American Beauty: 'Pass the Asparagus' - 'The Slap'

Clip of American Beauty (1999, Sam Mendes) [Uploaded for illustration of a sequence analysis essay - What is the central meaning of this sequence? This dinner scene was contrasted with the previous, with notes on the alterations in Mise-en-scene - such as the candles being lit, Lester's change in clothes, beverage, and general demeanour, accompanied by cinematographic differences including more long shots as opposed to the earlier, prevailing medium shots which give the representation of the family the illusion of more distance between them. A psychoanalytic analysis of this sequence situates Lester's behaviour in reclaiming his 'masculinity', initially portrayed as the metaphorically castrated male, as alluded to by Lester's comments on Carolyn's preference of keeping his "d*ck in a mason jar under the sink", further supported by Carolyn's representation of being in a position of power within the household. For further reading regarding American Beauty within the theoretical frameworks of psychoanalysis and Athusser's Interpellation theory, one blog entry of particular interest follows: https://ianaugustine.wordpress.com/20... ]