At the beginning of the film Lester is talking, introducing where he lives e.c.t his voice sounds bland, it has no expression or enthusiasm to it, but yet still has a tone of confidence in it. From the start of the film you can tell that Lester is a very negative and cynical person, he seems to have a defeatist attitude towards everything like he has given up on life. He seems like he is slowly fading away without anyone noticing. I think he is like this because he has already succeeded in life, it’s like he has no ambition left in him, he has a house, wife, child, car, money, job what else could he want? Lester lives an average life, he has an average size house in a neighbourhood, he is an average looking man e.g. height and weight. He has a wife and one child (female). When his wife is introduced she seems very materialistic, for example when he mentions the non accidental matching gardening accessories, and the roses that she grows in the front garden (to show them off) they add prestige. From what you see in the first part of the film the Burnham’s seem quite well off, they have a decent car and their daughter has a computer in her room which would have been quite rare when the film was made. They also have a large shower which seems quite luxurious, you see the shower in the film when Lester is in there ‘pleasing’ himself- this is the best part of his day.
Him and his wife obviously have not got a physical relationship, he does not love his wife anymore but the feeling are mutual between them both. The way they both feel for each other is very obvious due to sarcasm and the way they speak to each other. Lester seems like a burden to his wife, like another child to look after rather than a husband. There is a scene in the film where Lester is walking towards the car and his wife is going on at him saying he is going to make her late and then he drops his brief case and all his paperwork comes out (nothing seems to go right for him) the look that his wife and daughter give him shows that they have no respect for him and he even says my daughter and wife think I am complete looser. The authority is mixed up in the family, not to be sexist but the wife seems to wear the trousers in the house, and when they are in the car the daughter is in the front and Lester is in the back I think this seems that the daughter thinks that she has more right over her father than he does. In the back of the car Lester is not making any conversation with his wife and daughter, he is going to sleep not making any effort at all.
Certain colours in the film are repeated throughout the film. Blue- this colour represents the sadness and loneliness in Lester’s life. Red- the roses are bright red, trying to brighten up their dull life? These colours are also repeated because they symbolise a traditional American family, red, white and blue the colours of the American flag. The colours of the clothes that Lester wears are very dull and boring, his work clothes typical grey suit, white shirt and brown tie. His night wear is all brown and very bland, pyjamas and slippers. Lester just dresses like a typical working man, no quirkiness or anything different about him.
I think Lester seems trapped in this life that he is living and doesn’t know who to get out, I think this because there are two parts of the film that represent this. The first one is when his wife is showing off her roses to the next door neighbour, Lester is just standing by the window looking outside making it look like he a trapped in the house. The second part is where Lester is at work and he is looking at a graph on the computer and you can see his face reflecting on the screen, it look like he is trapped in jail as the lines from the graph makes it look like he is stuck behind jail bars.
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