Ellis explained that the book was really about the dandification of the american male. It is therefore, entirely possible that within this version of reality all of these things happen and for whatever reason they do not have comparable. Patrick bateman is handsome, well educated and intelligent. American psycho might have seemed like a straightforward film about a psychotic serial killer one who has good hygiene and knows his font. Like the bret easton ellis novel that inspired it, the film leaves open the possibility that patrick bateman didnt really kill all those people. American psycho is a novel by bret easton ellis, published in 1991. The dialectics of transgression in bret easton elliss american psycho provides an indepth analysis of the novel. The american psycho ending has confounded viewers of the film for 20 years.
All i have in common with the uncontrollable and the insane, the vicious and the evil, all the mayhem i have caused and my utter indifference toward it i have now surpassed. The ending of american psycho finally explained youtube. In the end, even when there is a literal mountain of evidence against him, no one recognizes patrick bateman, even for what he truly is a psycho. Its an indictment of a society that values economic prosperity over any sort of. In reality, one could argue the only true act that happened during the film was breaking off his engagement with evelyn due to his realization of his psychotic visions becoming. It seems 20 years of speculation was enough for american psychos cowriters, mary harron and guinevere turner. American psycho summary from litcharts the creators of. American psycho 2000 frequently asked questions imdb. Naturally, my response was to believe that the entire movie was a confession by patrick bateman and that it was in fact. A friend of mine sent me an interesting article about american psycho that makes the case that patrick is a closeted gay man running around giving aids to everyone, the book being either a metaphorical story or just an unreliably told one. The monster in psycho isnt a monster with big teeth and a distinct identity.
Bret easton ellis contemplates american psycho sequel. 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. The crazy lead character tries to explain that his confession was real, but the. To me and mary, the book left it up in the air, too, what was real and. He is twentyseven and living his own american dream. 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. 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. American psycho author bret easton ellis has said he will always be. We need to talk about kevin is about the aftermath of a columbinestyle shooting at a school in a small american town. 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. Shes transformed a novel about blood lust into a movie about mens vanity. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on litcharts. Bloody and funny and twisty and turny and kunis pulls it all off.
The ending of american psycho explained informer fox. See more ideas about american psycho, american and film. Teach your students to analyze literature like litcharts does. American psycho, a novel by bret easton ellis, satirizes the apathy, narcissism. The film adaptation of the bret easton ellis novel american psycho was. In 1991 bret easton ellis published his controversial second novel, american psycho, at age 26. Differences between american psycho book vs movie page 1. What the fuck does the end of american psycho mean. 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. American psycho ending explained by its writers mary. 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 is about the very wealthy, good looking and successful patrick bateman who has a great job on wall street, equally well heeled friends and a hardbody of a girlfriend. Is patrick bateman in american psycho actually a serial killer, or is it in his head. Piercing ending explained this messed up relationship escalates over the course of the last 30 minutes of the film, where more and more disturbing or plain weird content is displayed on screen.
It was really about what is going on with men now, in terms of surface narcissism. Bret easton ellis answers critics of american psycho. 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. Piercing 2018 analysis and ending explained horror. The one line in american psycho that will completely. The story is told in the first person by patrick bateman, a serial killer and manhattan investment banker. Bateman, who relays the action of the novel, as well as his innermost thoughts. What sounds like a bizarre theory actually seems to have a lot of foundation, and explains some very. American psycho ending explained by its writers mary harron. Hitchcock cast young upandcomer anthony perkins in the role, then known for playing wholesome, likeable characters. Psycho, then, doesnt refer to one person or the other. The ending of american psycho finally explained looper. What camera, editing and design techniques does the big short use to humanize its characters.
American psycho is often regarded as the first truly exceptional horror movie of the 21 st century. Abandon all hope ye who enter here is graffitied across the side of a bank in bloodred paint. But it could also refer to the state in which you cant tell one from the other. All of these events can be explained as happening inside batemans mind rather than in real life. Patrick bateman and his friend, tim price, are on their way to dinner at evelyns, batemans girlfriend, house.
American psycho writers break down the films ending. Now that american psycho, which is the subject of this months guardian book club, has become an established feature of the literary landscape and is generally acknowledged as a. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. I thought it was kinda odd, since my theory isnt very. My pain is constant and sharp and i do not hope for a better world for anyone, in fact i want my pain to be inflicted on others. Bret easton ellis still stuck with american psycho after 25 years. Obviously price does not end up in the sewer or in a subway tunnel, but he has.
American psycho summary buy study guide in 1987, patrick bateman is a young harvard business school graduate from a wealthy family who works at an investment banking firm on. The character has the same name in both the book and the movie. He is the quintessential citizen of consumer society who consumes the victims of his insanity. My heart broke a little when patrick bateman says this confession has meant nothing. Look closer at the deeper meaning and messages of american psychos ending. Because of the above i read into it that the narrative of american psycho is a personal hell for patrick bateman.
Before we can talk about the ending of american psycho, we need to get one. With christian bale, justin theroux, josh lucas, bill sage. Bret easton ellis appears to be pondering a sequel to his most famous novel, american psycho, in which his antihero patrick bateman might stalk gavin rossdale, murder david beckham and. American psycho is a satire that is both entertaining and frightening, opening readers eyes to the consequences of apathy in society. But guinevere turner, who cowrote the film with director mary. Much like the book its based on, american psycho isnt really about. American psycho begins with a quote from dantes inferno. As his novel american psycho arrives in stores and death threats are delivered suggesting he should be dismembered like the victims of the. The american psycho ending has confounded viewers of the film for 20.
I used to think it was all in his head but after reading the book twice and seeing the film a few times i still cant make up my mind but probably would lean toward the reasoning that he did do these crimes and people. Directed by mary harron and starring christian bale in a breakout performance, both american psycho and its main villain patrick. The reader is introduced to the novels narrator, patrick bateman, a 27yearold wall street investment banker. It focuses on, and is entirely focused through, eva tilda swinton, the killers mother, and her attempts to come to terms with what her son, kevin, has done. 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. As film adaptations of books go, the movie american psycho released in 2000 is fairly spoton. Ellis book that its based on, the ending of mary harrons american psycho is. Screen prism has put together this really cool and very concise exploration of the ending of american psycho and its implications for either side of the argument surrounding the reality of. He recommends trumps howto book the art of the deal to a. American psycho has been confusing viewers since it was released. Norman bates is really the killer one change hitchcock made when adapting robert blochs novel psycho into a movie was to make norman bates more sympathetic and appealing. Mary harrons american psycho is a searing satire of yuppie culture and the excess of the 1980s. A wealthy new york city investment banking executive, patrick bateman, hides his alternate psychopathic ego from his coworkers and friends as he delves deeper into his violent, hedonistic fantasies. I was so on the defensive because of the reaction to that book that i wasnt able to talk about it on that level.