Whats the difference between american psycho the book and american psycho the movie. Bret easton ellis still stuck with american psycho after 25 years. He is the quintessential citizen of consumer society who consumes the victims of his insanity, all with the same disengaged obsession he uses in choosing outfits. Sep 02, 2017 the ending of american psycho finally explained. Christian bales american psycho movie ending explained. I think the overall meaning of the novel will be different depending on whether the. Like the bret easton ellis book that its based on, the ending of mary harrons american psycho is rather ambiguous, and has been a source of debate amongst fans for a long time. American psycho essence of trash the washington post. For your reference, we provided these american psycho quotes with page numbers using the following version of the book. I think its a failure of mine in the final scene because i just got the emphasis wrong. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of american psycho by bret easton ellis. Apr 21, 20 american psycho, by bret easton ellis 1991, is a story is narrated by the protagonist patrick bateman, a 27yearold wall street operative who is obsessed with his appearance, sex, material possessions, and murder. Jul 21, 2012 i keep hoping for one of his books to grab ahold of me. Then asks without looking over, why arent you wearing the worsted navy blue blazer with the gray pants.
Director mary harrons american psycho 2000 is a terrific horror film where patrick bateman christian bale is a wealthy new york banking executive who hides his serial killer alto ego from everyone around him. The ending of american psycho finally explained youtube. American psycho study guide from litcharts the creators. Directed by mary harron and starring christian bale in a breakout performance, both american psycho and its main villain patrick. Comedy of menace maybe, but definitely not comedy of manners. Although the book contains horrifying scenes, they must be read in the context of the book as a whole. Is patrick bateman in american psycho actually a serial. In hindsight, an american psycho looks a lot like us. Created by the original team behind sparknotes, litcharts are the worlds best literature guides. American psycho, bret easton ellis american psycho is a novel, by bret easton ellis, published in 1991. American psychos author admitted that the book is primarily a critique of male behavior something director mary harron. Shes transformed a novel about blood lust into a movie about mens vanity.
I keep hoping for one of his books to grab ahold of me. Bateman, who relays the action of the novel, as well as his innermost thoughts. Jul 02, 2010 american psycho begins with the words at the entrance to dantes hell, scrawled in blood red lettering on the side of the chemical bank near the corner of eleventh and first. I was a bit dissatisfied with the ending and tonight, when i watch the film adaptation for the first time. The movie, american psycho, is taken from the book of the same name that is written by bret easton ellis. Nov 02, 2016 the ending of triple frontier explained. Christian bale as patrick bateman in the film adaptation of american psycho. Then watched it several times that week as each time i did i noticed more details and clues. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. Interestingly enough, in the corresponding scene in the novel, the. Nsfw i feel like i have finally cracked the puzzle of the ending of american psycho, or at the very least added a whole other piece to the overall explanation. In order to understand the final scene of american psycho, its key to.
I think its a failure of mine in the final scene because i just. Like the bret easton ellis novel that inspired it, the film leaves open the possibility that patrick bateman didnt really kill all those people. The novelists function is to keep a running tag on the progress of culture. Now a major motion picture from lions gate films starring christian bale metroland, chloe sevigny the last days of disco, jared leto my so called life, and reese witherspoon cruel intentions, and directed by mary harron i shot andy warhol. While there a few interpretations of the ending, i got from it that patrick was really a psycho, but he only imagined doing all those gruesome things to those people. Looking at the evidence presented by the movie, we see batemen commit. A male director might have thought patrick bateman, the hero of american psycho, was a serial killer because of psychological twists, but mary harron sees him as a guy whos prey to the usual male drives and compulsions. The reader is introduced to the novels narrator, patrick bateman, a 27yearold wall street investment banker. Earlier in the novel patrick and his other mergers and acquisitions friends go to. Yes, the ending has been ever questioned and debated upon by the entire fandom of this movie and the book, to this date, and that is what i. The novel takes place in new york city in the late 1980s, on the tail end of the wall street boom of the decade. Watching the ending of american psycho 2000 the audience are left in the same puzzling wonder asking, did patrick bateman kll those homeless people, coworkers, and working women. Even though he confesses twice to his lawyer about the killings why does no one believe him.
American psycho, a novel by bret easton ellis, satirizes the apathy, narcissism. Bateman is a selfconscious psychopath who lives the lavish, yet meaningless lifestyle of a yuppie during the late 1980s. After 53 trips back to press, it has sold more than a million copies in the u. Patrick bateman moves among the young and trendy in 1980s manhattan. American psycho begins with the words at the entrance to dantes hell, scrawled in blood red lettering on the side of the chemical bank near the corner of eleventh and first. Directed by mary harron and starring christian bale in a breakout performance, both. Set in manhattan during the wall street boom of the late 1980s, american psycho follows the life of wealthy young investment banker patrick.
Sep 04, 2017 american psycho is often regarded as the first truly exceptional horror movie of the 21st century. As film adaptations of books go, the movie american psycho released in 2000 is fairly spoton. All american girl 2002, plus mistakes, quotes, trivia and more. My heart broke a little when patrick bateman says this confession has meant nothing. How can the chainsawscene of american psycho 2000 be explained. During the movie, ellis shows the entire yuppie culture was so focused upon themselves that they consistently call each other by incorrect names and no one seems to care. What camera, editing and design techniques does the big short use to humanize its characters. American psycho by bret easton ellis, signed abebooks. The story is told in the first person by patrick bateman, a serial killer and manhattan businessman. American psycho ending explained insane fan theory. I will always be defined by patrick bateman, says author, adding that the. The story is set in new york amongst the 1980s wall street boom.
Daniels is giving a seminar about rachael and signing copies of his book about her. The book ends as it began, with bateman and his colleagues at a new club on a friday night, engaging in banal conversation. The story is told in the first person by patrick bateman, a serial killer and manhattan investment banker. He recommends trumps howto book the art of the deal to a. To have the american psycho explained, one must know the plot first. American psycho by ellis bret easton at the best online ebook storage. I was so disappointed in that book that i gave it to the library for their friends sale. Look closer at the deeper meaning and messages of american psychos 2000 ending. The book and movie is a commentary on yuppie culture in the 80s. The modern classic, the basis of a broadway musical, and major motion picture from lions gate films starring christian bale, chloe sevigny, jared leto, and reese witherspoon, and directed by mary harron.
I was disappointed with imperial bedrooms and bought the first edition not waiting for the paperback. Exploring the polarizing ending of mary harrons film. All i wanted was to be ambiguous in the way that the book was. I still think american psycho should be in my top ten books of all time.
American psycho is a novel by bret easton ellis, published in 1991. American psycho, novel by bret easton ellis, published in 1991. Is patrick bateman actually a serial killer who murdered tons of. Bret easton ellis is a very, very good writer and american psycho is a beautifully controlled, careful, important novel. Is patrick bateman actually a serial killer who murdered tons of people, or is he just a loon who imagined the whole thing.
He is the quintessential citizen of consumer society who consumes the victims of his insanity. This is the 1st and last book i will read from this author. American psycho summary from litcharts the creators of. Eric eisenberg like the bret easton ellis book that its based on, the ending of mary harrons american psycho is rather ambiguous, and has been a.
American psycho by bret easton ellis books the guardian. Mar 27, 2016 in hindsight, an american psycho looks a lot like us. The content of the movie created a good deal of controversy because of the explicit sex and violence scenes. The film adaptation of the bret easton ellis novel american psycho was released in 2000, and has been confusing viewers ever since. Welcome to the litcharts study guide on bret easton elliss american psycho. Bret easton ellis american psycho even people who have never read bret easton ellis american psycho likely do not expect to hear the phrase comedy of manners in reference to it. I watched the film american psycho last night and i really dont understand the ending at all. The sign seen at the end of the book simply reads this is not an exit. American psycho begins with a quote from dantes inferno. American psycho is a novel that makes a statement about modern society. American psycho, by bret easton ellis 1991, is a story is narrated by the protagonist patrick bateman, a 27yearold wall street operative who is obsessed with his appearance, sex, material possessions, and murder. Download and read online for free american psycho by ellis bret easton. In hindsight, an american psycho looks a lot like us the.
American psycho study guide from litcharts the creators of. A successful movie version of the novel, starring christian bale in the lead role, appeared in 2000 american psycho is, above all, an ugly book. Mar 15, 2008 while there a few interpretations of the ending, i got from it that patrick was really a psycho, but he only imagined doing all those gruesome things to those people. American psycho is often regarded as the first truly exceptional horror movie of the 21st century.
This study guide consists of approximately 41 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of american psycho. Its the only time i ever finished a movie and immediately restarted it. What i consider the ending of american psycho is the point in the film when our unlikely protagonists world starts falling apart, quite literally, and like in nolans inception, the highly fragile dream world that patrick bateman played by a devilishly feisty christian bale built begins collapsing. Differences between american psycho book vs movie page 1. If you want to have american psycho explained, knowing the ending will definitely be of great help. In 1991 bret easton ellis published his controversial second novel, american psycho, at age 26. The canadian actor turned writer and director will adapt atwoods 1996 book, alias grace, into a miniseries, with american psychos mary harron directing. American psycho might have seemed like a straightforward film about a psychotic serial killer one.
Patrick bateman christian bale the ending of american psycho 2000 is a classic piece of ambiguity. All of which are meant to be metaphors for what the books jacket copy sententiously calls. Ive been known to be both a picky reader and a finicky film critic, and even i think the movie version of bret easton ellis novel, published in 1991, is faithful to the text its based on. American psycho is the story of patrick bateman, a rich, arrogant, twentysomething yuppie in 1980s new york, who also happens to be an insane serial killer. American psycho by bret easton ellis, paperback barnes.
The movie showed what he really wanted to do to people, but could never act on. I havent read the book yet not sure if i want to after reading excerpts but the ambiguity is a big reason why american psycho is my favorite film. Then it all became clear that the fake bateman, the filmstarcelebritymodel is the one. Jay electronica exhibit a instrumental cliff martinez. American psycho 5 voice stops, he takes in a breath and then quietly says, his eyes fixed on a beggar at the corner of second and fifth, thats the twentyfourth one ive seen today. Alison kelly of the observer notes that while some countries deem it so potentially disturbing that it can only be sold shrinkwrapped, critics rave about it and academics revel in its transgressive and postmodern. In american psycho, bret easton ellis imaginatively explores the incomprehensible depths of madness and captures the insanity of violence in our. Hunter, american psycho is largely a critique of the shallow and vicious aspects of capitalism.
Naturally, my response was to believe that the entire movie was a confession by patrick bateman and that it was in fact. The ending of american psycho finally explained looper. Collective identity in american psycho film analysis all video clips from american psycho 2000, lions gate films songs used. Abandon all hope ye who enter here is graffitied across the side of a bank in bloodred paint. Is patrick bateman in american psycho actually a serial killer, or is it in his head.
4 395 883 1358 1585 185 995 141 1178 481 665 871 818 214 598 1566 278 1298 337 1382 1417 246 421 120 1039 622 971 377 1177 1112 953 782 426 243 1135 367 820 1362