American Psycho is a savage account of a wealthy investment banker in the late 80s that commits heinous acts of murder, rape, and torture. Although on the surface, American Psycho seems as though it is just another horror story, it actually has a much deeper message. This story is a harsh critique of a superficial Wall Street society in the late 80s that was rampant with materialism and greed. This is the society in which the main character Patrick Bateman lives–where appearance, material possessions, and status define a person. This superficial existence leaves him hollow and dead inside and turns him into a psychopathic killer. A society such as this, devoid of any morality, inevitably creates psychopaths such as Bateman. The film shows an excellent portrayal of a vacant, nihilistic killer with no feelings or emotions. However, there is something more to the story that the film did not quite capture. The book seems to not only be a satirical take on this society, but a tragedy as well. Recreating the dinner scene with his secretary Jean shows that underneath the surface Patrick Bateman is, indeed, a human being with real feelings and emotions, and that it is a great tragedy that this superficial society has turned him into a monster.
The book, and to a certain extent the film, clearly convey the importance the characters place on appearance, material possessions, and status. The book is countlessly punctuated with descriptions of the designer clothing that Bateman and other characters are wearing. There are frequent descriptions of the latest high-tech equipment that he owns and wants. Bateman and the other characters eat exclusively at elegant five-star restaurants, and expect extremely high quality and elaborate dishes. Stat...
... middle of paper ...
...vey as well as the book the idea that perhaps there is a caring human being underneath the mask that is Patrick Bateman.
Bateman is not just a nihilistic killer devoid of feelings or emotions. There is something inside of him that yearns for something more than what is just on the surface. Admittedly, this wanting is severely misplaced through murder, rape, and torture. By creating a character like Jean, however, the author is able to show Bateman’s caring, sincere reactions to her–something the film does not quite convey. American Psycho is not just a satirical take on a superficial Wall Street society, but it is also a tragedy. Recreating the dinner scene with Jean shows that underneath the surface Patrick Bateman is, indeed, a human being with real feelings and emotions. Therein lies the great tragedy that this superficial society has turned him into a monster.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how american psycho is a satirical take on the superficial wall street society in the late 80s that was rampant with materialism and greed.
- Analyzes how the book and film convey the importance the characters place on appearance, material possessions, and status.
- Analyzes how the characters are so vain and self-centered that they often misinterpret each other's identities. the only character that has redeeming qualities is bateman’s secretary, jean.
- Analyzes how bateman responds to jean differently than the other vapid characters in the book, and shows sincere concern for her. he worries that he wants "decapitated coffee" in front of jean.
- Analyzes how the dinner scene with jean in the film shows the two characters at bateman’s apartment before they are going to go out to eat.
- Analyzes how american psycho portrays patrick bateman as a human being with real feelings and emotions.
Related
- analytical
- The entire book is made up of superficiality. At first it seems as if Ellis wrote American Psycho with the intentions of alienating his audience. Through the meticulous list of dishes on the menu at the hottest, new restaurant, or the sartorial items and the dull dialogues on mainstream musical artists such as, Genesis and Whitney Houston. We can see that Ellis is working toward an agenda. It seems safe to presume that indicators, such as Bateman’s consumerist fascinations and his sexism, are shown to help Ellis in instigating a contemptuous evaluation of the prevailing culture of consumerism which exists now just as it did in the late 1980’s as Bret Easton Ellis informs in an interview; “I was writing about a society in which the surface became
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how ellis wrote american psycho with the intentions of alienating his audience. bateman's consumerist fascinations and his sexism are shown to help ellis instigate a contemptuous evaluation of the prevailing culture of consumerism.
139 wordsRead More - Psycho Research Analysis Essayanalytical essayIn the article, “Psycho at Fifty: Pure Cinema or Invitation to an Orgy?” by John A. Bertolini, he describes how the images and scenes throughout the whole movie and its more arguable parts are what made the film stick with the imagination of Hitchcock’s audience. He goes on to give an explanation of how Hitchcock is as well one of few directors who is able to mix a little humor to go along with his vicious plot. Bertolini speculates that the audience was thrown off by savagery depicted in this film and more concerned with the emotions that were created by Hitchcock’s movie. He also outlines how much controversy the film created Psycho by stating how it, “reflected the changes at work in the larger society, especially the increasing insiste...
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how alfred hitchcock's 1960 film, psycho, sparked a plug for the movie industry as it was the first movie of its kind to display such graphic scenes.
- Analyzes how bertolini's article, "psycho at fifty: pure cinema or invitation to an orgy?" describes how the film stuck with the imagination of hitchcock’s audience.
- Analyzes how hitchcock's use of murder and brute force in psycho captivated the audience. he wanted to render his graphic and violent plot to the world during the black and white era to “guarantee of it’s unrelieved realism.”
- Analyzes how bertolini's article explained how themes in this film were meant to show the everlasting battle between the good and evil within ourselves, that connect with everyone.
558 wordsRead More - Psycho, The Movieanalytical essayInspired by the life of the demented, cannibalistic Wisconsin killer Ed Gein (whose heinous acts would also inspire THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, 1974 and DERANGED, 1974), PSYCHO is probably Hitchcock's most gruesome and dark film. Its importance to its genre cannot be overestimated. PSYCHO's enduring influence comes not only from the Norman Bates character (who has since been reincarnated in a staggering variety of forms), but also from the psychological themes Hitchcock develops.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how psycho changed hollywood's perception of the horror film as did psycho. alfred hitchcock indulged in nudity, bloodbaths, necrophilia, transvestism, schizophrenia, and a host of other taboos.
- Analyzes how the great director clouded his intent and motives by stating that the entire film was nothing more than one huge joke.
- Opines that psycho is hitchcock's most gruesome and dark film, inspired by the life of the demented, cannibalistic wisconsin killer ed gein.
- Analyzes how bernard herrmann's chilling score enhances the fright of the film.
- Analyzes how hitchcock shocked paramount when he demanded that the filmmaker film the sleazy, sensational novel that robert bloch based on the gein killings. the filmmaker kept after the studio's front office until the executives relented.
- Analyzes how hitchcock accepted the budget restrictions and went ahead with the film, utilizing television technical people, who were less expensive than standard hollywood crews.
- Describes how hitchcock met with joseph stefano after rejecting james cavanaugh's adaptation of the bloch novel.
- Analyzes how stefano told hitchcock that he couldn't work up sympathy for a peeping tom killer in his forties. the director suggested perkins get the lead role.
- Describes how hitchcock convinced paramount that his special editor, george tomasini, should be included in the production of psycho.
- Analyzes how the director's penchant for detail was in full force in the bates motel. the mansion cost only $15,000 to construct and technicians cannibalized several other stock buildings to keep costs down.
- Explains that perkins, then twenty-seven, was hired without the actor reading the script and was taken aboard because hitchcock thought him right for the role of norman bates and because he would cost little.
- Explains that hitchcock was interested in using shirley jones, but her salary would have been too high. instead, he chose leigh, who was more of a starlet.
- Analyzes how hitchcock achieves audience sympathy by showing perkins's norman as sensitive and oddly compelling, leading viewers to believe that his unseen mother is the culprit.
- Analyzes how hitchcock's attempt to set up viewers for the surprise ending backfired when he was deluged with wires and letters from actresses asking to be considered.
- Analyzes how hitchcock used a sunken-faced, ossified corpse for offbeat pranks on leigh, who became one of his favorite performers.
- Analyzes how the film's male lead, gavin, makes less of an impression on viewers than the shower scene. hitchcock considered stuart whitman, tom tryon, brian keith, cliff robertson, jack lord, robert loggia, and rod taylor for the role.
- Analyzes how hitchcock approved of every little detail in the famous shower scene and demonstrated every move the killer and victim were to make. perkins even showed him how he was to wrap the body
- Explains that perkins was not present for the filming of leigh's murder, but was in new york rehearsing for a play when the shower scene was filmed.
- Opines that hitchcock ordered this murder shown as a brutal thing, scribbling in his own hand for shot 116: 'the slashing'.
- Analyzes how hitchcock depicts the bloody realities of violent murder through lightning cuts between leigh and closeups of the knife striking her body (she is stabbed at least a dozen times).
- Analyzes how hitchcock uses inventive techniques to show the spray coming directly out of the shower nozzle.
- Analyzes how hitchcock shot the shower scene from a tower above the set, employing one cameraman. he had abandoned the use of technicolor, so as not to make the film more gory.
- Explains that leigh performed the rest of the shower scene herself, though she was concerned about displaying her bosom, even before technicians in a closed set. they researched various transparent garments worn by strippers but didn't come up with anything that would work.
- Narrates how a technician came up with an answer, flesh-colored moleskin, but during shooting hot water from the shower undermined this solution.
- Analyzes how hitchcock turned promotion minded with psycho, devising the entire publicity campaign for his gruesome masterpiece. he demanded that no moviegoer be seated during the showing of the film.
- Opines that hitchcock's response was to say that he had fun with the film.
- Explains that hitchcock's philosophy of the mystery-horror genre was to provide the public with beneficial shocks. the only way to remove the numbness and revive our moral equilibrium is through a movie.
- Analyzes how hitchcock's psycho broke all box-office records and made him a master of the modern horror film and fabulously wealthy.
2312 wordsRead More - Hitchcock’s Psycho and Phoenix. James’ The Turn of the Screwanalytical essayThe human body and mind are the most complex and intricate tools known to man. The connection between the two are remarkable, the way body feels pain and the mind is able to understand from where and how the pain is being formed, the way the body lags and drops when the mind does not have enough sleep and rest. Most curiously, it is the way our body and mind speak to each other without really knowing. It is the uncomfortable feeling in your chest, the tenseness of your shoulders and the goose-bumps on your arms that are the very basics of human intuition. Intuition is knowing something without having a logical or reasonable explanation to follow the feeling. But it is when our intuition overcomes our ability to think that we become paranoid; constantly looking over our shoulders, noticing people and objects that were never noticed before, and having this retching feeling that someone is out to get you. Paranoia is a thought process where anxiety and fear accumulate to the point where the person suffers from irritation and delusions. It is often developed through an inner guilty conscience which threatens the self. It is that exact tingling sensation in your stomach, the tightness in your throat and the eerie feeling that you are being watched that makes James and Hitchcock's pieces realistically fantastical. The alternate worlds illustrated in these pieces are not of those of dreams and fairy tales, nor those people superheroes or chimeras, but a realist world, where the minds of the characters are exposed and the only source of reliability. James depicts a young woman who struggles to be a heroine for her wards, only to be torn between the lines of sanity as she questions the existence of two ghosts, while Hitchcock’s psycho can ...
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how the human body and mind are the most complex tools known to man. intuition is knowing something without having a logical or reasonable explanation to follow the feeling. paranoia is developed through an inner guilty conscience.
- Analyzes how the importance of human instinct and personal perspectives plays a major part in these two pieces illustrating how it affects the characters daily lives. marion plays on her instinct of fear, which controls her motives and reasoning for leaving phoenix.
- Analyzes how psycho illustrates both perspectives of flight and fight through both characters, norman and marion.
- Analyzes how the governess in "the turn of the screw" is irrational, illogical, and narrow-minded. her obsession with the ghosts takes over her.
- Analyzes how the governess tries to cover up her own guilt for the death of miles and the illness of flora by making herself seem like the heroine.
- Compares how marion's paranoia develops once she is in her car, but norman’s edginess intensifies and becomes much more evident within his first, and continuous encounters with people.
- Analyzes how the governess' experiences with the ghosts appear to be non-threatening, but her instincts tell her that they are evil and want the children.
1560 wordsRead More - Criticism Of American Psycho, By Bret Easton Ellisanalytical essayAmerican Psycho is a novel written by the American author Bret Easton Ellis. Ellis, as an author, has written and published seven literary works. American Psycho was written already in the 1980s, but it was published only in 1991. The novel had drawn a great deal of criticism even prior to its official release. When the novel was published in 1991 it was received with heavy criticism. Because of the novel’s dark nature Ellis had received death threats which suggested that Ellis should be dismembered as the victims of the novel’s fictional killer Patrick Bateman. The opinion on the novel among literary critics has changed ever since the novel had achieved cult status among readers. However, American Psycho still remains known primarily for the
In this essay, the author
- Explains that american psycho is a novel written by the american author bret easton ellis, who has written and published seven literary works.
- Analyzes how the story is set in manhattan in the late 1980s and follows the life of the protagonist, patrick bateman, a wealthy investment banker.
- Analyzes the troubling side of the protagonist patrick bateman, who is a serial killer whose murders, mutilations, and torture of his victims are depicted in detail in the novel.
- Opines that when reading american psycho, it is important to decide how to interpret the text as a whole. if you take it literally, you will get an interesting thriller about homicidal tendencies whose life spirals out of control.
- Analyzes how bret easton ellis answered critics of "american psycho" in the new york times article.
- Analyzes the controversy surrounding the publication of american psycho by maureen o'brien.
- Explains that many american literary critics had launched attacks against both the novel and ellis himself. one was written by the new york times columnist roger rosenblatt in december 16, 1990.
- Explains that literary critics and the national organization for women attacked ellis for the leaked pages of the novel. ellis was seen as a misogynistic, sick man by many women.
- Explains that fay weldon defended ellis and his work in the guardian's article an honest american psycho, which stated that the book is not misogynistic because patrick bateman murdered women, children, beggars, and men.
- Explains that american express considered taking legal action against the book because patrick bateman uses his platinum card to scoop cocaine and in a couple of cases orders prostitutes that he will later kill.
- Analyzes how american psycho became a bestseller after its publication. the controversy created free publicity for the book, which sold 100,000 copies for $14 in two months in the united states.
- Analyzes how cultural critics, magazine writers, and reviewers took issue with the publication of american psycho. they feared that ellis was changing the boundary between what was acceptable and what wasn't acceptable in serious literature.
1445 wordsRead More - Women In Psycho By Alfred Hitchcockanalytical essayThe once popular Universal monster movies had fallen out of fashion. Instead, proto-types for modern horror genres emerged. American fears of communism and the sexual repression and frustration of women was widely reflected in the horror genre. At this time, the Hays Code was still widely reinforced and this impacted the portrayal of sex and violence on-screen. Overtly sexual characters, especially women, had to be “punished” by the end of film as a way of reinforcing American values. This laid out the groundwork for future slasher films, most clearly seen in the 1959 movie Psycho by director Alfred Hitchcock. The protagonist at the start of the film is Marion Crane (Janet Leigh), a secretary who plans to steal money from work so she can run away with her boyfriend. She feels trapped and lonely as an “older” unmarried women who is routinely demeaned at her place of work. Her isolation connects her to another, more sinister character, Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) – the soft-spoken owner of Bates Motel. Norman appears to be controlled by a domineering, if not outright abusive, mother. As explained in A History of Horror, “Norman Bates is the psychopath in our midst, the person we would never suspect, the evil that hides in plain sight . . . Psycho changed the conventions of the horror film forever. “(Dixon, 76)The infamous twist of the film reveals Norman’s to be long dead, and is in fact “played” by Norman himself when he goes into murderous rage. Both Marion and Norman are protected by their assumed passivity, yet both become so frustrated with their place in society that they act out in frightening or unexpected ways. Their antisocial is a reflection of the fears American society had about womanhood, especially womanhood that wasn’t as docile as previously thought. This dual, unusual depiction of undesirable womanhood reoccurs throughout horror films. Later in Whatever
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the perception of women in the united states is complex and ever-shifting, as is our attitude towards sex.
- Explains that society shifts in values and attitudes as a direct side-effect of the war.
- Explains that the horror landscape of the post-world war 2 era was also vastly changed after the 40's. the hays code reinforced the portrayal of sex and violence on-screen.
- Analyzes how the dual depiction of undesirable womanhood reoccurs throughout horror films. the haunting is notable for one of the first sympathetic portrayals of a lesbian character.
1096 wordsRead More - Family Violence In Alfred Hitchcock's Psychoanalytical essayIn psycho we are acquainted with Marion in a room. Marion is not married but rather having an affair in with somebody that is married. Hitchcock utilizes scenes all through the utilization of various camera angles. He makes great utilization of the camera shooting from an airborne vintage point and he utilizes components of the scene to consolidate the shot. In the film we can nearly observe the relationship the characters have and theres subtle pressure in respects with the families unit. Family violence of the Bates household is the explosion of range agains this society. That this violence could not for long be contained within the family. Hitchcock's loathsomeness is unhidden and strikes at the core of the family, at the concentration purpose of mother, father and kids.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how hitchcock's loathsomeness strikes at the core of the family and reflects the dilemma of a child.
173 wordsRead More - George Romero's Night of the Living Deadanalytical essay...eam, as Romero showcases the fact that the flaws shown within the characters end up turning their situation into something far worse than it had been in the beginning. It shows just how depraved, violent and absolutely terrifying humans can easily become when put into situations without consequences. Romero’s film is dredged in cynicism towards the modern American Dream, the way he deals with symbolism towards how “just” the American system is during battles and war, and how incredibly messed up our generalized view on racism and the ever ongoing struggle for certain ethnic groups to survive is. “The negativity of the characters extends, in fact, into every facet of their lives; indeed, the film implies the deepest denial of the goodness of effectiveness of every facet of human life in general. Every kind of human relationship is ridiculed or negated in the film.” 4
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how george romero's zombie in night of the living dead is a critique of elements of american society. the themes of racism and war are defined within the movie.
- Analyzes how george romero revolutionized the horror film genre with his horror flick, night of the living dead.
- Analyzes how romero's film has been criticized for being a subversive representation of the american society during the 1960s.
- Analyzes how the audience is draped with an uncomfortable chill throughout the film, despite the ever-prevalent themes of racism, held within the larger category in the traditional american dream.
- Analyzes how boris karloff's icon conveyed the message that the old, classic films and horror movies were about to be flipped upside down and redefined.
- Analyzes how romero's film shows the true form of human nature and twists and almost makes a joke out of the american dream.
811 wordsRead More - Abnormal Behavior In American Psychoanalytical essayIn the film, American Psycho, Patrick Bateman was a wealthy investment banker who also happened to be a serial killer. He was highly intelligent and was charming which attracted many of the women who came his way. Unlike most people in the world, he lived in constant pain. He was rarely happy with himself, and also hated everyone around him. He felt that he needed to inflict his pain on others in violent ways. He always had something disgusting to say such as, “I like to dissect girls; I am utterly insane.” It is outside of the norm to speak in this way, therefore he would be considered deviant. He displayed feelings of distress as he became frustrated very easily with himself and others. Everything
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how patrick bateman was a wealthy investment banker and serial killer in the film, american psycho. he lived in constant pain, hated everyone around him, and had poor impulse control.
- Analyzes how patrick bateman had antisocial personality disorder, which is self-centered and hard to maintain relationships. he was a liar, deceitful, impulsive, arrogant, and reckless.
- Analyzes how patrick bateman's disorder could have been genetically passed on from a family member. the cognitive model states that people with antisocial personality disorder often hold attitudes that make others' needs unimportant.
- Opines that the best way to treat patrick bateman would be to have him speak with a cognitive therapist to help him think about the needs of other people.
- Analyzes how the movie was accurate in showing the symptoms of antisocial personality disorder, but it seemed inaccurate towards the end and became confusing. patrick bateman's character took the disorder to its worst.
1384 wordsRead More - The Gangster as Tragic Hero vs. Halloweenanalytical essayOn a cold Halloween night in 1963, in the film Halloween, a six-year-old boy named Michael Myers was seen stabbing his older sister to death with a gigantic kitchen knife then leaving to stand outside the house with a blank expression on his face. As a result he was sent to Smith Grove’s Mental Hospital which he escapes from 15 years later to go after 17 year old Laurie Strode and her friends Lynda and Annie. Warshow’s essay, The Gangster as Tragic Hero, depicts American society’s need to show public cheerfulness and maintain a positive morale as well as its desire for something more sinister, something more brutal. This desire to indulge in the forbidden fruit of sadism and cruelty is what makes the gangster persona so appealing to the nation. He is the man of the city. He emerges from the crowd as a successful outlaw and his only aspiration is success through brutality.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how warshow's essay, the gangster as tragic hero, depicts american society’s need to show public cheerfulness and maintain a positive morale as well as its desire for something more sinister.
- Analyzes how michael myers, like a gangster, is merciless in his attack. he had no intention to kill him humanely.
- Analyzes how myers' brutality sets him apart from the crowd in that it goes above and beyond what an average person would be willing to do to another as far as physical harm.
- Analyzes how a gangster would have avoided all such instances to being alone for "it is dangerous to be alone."
- Opines that unlike the gangster, myers is not someone we want to be.
- Analyzes how myers is a brutal gangster, but he lacks professionalism and exhibits absolutely no method to his madness. he kills for the sake of killing and fascination with the looks and sounds people produce.
- Analyzes robert warshow's "the gangster as tragic hero." n. p.
1100 wordsRead More