American Beauty (Sam Mendes, 1999) is not only a neo-noir film, but also a sub-genre of neo-noir. A neo-noir film has certain characteristics, which identify the film as being a neo-noir. The movie manifests numerous high tech film making features, which work together to create a quality film. American Beauty contains characteristics, such as an ambivalent protagonist, femme fatal, dark and pessimistic mood, doubles or splits, half-lighting, and color symbolism, making it a neo-noir; furthermore, it possesses special qualities making it a sub-genre of neo-noir as well.
In the beginning of the movie, this sub-genre can be seen because everything seems so peaceful and perfect until we start peeling away layers and see what things are
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