of the lives of the different characters who will have their magical moments where they shine and when they are out of the spotlight, all the things that bring them misery return in full force.

Ricky, the colonel’s son has been raised in a strict manner and as a result he portrays an image of a disciplined man who would have made it big in the military. This is because of the relentless effort that Frank, the colonel put into rising his son While he and Ricky hope that this will help the young man. Behind this façade however is a drug addicted man who also is also involved in the trade making him a very troubled man.

The life of the main character, Lester, is another example of how the paper bag portrays characters’ lives. On the outside he presents the image of a responsible family man. The truth of the matter is that he is very crafty and this is seen first in his act of blackmailing the boss and secondly in his scheme to seduce Angela, his daughter’s friend. The short-lived nature of the dance is similar to his short life which he foreshadows as ending abruptly prematurely in the film when he gets shot midway through a deal.

Angela herself is another manifestation of this paper bag’s beauty. Throughout most of the film she is cast as Lester’s love/lust interest. This continues until the end of the film when she confides in him and tells him that she is actually a virgin. During this brief moment, her true beauty is revealed and this brings Lester back to his senses as he now sees her as a daughter. This happens for a brief moment that leaves a strong impression, much like the dancing plastic bag did. The fantasies that Lester had were marked in the film by a slowing of the film to illustrate or the transition from the real world to his fantasy world was characterized by slow music as well as the slowing down of the scene around served to show the difference between the real world. The technique of zooming into the image and boxing out Carolyn is another indication to the audience to show that Lester had deep feelings for Angela.

When we look at Jane’s life, it can be seen that she too had several struggles she was trying so hard to hide. Her parents and more specifically her father disrespected her by openly flirting with her friend who was more than open to the idea of having an affair with her father. The relationship she has with her parents is in most instances strained.

Carolyn, Lester’s wife tries desperately to ensure her house is clean and appealing at all times. Despite the strong beliefs that she has in cleaning, her house continues to break apart as they pull in different directions. Jane, her daughter wants to elope with Ricky, her husband is not satisfied by the sexual relationship they have as a married couple and Carolyn herself is involved in an affair with another workmate, Buddy. The husband finds out but remains casual about the whole thing.

Frank, Ricky’s father is a retired army colonel. The nature of his personality that of a ‘manly man.’ The manifestations of these form an integral part of the image we wishes to portray. He attacked his son on suspicion of being romantically involved with Lester. This is a skeleton in his closet and he will have the potential of ruining the image he has cultivated for so long. The reaction he had to Jim and Jim’s open expression of their sexual without any fear of being judged. The disgust he shows may suggest that deep inside he was terribly embarrassed about his true nature and the only way to deal with it was by physically assaulting his son due to suspicions that he had.

For all these characters, the American beauty they had was seen briefly at some point in their lives though the permanency of this proves to be something that is near impossible. The piece of plastic bag though beautiful would not have been recorded forever. All that was needed was a short clip that lasted two minutes to immortalize its moment. Different people come into the lives of the characters to give them their ‘two minutes of fame.’

In the case of Lester this person can be Angela since she at first saw him as a potential sexual partner but later on as a confidante with whom she could share her deepest secrets.

For Angela the person who saw her true beauty was Lester who upon realizing that she was a virgin completely changed the way he saw her.

For Carolyn this person was Buddy and this led them to have an affair. This shows the fact that he saw something I her that her husband could either no longer see or was merely avoiding her.

In conclusion it can be stated that the reason why the dancing plastic bag remains the most profound form of imagery in the film is the ease with which it can be compared to the lives of the different characters who in a bid to achieve and showcase American Beauty, end up hiding a large number of personal struggles. The main character, his immediate family and also supporting actors exhibit this phenomenon.

Works Cited

American Beauty (1999) Film