American Beauty (1999 film) as Lester and Angela get closer, finally taking the roses—and thus Carolyn—out of the shot. Lester's epiphany at the end of the film is expressed by rain and the use of red, building to a crescendo that is a deliberate contrast to the release Lester feels. The constant use of red "lulls [the audience] subliminally" into becoming used to it; consequently, it leaves the audience unprepared when Lester is shot and his blood spatters on the wall. Pennington argues that "American Beauty" defines its characters through their sexuality. Lester's attempts to relive his youth are a direct result of his
Carolyn Marks Blackwood Carolyn Marks Blackwood Carolyn Marks Blackwood (born August 21, 1951) is an American fine art photographer, film producer, writer, screenwriter, and singer-songwriter. She was born in Anchorage, Alaska, moved to New York State as a child, and finally to the Hudson Valley region in 1999. Blackwood co-owns Magnolia Mae Films with her business partner Gabrielle Tana, and is best known for her work on the Academy Award winning film The Duchess and on the Oscar-nominated film Philomena. In addition to her work on Coriolanus, The Invisible Woman, and the 2016 Sergei Polunin documentary "Dancer," she is currently active with the