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This theory works on the premise that Carnes did have lunch with Paul Allen in London, that there is no issue of mistaken identity, and that Bateman's murder of Allen is purely the product of his own warped mind. When he tells the Chinese woman at the drycleaners that he will kill her, she doesn't seem to fully understand him, although she does react slightly to his threat. According to the film's official website, the videotape addiction is a metaphor for Bateman's "emotional isolation"; he has no real life himself, no real existence to keep him occupied, so he needs to fill that emptiness by continually immersing himself in the lives of others, i.e. As with the practical theories regarding the Carnes conversation, the outbursts and the empty apartment, interpreting the murders as real is part of the film's social satire. Edit, Nothing explicit is seen, but there are two instances of violence involving animals, although only one animal is hurt. His best friend is Simone de Reveney, a multi-billionaire and the largest refiner of Russian gold in the world.Over the course of the emails, it is revealed that in 1991, Bateman married Jean, his former secretary (played by Chlo Sevigny in the film), although by 2000 they are going through a nasty divorce, battling for custody of their eight-year-old son, Patrick Bateman Jr. (who Bateman refers to as PB, and says he is an intellectual prodigy, uninterested in childish distractions). Patrick Bateman : Well, I work on Wall Street. He shows no remorse in business, in his personal life and during his murders. We're all just robots. From what weve seen before, this likely isnt an uncommon occurrence. And because every single one of them operates with this belief, mistaken identity occurs on a daily basis.As Mary Harron points out on her DVD commentary, Bateman is just one of a group. See Details. His personal trainer also trains the New York Giants, Oscar De La Hoya and Cirque du Soleil. Later, as Bateman, McDermott and Van Patten try to decide where to have dinner, McDermott asks Bateman what he wants to do, and Bateman says, "I want to pulverize a woman's face with a large heavy brick," to which McDermott flippantly replies, "Besides that" (p. 312). "The conversations between Bateman and Kimball also address the issue of mistaken identity. Instant downloads of all 1699 LitChart PDFs Instead, there is a scene where Sean mentions talking to his brother on the phone.There is no connection between Bateman and either the novel (1985) or the film version of Less Than Zero, or the short story collection (1994) or film version of The Informers. He's in permanent panic about where he fits in, whether or not he's cool enough. Based on Bret Easton Ellis's 1991 novel . Additionally, the frequent mention of videotapes (as opposed to DVDs) helps to date the story. Is there any explicit violence toward animals shown in this movie? [official site archived here] Our, "Sooo much more helpful thanSparkNotes. Later, when Bateman is dining with Paul Allen, he tells him "I like to dissect girls. His clothes are sent to him by designers prior to being released in stores. Also includes a behind-the-scenes interview with Justin Theroux about 80s hedonism. However, nowhere in either the film or the novel is the exact nature of Bateman's job explained, nor do we ever see him actually doing any work.According to Mary Harron on her DVD commentary, the lack of specifics and failure to identify his exact role are thematically important and offer a commentary on Bateman's psychological state; Creating notes and highlights requires a free LitCharts account. Again, Les Misrables highlights a distinction of class and the contrast between Bateman and these women. By extension then, presumably, none of the murders are real - Bateman is simply insane and he imagines himself committing unspeakable acts when in fact he is doing no harm to anyone. Patrick Bateman Character Analysis. It is usually categorized and diagnosed by a set of behaviors. They have many casual acquaintances, but no real connections with one another. The New York Times wrote a lengthy review entitled "Don't Buy This Book," in which it condemned the novel as one of the worst pieces of literature ever written, whilst both PEN International (a worldwide association of authors) and the Authors' Guild subtly disassociated themselves from Ellis. Perhaps the fact that Bateman is well-dressed and appears confident, in control, leads people to disregard his threats.Similarly, at various points in the novel, Bateman makes comparable statements which are completely disregarded. "Kimball: "Well, there's a message on his - answering machine? (film) American Psycho is a 2000 film about a young, well-to-do man who isn't quite as normal as he seems and secretly is a serial killer. Nevertheless, Mehta's decision made headlines news. It should slip between the two, I don't think you can find the meaning in one answer. This is completely ignored in the film, the cannibalism is only briefly referenced, in the scene where Bateman confesses to his lawyer all his actions in which he says. What is the relationship between this film and "American Psycho II"? Mary Harron: "The book and the film are often defined as being about the 1980s, but the 1980s did not invent greed, did not invent commodity fetishism, did not invent a society that is so obsessed with perfect surface" (from DVD commentary track).Bret Easton Ellis: "Like the novel, the movie is essentially plotless, a horror-comedy with a thin narrative built up of satirical riffs about greed, status and the business values of the 1980s culture" (official site archived here).Guinevere Turner: It's part of the idea of the character, that everything is so empty, although he has tons of money and he's constantly buying things and obsessing over having the thing, he's trying to fill this void, and it's not working. . Edit, The time period of the film is late 1986 to March 4th, 1987; as is evident by the Christmas party early in the movie and the Ronald Reagan speech on the TV in the last scene. This is also seen among his colleagues as well. He pointed out that the harshness of the novel, by necessity, had been reduced for the film, which concentrated more on the inherent humor. Everybody's good-looking. I want to stab you to death, and play around with your blood." They literally cannot tell one another apart, nor do they particularly want to. And we get to see first hand of the world Patrick lives in get his unfiltered thoughts in a stream-of-consciousness narrative. The same can be said of the above examples from the novel. American Psycho II is an unofficial spin-off which is not considered canon. This becomes extremely important in relation to Bateman's confession, which, according to this theory, is another example of people failing to really listen to what he says; no matter what a man admits to, no one else cares about his crimes, because no one else cares about him, or about anybody other then themselves. In the film, the actual font seen on the business card is Garamond Classico SC. The incident made the nightly news and the front page of every newspaper in Santa Cruz. Is it all in Patrick Bateman's head? Edit, Although Bateman obviously works in mergers and acquisitions, the specifics of his job are purposely kept something of a mystery in both the novel and the film. After the novel was released, Baxter went to a B. Dalton Bookseller store in Santa Cruz and began to read some of the more graphic passages from the novel aloud. "Then, in their last scene together, Kimball tells Bateman that according to Allen's diary he was having dinner with Halberstram the night he died (which is correct insofar as Allen thought Bateman was Halberstram). Complete your free account to access notes and highlights. Earlier in the night, he had left Elizabeth at a bar to go pick . Vintage was an imprint of Alfred A. Knopf Inc., who published trade paperbacks only, under their Vintage Classics label. For example, when Carruthers confronts him in a clothes store, confessing his love and begging Bateman to love him back, he ends up on the ground, grabbing onto Bateman's leg, and Bateman shouts "I am going to slit your fucking throat,", to which Carruthers responds, "Oh just kill me [] If I can't have you, I don't want to live. What's it about? Where was he? The ATM speaking to Bateman certainly indicates that things have taken a more hallucinatory turn. because even he is starting to believe that his perception of reality cannot be right. Bateman orders "Christie" and Sabrina around, instructing them to go down on each other and stimulate one another to climax. Edit, Yes. He realizes he does not. When he tells Allen he's insane, Allen is drunk and seems to assume that Bateman is joking. I chopped Allen's fucking head off. The second scene involves an ATM machine requesting that Bateman feed it a stray cat. Our, "Sooo much more helpful thanSparkNotes. "As for major differences, there are many as there are even entire scenes from the book left out of the movie.Much of the novel is described in terms of people's clothing and the accessories they wear, as in the yuppie lifestyle, is how they see who has the better lifestyle. Even a fancy dinner and a ride to their favorite bar in a limousine arent interesting enough for the two, so Bateman gets a craving for drugs or so he says. At one point, an extremely confused Bateman asks, "What shape was it cut into?" "No sooner had Simon & Schuster pulled out of publishing the novel however, when, in a controversial move, the president and editor-in-chief of Vintage Books, Sonny Mehta, stepped in and announced that Vintage had purchased the publication rights from S&S. If the murders were purely in his head, the strong social commentary would be undermined and the film would become a psychological study of a deranged mind rather than a social satire. Edit, In the final scene of the film, after Bateman has confessed to the murders, he confronts his lawyer in a bar and tries to talk to him about it. In his apartment he owns original work by Andy Warhol, Damien Hurst, Donald Baechlor, Fernand Lger, Pablo Picasso, Balthus, Mark Rothko, Robert Motherwell, Kenneth Noland, Morris Louis and Helen Frankenthaler. It's not about the law, it's not about justice, it's not about morality, it's about "You are damaging the potential for me to sell this apartment [] Go, go, go. What starts to happen as the movie progresses is that what you're seeing is what's going on in his head. It subsequently transpires that Bateman's psychiatrist, Dr. M, is in fact having an affair with Jean, and the two have fallen in love. "C (suddenly much more serious): "Excuse me, I really must be going now. Known all over town, he receives special treatment at many of the city's most exclusive bars, restaurants and salons. My nightly bloodlust has overflown into my days. Some critics objected to that, as how can we misrepresent the world of Wall Street, but it's not meant to be a literal representation of Wall Street. American Psycho II: All American Girl (2002), American Psycho: From Book to Screen (2005), (critic): Harron, if anything, is an even more devious provocateur than Ellis was. Low rated: 2. The three of them end up on the couch, beginning to have sex. "B: "What exactly do you mean? David Van Patten (played by Bill Sage in the film) is still in the same business as before but is considerably less successful than Bateman. These are the major differences between the film and it's source material. In the novel, Bateman tells us that Paul Allen is often mistaken for an arbitrageur, when he is in fact a merger-maker (322), and the implication is that Bateman himself is an arbitrageur. User Reviews He gets his hair cut every twelve days by the best hairstylist in New York. Instant downloads of all 1699 LitChart PDFs Edit, The most popular theory as to what the film is about is that it is a social satire, critiquing the hedonistic and self-obsessed New York of the late 1980s. I feel lethal, on the verge of frenzy. Bateman then shoots the woman instead, letting the cat go. This would make the situation identical to when Allen thought he was having dinner with Halberstram when he was in fact having dinner with Bateman. Up to his old tricks, Bateman leaves Elizabeth hanging while he goes in search of a prostitute this is just what he did to Courtney the first time he hired Christie. Elizabeth is clearly only interested in Bateman for his money, arguing with him that a restaurant even favored by the idyllic Wall Street man, Donald Trump, wasnt good enough. This is the first time Bateman tells the reader the full details of the sex he has with prostitutes. How much did you pay for it? The client had roasted chicken, and neither Bateman nor Carruthers can understand the fact that the dinner came with no sauces or accessories. It's all part of trying to feed this void that is, in a larger sense, the void of the eighties' intense consumer culture and decadence. Bateman is approached by an older woman (called Mrs. Wolfe in the novel and the film credits; played by Patricia Gage), presumably a real estate agent, who inquires if he saw the advertisement in The New York Times. Similarly, upon saying hello to these people, they usually respond by calling Bateman the wrong name. By extension then, this could be read as a condemnation of corporations in general; they too tend get away with murder (in a figurative sense) and most people just choose to ignore it, just as do Bateman's associates. Edit, Oftentimes during the course of the film, Bateman has outbursts of rage, which are clearly the kind of thing that should provoke concern in the people who hear them. Completely incapable of grasping the idea of someone eating a normal chicken for dinner. Would not have made it through AP Literature without the printable PDFs. Written by Mary Harron and Guinevere Turner, based on the novel by Bret Easton Ellis. [official site archived here] What is his IQ number? Something horrible is happening inside of me and I don't know why. I did it Carnes. Elizabeth complains about the restaurant they went to. I don't want any of what your drama is anywhere near me making money, and we have painted over everything. Edit, The character of Patrick Bateman is quite interesting in how he could be diagnosed mentally. After Al is dead, Bateman stomps on the dog, however, we don't actually see him stomping on it, he raises his foot and the camera cuts to a wide angle where we hear the dog yelp. By the way Davis, how's Silvia, you're still seeing her right? I'm not Davis, I'm Patrick Bateman. Bret Easton Ellis: Mary Harron's American Psycho is set mostly in pre-crash 1987 but it's a period that almost seems as distant as the Jazz Age or the swinging 1960s London of Austin Powers. The film starred Christian Baleas Patrick Bateman, a filthy rich investment banking executive who dives deeper and deeper into his psychotic homicidal fantasies as the film goes on. For example, in the opening scene of the novel, A guy who looks a lot like Luis Carruthers waves over at Timothy and when Timothy doesn't return the wave the guy - slicked-back hair, suspenders, horn rimmed glasses - realizes it's not who he thought it was and looks back at his copy of USA Today. Other mental illnesses, such as Asperger's syndrome, obsessive-compulsive disorder, schizophrenia, and narcissism, can also be diagnosed in Bateman. American Psycho II: All American Girl (2002) sees Bateman (played by Michael Kremko) killed by a potential victim (Mila Kunis), who then becomes a serial killer herself. None of the people involved in either the original novel or the film had anything to do with the "sequel", and Bret Easton Ellis himself has condemned the film, distancing himself and the makers of American Psycho from it and emphasizing that the film is not a part of the official Bateman mythology. I've been a big Genesis fan ever since the release of their 1980 album, Duke. He is a wealthy and materialistic yuppie and Wall Street investment banker who, supposedly, leads a secret life as a serial killer.Bateman has also briefly appeared in other . He has a manservant named Ricardo who follows him everywhere and is always on hand. However, the controversy was far from over. A writer from The New York Times wants to do a piece on his remarkable success for the paper's business section, Architectural Digest have photographed his apartment for a special issue on luxury homes. However, within a few days, it transpired that Koch Records, the publishers of the soundtrack, hadn't obtained the publishing rights to "Hip to Be Square" by Huey Lewis & The News (separate rights needed to be acquired for each song; one for the movie and another for the soundtrack). Wolfe is shown to be no better or no different than Bateman and his associates; for each and every one of them, money is the be all and end all, they are all willing to do anything to acquire it and willing to do anything to retain it. Part of filling that void is trying to keep up with the Joneses, so to speak. External Reviews Interestingly enough, in the corresponding scene in the novel, the narrative switches from 1st person present to 3rd person present mid-sentence (p. 341) at the beginning of the sequence, and then back to 1st person present (again mid-sentence) at the end (p. 352). His main residence is apartments 19 and 20 in Emery Roth's Mansions in the Sky, where his immediate neighbors include Yoko Ono, Steven Spielberg and Calvin Klein. Also includes a behind-the-scenes interview with Samantha Mathis about how the novel is harsher to men than woman. Bateman's seats are better, therefore, he has "won" the unspoken contest between them, and his superiority is something to be celebrated.Regarding the film, the filmmakers themselves have offered various theories as to what the true meaning may be, and a good way to engage with the possibilities as to meaning is to look at what some of them have said about their own interpretations of the work, as well as the interpretations of critics and scholars. He is a 27-year-old Harvard graduate who now lives in New York City and works on Wall Street as an investment banker. Some dialogue was also edited: Bateman orders a prostitute, Christie, to bend over so that another, Sabrina, can 'see your asshole', which was edited to 'see your ass'. Bateman does however make a short appearance in Glamorama (1998), which has not, as of yet, been adapted into a film. "B: "Hm. The first features a dog owned by a homeless man, Al (Reg E. Cathey), who is stabbed to death by Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale). This break is never explained are there events Bateman is hiding or doesnt remember, or is he merely skipping to the good stuff? From here on in he becomes even more of an increasingly unreliable narrator. For example, in a scene between Bateman and Evelyn, she asks him if they can go out the following night, and he replies that he can't because he's got to work, to which Evelyn says, "You practically own that damn company. This is backed by the foolish, awkward side 2 of Patrick Fantasy: Paul Allen is in fact alive, Christie never existed, Sabrina's head is not sitting in his refrigerator, the threesome with Elizabeth never existed, and of course the final rampage with the cat in the ATM and the cop cars. In the R-rated version, during the first threesome, Bateman tells Sabrina to eat Christie's "ass", but in the Unrated version, he tells her to eat Christie's "asshole". Later on, Patrick asks her to have sex with him again. They lie quietly on either side of me, sometimes touching my chest, once in a while running their hands over the muscles in my abdomen. I'm Patrick Bateman. And we get to the scene where he's crying on the phone and confessing to his lawyer what he did, and then his lawyer doesn't even really know who he is. None of them care that he has just confessed to being a serial killer because it just doesn't matter; they have more important things to worry about. Its interesting to note that Batemans disgust for homosexuality only applies to men; he is turned on by lesbian encounters (though perhaps only when he is the one controlling them), but despises gay men. And I've turned to Mary many times and said "We've failed, we didn't write the script that we intended to write".In line with what both Harron and Turner feel about the question of whether or not the murders are real, Bret Easton Ellis has pointed out that if none of the murders actually happened, the entire point of the novel would be rendered moot. What does Bateman do to Christie and Sabrina after the first threesome? Evelyn (played by Reese Witherspoon in the film) is on her third marriage, to a foreign dignitary (referred to by Bateman as "European gay aristo-trash"), as were her two previous husbands (her married names were Princess de Vestota and Comtesse D'Erlanger). "(2) The second theory is that Bateman isn't really saying such things out loud at all, his outbursts are all internal, but he psychologically manifests them as external. Patrick Bateman : I have all the characteristics of a human being: blood, flesh, skin, hair; but not a single, clear, identifiable emotion, except for greed and disgust. This theory is examined in more detail below. You'll also get updates on new titles we publish and the ability to save highlights and notes. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. Mehta refused to meet with them.Ultimately, publication went ahead as planned in early 1991, and the novel instantly became a bestseller. Edit, The woman who he picked up in the previous scene at the club with Bryce, where he did the cocaine in the back room. Over the years, this has built up into a myth that Lewis objected to the use of his song when he saw the film, and demanded that it not be included on the soundtrack. My eyes open and I warn them not to touch the Rolex, which I've kept on during this entire time. Bateman also reveals that he still does the occasional line of coke and is still taking Xanax. None of the characters in the film would stop to think for a moment that perhaps someone may not be wearing an expensive suit because they don't want to. Throughout the book we hear of his countless sick and demented actions of him cooking his victims flesh, and having sexual intercourse with his victims bodies, and various body parts. Courtney (played by Samantha Mathis in the film) has moved home to her parents' ranch in Arizona and helps out at a youth hospice. This ultimately led to Bale being cast. I don't understand" (221). As Mary Harron discusses on her DVD commentary, there is no truth in this, the song is absent purely because of publishing rights. Now, if you'll excuse me, I really must be going. For example; "I was fooling around renting videotapes" (p. 118 - explaining to Evelyn why he didn't take her call); "I've gotta return my videotapes, I've gotta return my videotapes" (p. 151 - during a mental breakdown); "It doesn't give me enough time to return yesterday's videotapes" (p. 229 - during lunch with his brother); "I have to return some videotapes" (p. 265 - trying to excuse himself from a date with Jean, despite it being midnight).On a practical level, the returning of videotapes seems to be Bateman's standard excuse to explain his whereabouts or to get out of something he's not interested in. When Bateman calls the bargirl an ugly bitch, maybe she's so used to hearing such abuse, she just doesn't respond anymore. Another good example is a conversation between Bateman and Carruthers concerning Carruthers' recent dinner with a client. "Is it a receptacle tip? Creating notes and highlights requires a free LitCharts account. He tries to confess, but he simply can't get anyone to take an interest. The information shared above about the question what did patrick bateman do to christie and sabrina, certainly helped you get the . Trying to feed the cat into the ATM is sort of a giveaway. The acquisition of wealth supersedes all other goals, being successful becomes more important than being moral. In this first encounter, the reader can see the clear distinction between the sexual part of the evening and the violent part of the evening these two aspects of Batemans life will soon start to blur together, however.. "My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof."