Aug 29, 20204 min read

American Psycho - A canonical satire of the corporate yuppie!

For those used to the corporate environment, think back to the time you used the word ‘Psychopath’ to describe a colleague? Pretty common eh? And what is this was indeed true? Behind the veneer of the suit and tie, could there be a serial killer on the loose? Frightening and sobering thought that.

ASHOK’s FIVE reviews #AmercianPsycho starring #ChristianBale that tells the story of Patrick Bateman, a classic American corporate honcho, who doubles up as a homicidal psychopath outside of work. The film is based on the 1991 best seller book by Bret Easton Ellis and is a cult satire on the modern-day trappings of capitalism. Ironically, the film is directed by a woman, #MaryHarron who brings her own perspective to the narrative.

1. #ChristianBale is brilliant in this very unusual role, a protagonist who is obsessed with fitness, grooming and visiting cards. He pulled off the character of Bateman with almost eccentric genius and transformed the imagination of millions of Americans who have indulged themselves in turning up as Bateman at parties and social occasions! Bateman is also an encyclopedia on #PhilCollins and his music and his commentary on music before yet another macabre murder makes the scene all the spookier. There is one scene where he is hosting a colleague at his home and jives to the beat of Huey Louis. I am sure your take on the band would undergo a radical shift after watching the film. You would normally not associate a Bale with this role; I can easily imagine a #LeonardodiCaprio slip effortlessly into the role and that is what dials up the curiosity quotient.

2. #AmericanPsycho is right up there in terms of social satire. It exposes the rapacious nature of the yuppy Wall Street broker who will stoop to any level to get his way. The violent behaviour is identical to that of Batman's alter ego. Look around yourself and you find the same behaviour – jealousy over the size, design and printing on the visiting card, location of the parking lot, ability to get table reservation at the restaurant, size of the office cabin or any other perk on offer. This is male vanity at its lowest best and the script co-scripted by Harron and #GuinevereTurner highlights this very well. In short, this movie is an exposition of modern masculinity running out of control!

3. More on the script…. There are clever word plays that engage your attention. For example, the reference to Mergers & Acquisitions as Murders & Executions! What the script and the acting does is to provide a visage to the hollowness of the excessive focus on beauty, order and all things material. The visage is constantly hunted and harried and only the gore and violence can put out the angst.

4. #WillemDafoe plays the investigator Donald Kimble, who pursues Bateman, but this role is strange and interesting. Instead of using the character to build intrigue and suspense, the detective actually adds to the myth and the confusion as he moves from slyly accusing Bateman at one point to making some inane remark on the other. In the process, the viewer remains nonplussed as to whether Bateman did kill Paul Allen and Kimble does nothing to ease that confusion.

5. Audiences are still debating the conclusion of the movie. Did Bateman actually murder all the people including the random women and the homeless man? Or was it all the ramblings of his imagination? Did the ATM persuade him to feed it a stray cat? Did he shoot the woman bystander and what happened when he confessed to his lawyer? In an interview many years later, Harron goes on to explain that she had perhaps failed in her intent “One thing I think is a failure on my part is people keep coming out of the film thinking that it's all a dream, and I never intended that. All I wanted was to be ambiguous in the way that the book was. I think it's a failure of mine in the final scene because I just got the emphasis wrong. I should have left it more open ended. It makes it look like it was all in his head, and as far as I'm concerned, it's not”. Watch the film and note the sheer genius of how you could interpret it in both ways.

I am going to close with a set of very interesting trivia about #AmercianPsycho borrowed from the #PearlandDean blog:

1. #ChristianBale based his performance as Patrick Bateman on #TomCruise

2. The sound effect of the visiting card was created by slowing down the sound of a sword being the 'whoosh' sounds during the famous business card scene was drawn from its sheath.

3. #ChristianBale showed up as Patrick Bateman to his first meeting with author #BretEastonEllis

4. The film had problems with designer labels allowing their brand to be seen in various parts of the film. Cerruti agreed to allow #ChristianBale to wear their clothes, but not when the character was killing anyone.

5. During production, #ChristianBale followed the same morning routine explained by Patrick Bateman

6. During shooting, #ChristianBale spoke in an American accent off set at all times

7. #ChristianBale improvised the dance to Huey Lewis and the news in the scene where he kills Paul Allen

8. the film's single biggest cost was purchasing the rights to the various songs used throughout

10. #ChristianBale was warned by many that it would be career suicide for him to play the lead in a film like this

11. #WillemDafoe played his character three different ways in each scene. In each scene with detective Donald Kimball, director #MaryHarron asked Dafoe to portray his character three ways:

1. Kimble knew Patrick Bateman killed Paul Allen,

2. Kimball didn't know Bateman killed Allen

3. Kimball wasn't sure if Bateman killed Allen.