American Beauty (1999)

Laura Mulvey's theory of the male gaze is clearly visible in the clip of American Beauty, it appears more so in the dance sequence. At first a long shot of the dance group is shown and then a reverse shot of the crowd emphasising the full capacity of the stadium, the diegetic sound of the crowd and music supports this. As the spotlight focuses on the main character  close ups of the mans face are used to show his intrigue with his teenage daughters friend, his performance of slowly dropping his jaw helps to portray this. The diegetic sound then begins to fade and the lighting turns low key. The almost translucent spotlight is now the main point of light, it is clear that he is now fantasising. The female who was first seen as being passive is now acting promiscuous, this is echoed by the camera movements. When the camera zooms in on her body she begins touching herself seductively the camera is also tilting giving an effect that it is caressing her body.