If the An American in Paris Ballet symbolizes Jerry's grief over losing Lise, then the red rose that bookends the ballet is a symbol within a symbol. The brilliant red flower represents the elusiveness and fragility of love.

Just like love, the red rose is beautiful, and Jerry finds it when he least expects it. It appears out of nowhere, and then Jerry spends his entire dream dance-chasing it across Paris. Sounds like a certain French shopgirl we know, doesn't it?

The connection between love, Lise, and flowers extends beyond the red rose, too. At one point during the ballet, Jerry dances with Lise in his arms only to have her disappear and be replaced by an enormous bouquet of flowers that Jerry lets fall to the ground. If you haven't already been hit over the head by this heavy-handed symbolism, the suggestion here is that love is fleeting and harder to hold onto than a squirmy baby seal covered in bacon grease—or, you know, a beautiful flower. That's probably a better metaphor.