American Psycho, directed by
Mary Harron, was released in 2000 - based on the novel of the same name by
Bret Easton Ellis. Featuring scenes involving the cold-blooded murder of innocent people, it was a highly
controversial movie. If one can look past this however, it features a simply stunning performance by the relatively unknown
Christian Bale as Patrick Bateman (the psycho of the film's title,) as well as excellent direction and a thought-provoking plot.
Patrick Bateman, a wealthy young businessman who works on Wall Street, is not all that he appears to be. Despite his apparent charm and good looks Patrick is a man who enjoys inflicting pain and murdering others. At the same time, he believes in taking care of himself, putting incredible effort into what he wears and what he does to his own body. The charm and good looks are not just things that he possesses, they are things that he obsesses over possessing.
The film's opening scenes, despite their brevity, can actually give the reader an incredible glimpse into what do expect for the rest of the movie. Classical music plays to the movements of what appears to be drops and streams of blood. A butchers knife appears, and then thumps down into a piece of steak - it seems that it was not blood after all, but raspberry coulis being spread across a plate that a meal is being prepared onto. This really sets the tone for what lies in store - things are not what they appear to be despite how much you may, just like the characters in the movie, believe them to be.
The first half of the film has been described as a comedy of manners, showing Bateman interacting with those around him in a way that makes him appear as normal as any one of them. Throughout this however, one can see glimpses of the fact that he is not quite as normal as he appears - the incredible effort he puts into his appearance for instance, and shouting at a barmaid "You're a fucking ugly bitch. I want to stab you to death, and play around with your blood." As the film progresses it descends further into a blood-fest, just as Bateman himself loses control.
The juxtaposition of the scenes of tranquility with the scenes of carnage and violence is done exceedingly well. For instance; in a dark alley Bateman stabs a homeless man because he feels that they "don't have anything in common," and then in the next scene Bateman is massaged by a young Asian girl who compliments his skin. Another scene ends with Patrick screaming triumphantly at a hooker lying dead with a chainsaw in her side, cutting to Patrick at an uptown restaurant with his fiancee. As the film progresses and Bateman loses his grip on his sanity, the film itself reflects this in the number of violent scenes. Even the scenes which one expects to be peaceful may not turn out to be - Patrick intending to murder Carruthers in the hotel bathroom for example, simply for having such an elegant business-card.
The film's message is one of anti-consumerism, depicting a man who is obsessed with having everything that he is told he is meant to have. Yet even having it is not enough, he has to be better than everyone else - the suits, how he takes care of his skin and body, the apartment. Even worrying about not having a good table at a restaurant is enough to upset him to the point he claims to be on the verge of tears. He "wants to fit in," and he goes about it by reading magazines and watching television to find out exactly what it is that he should care about.
There is also a lot of discussion as to whether the more violent events of the film actually took place, or whether Patrick simply imagined it all. While I do not feel that this is a particularly important distinction I will add my own argument for the sake of those who do. I feel that not all of the murder's actually took place. I do not doubt that Paul Allen was murdered (just for being able to get a reservation at a better restaurant, as well as having a more elegant business card,) but I do believe that the final scenes were meant to be imagined. Party because of the excessive amount of damage he managed to do with one pistol without being shot himself, but mostly because of the ATM which flashed "Feed me a stray cat."
I myself thought that the movie was fantastic, but like so many other people I felt that some of the scenes of violence and depravity were simply too over-the-top. However, if the violence was left out or even just turned down a notch, the film would simply not have been so powerful. The incredible lighting and sets, a soundtrack that is used to extremely good effect in creating the atmosphere of the film, and a cast who did put in excellent performances all round have managed to make this movie one of my personal favorites.