In American Psycho, at the beginning of the movie, it shows us the morning routine of Patrick Bateman who is in his 20's, graduated from Harvard, working in a great company in New York, can easily access anything about this material world and always caring his skin, physique and body as a routine. It actually shows us a man who is living in great wealth and richness is actually the slave of his own care.
He told us at the beginning of the movie that he wasn't there actually and he only exists as an entity while putting a mask to his face to make his skin-care routine which is foreshadowing that in this panopticon world, he needs to use this to self-defend against the outer threats because the environment is acting upon the principle of "survival of the fittest". While pissing the toilet he is looking at the Les Miserables board and when we see his reflection on the board, it summarizes the whole situation.
His house is way much white. Because white, is the purest form of light and it is dispersed to other colors through the prism. I think this explains the character of Patrick Bateman. Because there is no real him he is just an idea or a way of life to survive this panopticon, consumer culture. Just like the white is dispersed through other colors, Patrick is changing his persona upon the behaviour of the surroundings. Even his workplace which is in a big plaza is surrounded by the other, almost same looking, stack of iron skyscrapers. It shows us that these clever, wealthy, young, good-looking, successful guys are just ants in these gigantic, massive man-made buildings which restricts the soul and heaven both literally and figuratively.
He is living in a prison society. Where homeless', gypsies, homosexuals, blue-collars, bullies, outlaws, celebrities, political figures which is a cluster of whole sub and side cultures as well as the so-called superior cultures and his so cared ultramasculinity is only material which is his weakness. His anima is actually weak that the potency is only achieved through dominate the sub cultures physically. He actually hates these sub-groups. However, they are actually neeeded by him to show his domination, potency and masculinity. Hence, it is not that these sidecultures are the slave of these upper society, he is actually the slave of his weakness to show and feel his potency, domination and masculinity to these sub-cultures. The reason behind that is the connection between the joy and potency. Because the beggars, homeless', homosexuals are blindingly obvious and their spatial area is actually a rebellion against the norms of the society. In spite of his actions like mocking, scorning, hating to these marginalities, he actually appreciates them, because their incapableness create a magnificence for him as he is comparing himself to them deep within (for their existence is out of the social norms and he is in these so-called norms). By achieving this, potency meets the joy. These marginalities in society are a threat to the system and its worshippers. However system can only show its potency via them and it is the real weakness. Its micro-scaled situation is shown by Patrick Bateman throughout the movie.
The almost same message is actually given in the movie Fight Club via these criticized consumering society and the system that forces its individuals. In fight club, Tyler Durden says "Self improvement is masturbation and it is a self destruction" This is much like Patrick. He is living in this illusion world. Everything is commoditized. Ambiguous triangles between his fiancee, secretary and prostitutes, keeping up with the joneses via business cards, the idea that everything must be perfect, hating yuppies in spite of being one of them is much like the protagonist of fight club before his apartment was blown away by Tyler Durden. But American Psycho shows it in more extreme and violent way. Tyler Durden could be a great enemy to Patrick Bateman.
His soul tries to be free through the entrie movie, however the system doesn't let him to do that via the reason. Everytime system repress' his soul he is going into dream world, animating the movies he has watched, or drawing killing plans. System does not let his succesful individuals' fall and doesn't let him getting a physical harm but mentality is descending.
One of the best post-modern critiques.
Spoiler: I think one of the main reasons Bateman kills the homeless guy which he displays implicitly is that scene comes only after the famous business card scene where Paul Allen wins the contest by showing the most beautiful, tasteful, thickest card and Patrick is getting jealous of it. After that scene, Bateman learns the homeless' name Al which is an abbreviation of Paul Allen's Allen, i think at that moment he planned to stab him.
He told us at the beginning of the movie that he wasn't there actually and he only exists as an entity while putting a mask to his face to make his skin-care routine which is foreshadowing that in this panopticon world, he needs to use this to self-defend against the outer threats because the environment is acting upon the principle of "survival of the fittest". While pissing the toilet he is looking at the Les Miserables board and when we see his reflection on the board, it summarizes the whole situation.
His house is way much white. Because white, is the purest form of light and it is dispersed to other colors through the prism. I think this explains the character of Patrick Bateman. Because there is no real him he is just an idea or a way of life to survive this panopticon, consumer culture. Just like the white is dispersed through other colors, Patrick is changing his persona upon the behaviour of the surroundings. Even his workplace which is in a big plaza is surrounded by the other, almost same looking, stack of iron skyscrapers. It shows us that these clever, wealthy, young, good-looking, successful guys are just ants in these gigantic, massive man-made buildings which restricts the soul and heaven both literally and figuratively.
He is living in a prison society. Where homeless', gypsies, homosexuals, blue-collars, bullies, outlaws, celebrities, political figures which is a cluster of whole sub and side cultures as well as the so-called superior cultures and his so cared ultramasculinity is only material which is his weakness. His anima is actually weak that the potency is only achieved through dominate the sub cultures physically. He actually hates these sub-groups. However, they are actually neeeded by him to show his domination, potency and masculinity. Hence, it is not that these sidecultures are the slave of these upper society, he is actually the slave of his weakness to show and feel his potency, domination and masculinity to these sub-cultures. The reason behind that is the connection between the joy and potency. Because the beggars, homeless', homosexuals are blindingly obvious and their spatial area is actually a rebellion against the norms of the society. In spite of his actions like mocking, scorning, hating to these marginalities, he actually appreciates them, because their incapableness create a magnificence for him as he is comparing himself to them deep within (for their existence is out of the social norms and he is in these so-called norms). By achieving this, potency meets the joy. These marginalities in society are a threat to the system and its worshippers. However system can only show its potency via them and it is the real weakness. Its micro-scaled situation is shown by Patrick Bateman throughout the movie.
The almost same message is actually given in the movie Fight Club via these criticized consumering society and the system that forces its individuals. In fight club, Tyler Durden says "Self improvement is masturbation and it is a self destruction" This is much like Patrick. He is living in this illusion world. Everything is commoditized. Ambiguous triangles between his fiancee, secretary and prostitutes, keeping up with the joneses via business cards, the idea that everything must be perfect, hating yuppies in spite of being one of them is much like the protagonist of fight club before his apartment was blown away by Tyler Durden. But American Psycho shows it in more extreme and violent way. Tyler Durden could be a great enemy to Patrick Bateman.
His soul tries to be free through the entrie movie, however the system doesn't let him to do that via the reason. Everytime system repress' his soul he is going into dream world, animating the movies he has watched, or drawing killing plans. System does not let his succesful individuals' fall and doesn't let him getting a physical harm but mentality is descending.
One of the best post-modern critiques.
Spoiler: I think one of the main reasons Bateman kills the homeless guy which he displays implicitly is that scene comes only after the famous business card scene where Paul Allen wins the contest by showing the most beautiful, tasteful, thickest card and Patrick is getting jealous of it. After that scene, Bateman learns the homeless' name Al which is an abbreviation of Paul Allen's Allen, i think at that moment he planned to stab him.
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