Patrick Bateman's Descent into Madness in American Psycho

Patrick Bateman In The Movie, American Psycho
American Psycho. Patrick Bateman in the movie American psycho presents a unique challenge
for charcterization theories. He represents a total lack of ego an id permitted to act out its most
depraved fantasies and a super ego that is based on deviant morality. Unique conditions portrayed
in the film allow self actulization to be explored from the view point that any behavior can be
actualizing. Though he could be considered evil he has his needs met along the hierarchy up to
the point where his violent expressions turn into a perpetuation or abnormal ideals that are in
some sense shared with his victims. Borderline behavior can be seen in Patrick. A lack of ego
definition is his primary characteristic. Many parts of his life feel like they are determined by
those around him his entire path through boarding schools, Harvard and work at Pierce and
Pierce. He attests to hating his work at the financial firm but when asked why he doesn't quit as
he is financially secure enough to do without employment his reply is that he simply wants to fit
in. he does not consider himself to be real or at least doesn't see himself as a complete personality.
He has feelings of absence of self. When questioned by Kimball after the disappearance of his first
victim (Kimball is completely unaware of how vacant I am)...show more content...
He has a morning routine consisting of cleaning and fitness where he completes 1000 crunches
which span minutes of the film. The film details the precise products he uses, exact brand names and
why he uses specific products with the different levels of emotional content. He says that you should
use an aftershave lotion with little or no alcohol.... as that makes your face dry and makes you look
older. Batemans repetition and his ruminative and almost autistic attention to detail is a distinctive
feature of the schzotypl
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Homicide always will be an aspect of life, whether it is in the 16th century, 21st century or in the
future. At times of extreme stress, people may turn to murder as an outlet of a greater problem they
cannot fix or control. Presently, homicide has a greater value in society due to popular culture
references through the media such as television, film and writing; society constantly has homicide
and murder in the subconscious. In David M. Buss' findings in The Murderer Next Door: Why the
Mind is Designed to Kill, According to our findings, 91 percent of men and 84 percent of women
have had at least one such vivid fantasy about killing someone...the human mind has developed
adaptations for killing–deeply ingrained patterns of thought,...show more content...
He is immaculately groomed and dressed. His body marks not disruption or Otherness but normalcy.
(231)
I agree in the way Ellis' character "fails to embody the kind of hybridism or repulsion necessary" as
the stereotypical serial killer, a point that needs emphasizing since so many people still believe
those with homicidal abilities posses homicidal and monstrous features. Dostoyevsky's character
also portrays his intelligence through his article On Crime and in his household, a major location in
the novel where his friends and family congregate. Dostoyevsky describes, "...a painted table in the
corner on which lay a few manuscripts and books; the dust that lay thick upon them showed that
they had been long untouched," (Dostoyevsky 1.3.1). Although through time Raskolnikov's value
for education diminishes, he still leads the lifestyle he once possessed after the murder. Going to
bars and living the life they lead before the murders of the pawn broker, her sister and the fourteen
people slaughtered by Bateman reveal Raskolnikov's and Bateman's real outlook on life. Feeling no
remorse, they move on to the next item on their to–do list. The modus operandi, or the method of
operation, describes one's habits which lead to identification and apprehension of the offender. In
addition, the modus operandi includes the motive for committing the crime, in this case, homicide.
This

American Psycho By Bret Easton Ellis
In the novel "American Psycho" written by Bret Easton Ellis, Patrick Bateman 's use of violence
and his wealth are exemplified in scenes involving the murder of his ex–girlfriend Bethany. As well
as appealing to the idea to maintain an upscale image by any means such as purchasing expensive
merchandise and taking the initiative to attend upscale restaurants. His actions with the
implications of those elements reveal the consumptions of status and privilege. The detailed
narration of Bateman 's intense violent acts and purchases of expensive products creates
imaginary and conflict for readers to accept the appearance he is trying to come across to his
associates and the general public. This may result in readers rejecting his character and concluding
that he is worthy of the position in society, he desires to achieve or deserving of it. This plays a
significant part in how to read this novel because it demonstrates the obsession of acknowledgment
and the measurements individuals are prepared to grasp it. The only sense of acknowledgment
Bateman receives from the other characters in the novel is his tan instead of his presence or success.
Experiencing treatment like this can possibly help the audience understand his motives for preying
on women. Feeding off the vulnerability and the weakness of women provides him with the
confidence and authority that he lacks. Overall, the consumption of seeking prestige and praise
through aggressive behavior towards powerless people

Film Analysis American Psycho
American Psycho (Mary Harron, 2000) is a film about a wealthy and materialistic Wall Street
investment banker, Patrick Bateman. Bateman leads a double life as a serial killer and as the
film progresses, his homicidal behaviours begin to take over his life making his psychotic nature
evident to those around him. "My need to engage in homicidal behaviour on a massive scale
cannot be corrected, but I have no other way to fulfill my needs." Towards the end of the film, after
breaking up with his fiancГ©, Evelyn "you're not terribly important to me." Bateman is seen
running through town like a maniac, since at this point in the film he is completely unhinged and
out of touch with reality. He attempts to put a cat inside of the ATM machine that reads "FEED
ME A STRAY CAT." After being caught he shoots the elderly lady who tried to stop him, the police
then begin to chase him down and Bateman shoots at them, ultimately blowing up two police cars
and the cops around them. He then runs into a building to hide from the helicopters and make a call
to his lawyer to confess all of his killings. Although this scene does not go extremely in depth about
Bateman's psychopathic lifestyle, when analyzing it by looking at the dialogue/sound, the editng
/variety of camera techniques and the mise–en–scГЁne it is easily recognizable. This scene is almost
entirely sound which plays a significant role in the way it is viewed. As soon as Patrick leaves
his fiancГ©, eerie music begins to play building suspense so that it is expected something bad is
going to happen. The music quickly turns to sirens as Patrick shoots a lady, from then on
Patrick's behaviour only begins to get crazier, kicking and hitting cars making alarms go off, the
police stop him, and gun shots are heard followed by a large explosion. Every sound in this scene
is meant to add more and more chaos so that the audience is engaged and full of adrenaline, being
able to get a sense of the madness and intensity taking place and be in the moment with the
characters. Although this scene does not have much dialogue, there is a specific part that does, and it
is important. When Bateman gets into the building he is welcomed by a staff member at the front
desk who mistakes him for

Bret Easton Ellis American Psycho
Bret Easton Ellis' American Psycho makes many bold claims regarding the state of American culture
through the actions and personality of the main character, Patrick Bateman. Ellis uses Bateman and
his interactions with the things around him to openly ridicule the superficial consumer lifestyle of
1980s America. On surface Patrick Bateman personifies the ideal American man. He is a young,
good looking and possesses the money necessary to live an extravagant lifestyle. Everything appears
methodical and kept together but there is a reality that lies underneath waiting to be brought to the
limelight. American psycho is Ellis' examination and critic of an American lifestyle that was too
focused on consumption and maintaining social–economic pretenses....show more content...
It was everywhere. In music videos, magazines, and various other forms of media. Being a
handsome and rich guy, Bateman has very little problems attracting females. He would have sex
with countless prostitutes and then Through Bateman, Ellis was calling out how sex was too
easy in the American culture. It was a game. For example there was an instance in the text where
Bateman admitted to not even knowing the name of a girl he was about to engage in sexual acts
with. "While Christie takes a bath (I don't know her real name, I haven't asked, but I told her to
respond only when I call her Christie)" followed by "her head is within my reach, is mine to
crush; at this very moment my urge to strike out, to insult and punish her, rises then subsides"
(Ellis 91) The prostitute in this instead is objectified and her only real purpose is to be Bateman's
sexual toy. He even claims that her head was his further displaying his entitled nature. Ellis is not
condoning the excessive sex and violence that occurs but instead he is examining the real world
through the eyes of a maniac. Bateman isn't just the typical maniac though. He is the American
Dream. He has all of these positive attributes but yet he is never truly satisfied nor does he really
know who he is. This is very similar to what was happening in the real world in the 1980s. The
media had all the influence in the world to promote positivity. Instead, the light was

American Psycho
Film Commentary
The film that I watched for the film commentary was American Psycho (2000), a psychological
thriller/slasher that stars Christian Bale and Willem Dafoe. The film follows Patrick Bateman
(Bale) who is a wealthy investment banking executive in New York. Unbeknownst to others,
Bateman has an alternate psychopathic ego that is very violent and sexual after the work day is
done. One day a coworker of Bateman's goes missing and Detective Donald Kimball (Dafoe) is
on the case to find out what happened to him. Now it is getting harder and harder for Bateman to
keep up his normal appearances throughout the day as his lust for blood takes over and his psyche
starts to break. He goes on to murder a countless number of people almost destroying...show more
content...
The gender stereotypes are very strong in this film. At Bateman's job he has a secretary that is
female who he treats in an extremely demeaning manner. At one point in the film, he tells her that
what she is wearing is not sexy enough and demands that she wears something sexual the next
day at work. Her being his secretary, could say nothing about it and simply agreed to his demands.
He wanted her to fit into her gender role of being a sexual being, someone for him to look at while
he is at work. There is also the portrayal of his fiancГ©e Evelyn who is seen as very emotional,
dependent on Patrick and basically all of the other gender stereotypes that were discussed in
class. There is one scene in the movie with her that I will never forget. Patrick tries to break up
with her in a restaurant, which was not a good idea because Evelyn starts to cry uncontrollably
causing a scene. Spewing off things like "what am I going to do without you" and "my friends are
your friends and your friends are my friends" showing that if Patrick leaves her she will have
nothing in her life. He then starts to get very aggressive by threatening to kill her and bluntly saying
that he has been cheating on her throughout their entire engagement. In these few frames you can see
that this is what both roles of a relationship are meant to look like, the complete opposite of each

American Psycho Analysis
American Psycho was adapted from the novel by Bret Easton Ellis in 2000. The film is narrated by
its main character, the American psycho, Patrick Bateman. This man is a cunning Wall
–Street
socialite by day, murderous psychopath by night. The audience is told from the beginning of the
film that Bateman is slowly losing control of his restraint, "Something horrible is happening inside
of me and I don't know why. My nightly bloodlust has over–flown into my days. I feel lethal, on the
verge of frenzy. I think my mask of sanity is about to slip." (American Psycho film: 2002) Within the
first half–hour it is revealed to us that Patrick Bateman is not all there, he admits it himself. The
movie is told entirely from the perspective of Patrick Bateman, which makes it harder for the
audience to decipher what is reality and what is not. Not only does Bateman deceive the characters
in the film, he fools the audience as well. Sitting in the theaters after the movie, viewers may ask
themselves, "Was it even real at all?" This deception–the mask of Patrick Bateman–harbors a fear
that settled throughout America at the time of its release. With the buildup and speculation over the
'Dotcom Boom' the culture in America found their worst fears had taken form on the movie screen,
with the new adaptation of American Psycho.
"The monster's body...show more content...
This fear is easily detectable in most all controversial films. It is human nature to be afraid of
change, therefore it is only natural that innate fear is portrayed in movies. The "Dotcom Boom" was
an exciting, but anxiety–filled time with each new website and business popping up, many people
did not know how to conduct themselves with this new technology–this new Age. Patrick Bateman
is an exaggerated example of what many people in the 1990's were afraid of: young "yuppie" CEO's
with all the money and all the power taking advantage of everyone they

Analysis Of The Movie ' American Psycho '
American Psycho is a movie adaptation directed by Marry Harron released in the year 2000 that
was based off of the 1991 novel of the same name authored by Bret Easton Ellis. The movie
focuses on the main character Patrick Bateman who is an investment banker in New York in the era
of the early 1980's. Patrick is a perfectionist whose life by day seemingly rotates between his
picture–perfect job, his superficial relationship with his fiancГ©e Evelyn, and his shallow interaction
with his co–workers and peers. By night, Patrick is a textbook Psychopath and a serial killer.
Ideological worldview of business – Materialism
This film presents a worldview of business that drips with materialism. The late 80's was a fairly
prosperous time for America. For the characters represented in the film, success was measured by
how nice your apartment was, what types of suits you wore, and where you had dinner reservations
for the evening. According to literary critic Jeffrey W. Hunter (2000),American Psycho is largely a
critique of the "shallow and vicious aspects of capitalism. The characters are predominantly
concerned with material gain and superficial appearances, traits indicative of a postmodern world in
which the 'surface ' reigns supreme."
There are several examples where materialism and superficiality are symbolically displayed in the
film. In one instance toward the beginning of the movie Patrick and his co–workers (a party of 4) are
in an upscale restaurant and when the bill

Themes Of American Psycho
The film American Psycho focuses on the wealthy and handsome banker Patrick Bateman. It's 1987
and Patrick has everything he could ever want; He is successful, rich, and engaged. However,
Bateman's unsatisfied hunger for success, perfection, and material items also match up to his hunger
for murder. Patrick feeds this obsession by surrounding himself with shallow people, dining at fancy
restaurants, and keeping up his appearances with daily workouts and beautification routines. This
film reflects the "yuppie" culture of America in the 1980s, more specifically, the materialism
/consumerism and identity that are desired by man in order to fit in and be accepted by society. The
themes of needing to consume, conform, and needing to know your...show more content...
But we do, and relief washes over me, in an awesome wave". This proves that his world obsessively
revolves around having the best and making sure everyone around him knows how good he has it.
Patrick Bateman was so obsessed with becoming the perfect man and that devotion to consumption
took place of his real thoughts. Patrick's murderous behavior is an escape from a world that is
meaningless to him. To back this up, the article written by Alex E. Blazer, Chasms of Reality,
Aberrations of Identify: Defining the Postmodern through Brett Easton Ellis's American Psycho
states, "He mutilates and rapes specifically women, gets off on watching (and videotaping) their
pain because it's the closest way in which he can come to coming with any sort of feeling." Blazer
also says, "Bateman's an indifferent narcissist, as anyone trained by the aesthetics of consumerism
must be. His life engenders nothing more than a search for sensory pleasure through goods". Murder
gives him the excitement that his world can not because everyone is a zombie of the superficial
society.
Throughout the film, there are also instances of mistaking and consuming someone else's identity.
This contributes to the experience of isolation. Patrick is repeatedly mistaken for other people,
however he doesn't correct others when his co–workers greet him as someone

American Psycho and The Picture of Dorian Gray
Film and Literature
Richard Lankford
Bret Easton Ellis's dark and violent burlesque of America in the 1980s is taken to the screen in this
disturbing drama (2000, American Psycho) with blackly comic overtones. Patrick Bateman, played
by Christian Bale), the son of a wealthy Wall Street banker, is chasing his profitable career with his
father's firm. Bateman is the perfect well–groomed, obsessed with success, fashion, and style.
Dorian Gray is also a serial killer who murders, rapes, and harms strangers and the acquaintances
without any signs or a motive. Donald Kimble, played by Willem
Dafoe, is a police detective who questions Patrick about the vanishing of Paul Allen, played by Jared
Leto. However,...show more content...
The primary plot of the Picture of Dorian Gray is that he wants to remain young and looks beautiful
forever, while American Psycho opens up with the rituals that Jason Bateman goes through every
morning in order to look good.
The Picture of Dorian Gray and American Psycho can be connected to each other.
They both explore ethical motive as a concept and the moral impact of living according to that
lifestyle. They both portray a self–loving, superficial and psychologically unstable character. In a
way, I believe that American Psycho can almost be seen as a more modern presentation of how
morality exists in today's society and how an indulgent person would act and acquire his thrills in
the society we live in.
Both characters are super flawed and troubled protagonists. Both characters have everything on the
surface. Both characters use mistaken identity as an excuse to avoid being held accountable for
their crimes. (Dorian tells Sybyll's brother that he is too young to be the "Prince Charming"
responsible for Sybylls suicide and Bateman masquerades around as Paul Allen and others to avoid
detection). Both are

Pros And Cons Of American Psycho
Just in the U.S. there are thousands of books that are banned or censored and every year there are
hundreds more that get banned or censored. American Psycho is a book published in 1991 by
Bret Easton Ellis which is heavily censored. This book cannot even be sold to anyone under 18 and
must be wrapped in plastic. This fictional book was written for adults that like black comedy and
the thrill of a gruesome and violent book. American Psycho is a book about a murderous rich man
that is censored for a few very good reasons but still should be able to be bought and sold by the
public.
American Psycho all starts in New York City where the main character,Patrick Bateman lives.
Patrick is a rich man that focuses on money, how he dresses, and drugs. One day as he was walking
down the street he saw his first victim. "Bateman spots him sitting on the sidewalk and stops to
taunt him, calling him worthless and disgusting and asking why he doesn't simply "get a job." Al
begins to cry, and then Bateman suddenly stabs him in the eye"(Mauriello, American Psycho
Summary). After his first victim was finally dead he just got worse. Soon after "he murders his
ex–girlfriend Bethany after getting her drunk at lunch and even stabs a young child to death in a
public park"(Mauriello, American Psycho Summary). Bateman's killings just keep getting and as it
does his drug addiction also gets worse. After kidnapping, raping and torturing his victims he ends
up hiding in his office from the police. He

American Psycho Essay
Entrails torn from the body with bare hands, eyes gouged out with razor blades, battery cables, rats
borrowing inside the human body, power drills to the face, cannibalism, credit cards, business cards,
Dorsia, Testoni, Armani, Wall Street; all of these things are Patrick Bateman's world. The only
difference between Bateman and anybody else is what is repulsive to Bateman and what is repulsive
to the rest of the world. Bateman has great interest in the upper class life, fashions, and social
existence, but at the same time he is, at times, sickened by the constant struggle to be one up on
everybody else. On the other hand Bateman's nightlife reveals a side of him never seen during the
day. Bateman is relaxed, impulsive, and confident...show more content...
Bateman is in a way sickened by the everyday all–American life he leads, while the reader is
sickened by the flip side of Patrick Bateman. From the beginning of the novel Bateman seems
content with his life style. He seems perfectly happy with the daily lunch tickets at Nell's, the Yale
Club, etc. He seems fascinated and absorbed with the details of peoples wardrobes, especially his
own. But if you sift through all the talk of food, cocktails, and hardbodies, the reader will find a
subtle boredom or frustration even early in the novel. While waiting on food at a table at Nell's,
Bateman is momentarily diverted from the conversation by one of his thoughts of sex or violence
that seem to escalate in frequency throughout the novel. "I think about Courtney's legs, spread and
wrapped around my face, and when I look over at Luis in one brief flashing moment his head looks
like a talking vagina and it scares the bejesus out of me, moves me to say something while mopping
the sweat off my brow." (108) These thoughts seem to come to Bateman most frequently at these
types of situations. Wealthy friends, wealthy strangers, and a wealthy environment surround him.
Either consciously or subconsciously Bateman's mind diverts itself from the monotonous world that
Bateman grows to loathe, to a world that Bateman loves. Although the thoughts occur the most often
in restaurants, I can't say with certainty that food has anything to do with

American Psycho: Analysis of Novel and Movie Production
American Psycho has been recognized as a brilliant thriller of its time and can legitimately be
labeled a scandalous novel. The novel was published in 1991 by the daring author Bret Easton Ellis
and was later adapted into a movie production in 2000 by the director Mary Harron. The novel
endured nasty criticism to the point of rousing riots and the boycott of the publishing company,
Simon & Schuster; who later dropped the publication of the book, due to the negative publicity. Bret
Easton Ellis' novel was convicted of national censorship, and remains censored in select countries.
The disapproval of Ellis' novel was based on the graphic sequences of sexual violence and the...show
more content...
The effects from the change in tone, created by Mary Harron, result in another completely different
reaction from the audience. The reaction from the audience is to smile upon the main character
Patrick Bateman and be amused by his slips of insanity. In Ellis' novel the reaction from the audience
during Bateman's torturous performances are viewed as horrendous and demonic, nothing to make
the reader amused. Harron's production of American Psycho being a black comedy is necessary
when taking into consideration of the film being accepted into society. Being able to laugh at
Christian Bale during his performance as Ellis' unstable character Patrick Bateman helps the audience
overlook the murders taking place and be drawn into Bateman's humorous character, which is
innocently a result of the times.
"But there is another, much more insidious world that was created during the 80's. As a direct result
of President Reagan's hands–off big business policy and his "trickle–down" theory of economics,
corporations were allowed to grow unchecked at the expense of the common man, and as a result a
hollow, self–centered Wall Street "superculture" sprang up almost overnight"(Marin 9).
The dramatic change in tone is indispensable when filming this production. If Harron were to
include details such as "push maybe half an inch of the blade into his [homeless man] right eye,
flicking the

What Is The Moral Of The Movie American Psycho
American Psycho did not cater to middle class at all, it was all about the high class group of
friends. The film is about a CEO of a company and his crazy ways. It showed what kind of a
psycho main character Patrick really was. Patrick Bateman was living his dream. He lived a
successful life, with a great job and where everyone respected him. But with Patrick his life
wasn't good enough, he always wanted more. If anyone he knew had more and better things than
he did, he would loose his mind. Patrick's life was meaningless, unless he was on top of the world.
Being on the top of the world to a psycho like Patrick was living the American dream. The storyline
was really crazy, it was all about what goes on in Patrick's head. He had too much anger and nothing
mattered to him but himself....show more content...
There was no real moral to the film American Psycho, it was all about the twisted mind of a
psychotic person who didn't know the difference between what went on in his head and his real
life. I think the film had a elitist view, because of the group of friends are all about what they
believe and

Analysis Of American Psycho By Mary Harron
I've selected the scene from American Psycho by Mary Harron (https://www.youtube.com
/watch?v=Ruw9fsh3PNY). The main character, Patrick Bateman, is a "perfect man" living in a
world where the main concern is the way business cards look like. The scene shows Patrick
Bateman's act of killing his main rival Paul Allen. What I wanted to focus on is obviously
Christian Bale's acting that perfectly reveals Patrick Bateman's face of a crazy man. Starting from
the beginning of the clip, it is visible that he is well prepared for the events to come, which means
he knows what he wants to do; he wants to follow the plan that he had created. The way he talks
about "Huey Lewis And The News" shows his self–confidence. Bale's voice modulation reveals that

Analyzing The Movie 'American Psycho'
After watching Benjamin Walker on Stephen Colbert talk about the new musical he is staring in,
American Psycho, I knew I had to look up this story. This is a storyline that started as a book, then
produced into a movie, and is now musical. Knowing that I would not be able to get out to New
York City to see this production I went straight to the video store to rent the movie version
(because who would read a book when you can watch a movie). From the title itself I should have
guessed that it wasn't going to be a warm and fuzzy movie, even if it has Christian Bale and Reese
Witherspoon in it. From the opening scene I knew I was right. This first shot of Christian Bale will
stick with me for way to long. This scene starts with a tracking shot...show more content...
Patrick is making his life in his head that expressive all his feelings. He is taking advantage of
women and killing off men who challenge him, he has the ultimate power. This is what some
people feel would make the best life. Patrick has found a way to control his surroundings at any
cost. Many people what this type of control. This sense of control is present very much as soon as
the film starts. Opening with an overly clean apartment and leading into this man's perfected routine,
the whole tone is the need for a sense of control. Without this opening scene this film could be
categorized in the horror genre. While there are many other scenes that show this need for ultimate
control this is the most preeminent one. Opening with this scene the tone is set from the beginning,
Patrick Bateman has to be in

Deviance In American Psycho
"I feel lethal, on the verge of frenzy. I think my mask of sanity is about to slip" (Harron) thought
Patrick Bateman as he contemplated his growing feelings of emptiness and need for bloodlust.
American psycho is the story of a greedy, materialistic, self obsessed businessman who transforms
into an unstable and violent sociopath. Abnormal behavior can be defined by four patterns
deviance, distress, dysfunction, and danger (Comer 2). Deviance is exhibited as unusual, or extreme
behavior. Throughout the movie, Bateman was very blunt and would casually say violent, graphic
comments. The only time Bateman experienced distress was towards the end of the movie when he
couldn't stop killing. He began to panic, called his lawyer to confess, and didn't go into work.
However, most of the time Bateman said he enjoyed the rush of a kill. Typically, abnormal behavior
interferes with the person's ability to conduct daily activities (Comer 2). As a result of Bateman's
abnormalities he could not sustain a healthy relationship. The most extreme characteristic of
Batemans abnormal behavior was that it caused him to put others in danger.
American Psycho can be interpreted in two ways: either Bateman, due to his mental disorder, killed
multiple people, or he was having hallucinations about his kills. If he truly committed murder the
DSM–5 diagnosis for Patrick Bateman indicates that he is suffering from antisocial personality
disorder, narcissistic personality disorder, and borderline

American Psycho is a novel written by Bret Easton Ellis in 1991. The book details the life and
subsequent descent into madness of yuppie investment banker Patrick Bateman. Bateman appears to
everyone as charming young man but is also possibly one of the most vicious serial killers in
American history (whether Bateman committed the murders is left ambiguous). It takes place at the
height of the Reagan era in Manhattan and is primarily a critique of the vapid and capitalist society
that Bateman resides in. Ellis criticizes various aspects of American culture through both the actions
and thoughts of Patrick Bateman and those around him. Bateman acts as symbol of the death of ones
humanity that occurs in a superficial and nihilistic post–modern society. The things that are critiqued
the most in this novel are materialism, conformity, superficiality, and the depravity of man.One of
the most prevalent aspects of society criticized by this novel is the depravity of man. Ellis
portrays American society as a place rife with violence and horror yet is also desensitized to it. For
example this is summarized perfectly on page 4 when Timothy Price (a friend of Bateman) looks
through a newspaper and says the following: "In one issue–in One issue–let's see here... strangled
models, babies thrown from tenement rooftops, kids killed in the subway, a Communist rally, Mafia
boss wiped out, Nazis"–he flips through the pages excitedly "baseball players with AIDS, more
Mafia shit, gridlock,

Abstract In the Movie, American Psycho, Patrick Bateman demonstrate challenges to identify his
unique type of personality theories. The purpose of this essay is to review a selected film as a
Psychology student, and discuss it from a psychological perspective. Also in this paper providing
a diagnosis for a character in the movie and discuss the behaviors that support the selected
diagnosis, and to explain and discuss the mental illness depicted in the film. Movie: American
Psycho Have you ever had a discussion with someone person and the first thing you hear, that
person is a psycho? What the individual is really describing is a person who is believed to be
insane or crazy based off of the way the person interacts with others or along. The movie that I
chose to watch is American Psycho. This movie is about a materialistic, wealthy Wall Street
investment banker who has a double life in which one of the lives he lives is as a serial killer.(
Harron, M Director ,2000, April 14). He is addicted to drugs, sex, and conspicuous consumption. He
is obsessed with designer clothes, business cards, alcohol, and music such as Whitney Houston,
Robert Palmer, Huey Lewis, and many other artists. Most people think they know the answer after
watching this movie but director Mary Harron's answer might surprise you there is a long list of
evidence supporting the claim that Patrick Bateman has to be imagining everything. To begin with
he starts a killing spree after an ATM machine

Based on the novel by Bret Easton Ellis, the 2000 movie, American Psycho, is a young but classic
film to horror and gore enthusiast. I chose this film because it is one of the most disturbingly
shocking, yet nonchalant, movies that I ever seen. The main character, Patrick Bateman, is a
successful businessman living in New York City who has a wonderful life. Although he seems
perfectly normal, he has a darker side which he hides from his close friends and family. This darker
side is, in part, a result of his borderline personality disorder.
The presence of Patrick's borderline personality disorder was never openly discussed in the film,
although many of the traits were clearly displayed through Patrick's words and actions. To support
this,
Patrick never openly shows his disorder to his...show more content...
They tend to be uncertain of their values, goals, loyalties, careers, choices of friends, and sometimes
even their sexual orientations
(Roepke et al., 2010)." This information from the textbook clearly explains and supports Patrick's
behavior and helps to diagnose his character in the film.
In the film, there is a scene where Patrick and a coworker go into a stall and snort cocaine while at
a party. This scene relates to pages 110 and 111 where the text talks about stimulants and their
effects on the body. Several scenes in the movie depict Patrick having sexual relations with various
women, which can be related back to pages 212 through 215. These pages in the text discuss sexual
motivation, behavior, and orientation. Lastly, Patrick often shows a lack of emotion and interest in
life.
This characteristic is displayed all throughout the film and plays a huge role in describing the
character.
In order to understand Patrick's lack of emotion, pages 218 and 219 in the text inform on emotion
and the expression of

Patrick Bateman's Descent into Madness in American Psycho

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Patrick Bateman's Descent into Madness in American Psycho