The symbolic and technical codes support the narrative codes in the film. The first time you watch the film you concentrate on the plot and therefore don’t notice the symbolical and technical codes. The second time you watch it you do notice them and they make the plot more interesting.
In the establishing shot we see the area the Burnham family live in from above. The roads are all in straight lines, symbolising perfection. All the houses are white, which also symbolises perfection. All the houses are owned not rented, symbolising the ‘American Dream’. The shot is a point of view shot, shot from a high angle almost as if it is looking down from heaven. It is from Lester’s point of view, as if he is looking down on his life, which tells us that the film is a flashback.
We then see Lester masturbating. This is symbolic, as it shows that Lester is frustrated sexually.
The camera then shows a close up of a rose. The rose has phallic associations, it is linked with sex, it is a red rose and red symbolises romance, sex, lust, blood, danger and their sex life. We see Carolyn cutting the rose, which is symbolic of their sex life ending. The shot is a close up, which helps the audience focus on the rose.
Then we see Carolyn admiring the perfect rose and hear Lester’s voice saying, “see how the handle on those pruning shears matches her gardening clogs, that’s not an accident”. He is saying that she has to be perfect, everything has to match.
We are then introduced to the homosexual neighbours, who are both called Jim. They have a dog called Titzy, who they treat like a child, they are like a family unit. The average American is very religious and would find homosexuality unacceptable, therefore Jim and Jim symbolise false.
We then see a large depth of field shot. Lester is in the background, Carolyn and Jim are in the foreground. Lester is in the house and behaves like a child, it seems more perfect if he is inside.
The camera the shows Jane looking on the internet at a breast enlargement website, this is symbolic of the American Dream, Americans are taught that if the aren’t perfect they can buy perfection, and Jane is trying to buy the perfect body.
The Burnham house represents the American Dream, it is a white house with blue shutters and a red door and roses, the colours of the American flag. The house is symmetrical, it is a ‘perfect’ house, however the house has negative associations, it is perfect outside but it is fake perfection, and inside the house is not perfect at all, as the behaviour of the family is false. We also see Carolyn in shadow when we see the house, which is symbolic, showing she casts a shadow in their lives.
We then see the family getting ready to leave the house. Lester is late and drops his briefcase. Some folders drop out which are red white and blue, they are symbolic of the ‘American Dream’. The fact that he drops them illustrates that he doesn’t fit in with the perfect image, in fact, he calls himself a “gigantic loser”.
Also, we see a tracking shot of the sky, which is symbolic of heaven, it reminds us he is going to die.
When the family are sitting in the car, their positions are symbolic. Lester is sitting in the back, he is emasculated, traditionally, he should be driving. He is slouched in the back like a child, which symbolises his status within the family.
At Lester’s desk he has a sign saying ‘Look Closer’, which is the subheading of the film. We, as the viewer, are subtly invited to look closer, as Lester looks happy but underneath he is deeply unhappy.
We then see a shot of Lester’s boss, ‘Brad’. It is a medium low angle shot making him seem bigger and therefore more important.
The name ‘Brad Dupree’ suggests American hero, he seems perfect, the perfect image of the ‘American Dream’. When Lester is describing him he says ‘Brad, how perfect is that?’
When Lester is in Brad’s office we see that Brad’s pens are gold and all straight together in the pot. These suggest power and success, they are a very masculine, phallic symbol. Lester’s pen is a novelty pen, a child’s pen. It shows he doesn’t take his job seriously and has low status.
The next sot is a medium shot at a high angle, which makes Lester look small and unimportant, it compounds his low status. It makes Lester seem like a child. There is a desk between him and Brad also, which is a barrier symbolising division.
We then see a point of view shot, first from Brad’s point of view making him seem large and superior, then we see Lester’s point of view making him seem small and inferior.
The lighting in this shot is dark and dull, colours appear grey, symbolising his job and his life.
In the next shot we see some photographs of the family. In the individual black and white pictures they all look happy. In the colour picture of the family Carolyn is wearing red, Jane is dressed in white and Lester is in blue, the colours of the American flam symbolising the ‘American Dream’ and them as a family trying to live it.
We then see a close up of white candles, red roses and blue napkins, symbolic of the ‘American Dream’ and them trying to pursue it by having the perfect family dinner. The camera moves slowly in this shot allowing us to ‘Look Closer’.
Then we see the family eating dinner, listening to ‘elevator music’, which seems cheap and false. Carolyn wants to create a perfect family dinner, but if we ‘look closer’ we see that none of them are actually happy. Lester starts to tell a story and when he realises no one is interested he says “You couldn’t care less” showing that the dinner is not perfect.
The technical and symbolic codes are very useful when watching the film, as they subconsciously enhance your knowledge and understanding of the situation in the film. They make the film more interesting to watch and lead us to a deeper understanding of the message ‘Look Closer’. The codes tell us that the writer thinks that The ‘American Dream’ is unrealistic and is putting pressures on families and people to be something they are not.
