Shes transformed a novel about blood lust into a movie about mens vanity. Meanwhile, the eventual film version was immediately under protest. The book obviously offers much more detail compared to the film, and the latt. American psycho director calls joker backlash ludicrous. The american psycho film community note includes chapterbychapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author biography and quizzes written by community members like you. American psycho, bret easton ellis american psycho is a novel, by bret easton ellis, published in 1991. If it falls short of the deadly satire of bret easton elliss novel, american psycho still finds its own blend of horror and humor, thanks in part to a fittingly creepy. He is the quintessential citizen of consumer society who consumes the victims of his insanity.
Fay weldon, guardian, 25 april 1991 not long after publication, bret easton ellis wrote a response to all the criticism of the book in the new york times. With christian bale, justin theroux, josh lucas, bill sage. It stars christian bale, willem dafoe, jared leto, josh lucas, chloe sevigny, samantha mathis, cara seymour, justin theroux, guinevere turner and reese witherspoon. A book usually doesnt fit into a movie, for example. American psycho is a novel by bret easton ellis, published in 1991. Pressman purchased the film rights to the novel in. Also in 2000 witherspoon had a memorable turn as the sister of jennifer anistons character on the popular television series friends, and she provided a voice on the animated series king of the hill. Dangerously skirting an nc17 rating throughout its production, it is a. Another example is that a novel describes and a film shows things. How does the movie american psycho differ from the book. The book was banned in multiple countries upon its release and decried almost universally by feminist groups of the early 90s. 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.
In many ways the text of american psycho is one mans ultimate series of selfies. While mary harrons christian balestarring adaptation of american psycho has become a cult favorite, author bret easton ellis has never. By choosing this narration style ellis does a fantastic job of conveying this vacancy and it becomes a fantastic and important aspect of the book. American psycho isnt narrated by patrick bateman, but rather is a stream of consciousness narrative, such that you can read batemans every thought. American psycho is not only a great critique of the 80s yuppie culture, but it is a scathing criticism of a nations moral decay. Did you mean american psycho is to fight club as brave new world is to 1984. May 25, 2016 but there are also pagetoscreen adaptations that fall somewhere in the middlethe essential bones and general characterizations are left intact, but enough little alterations are made to distinguish book and film as separate entities. In reese witherspoon bale in the violent satire american psycho, an adaptation of bret easton elliss controversial novel. In american psycho, bret easton ellis explores the incomprehensible depths of madness and captures the insanity of violence in our time or another. American psycho is a beautifully controlled, careful, important novel which revolves about its own nasty bits. The other two books were released in the order in which you mention them. The film brilliantly distills the extremes of the novel and gets all the large concepts across successfully. He is twentyseven and living his own american dream. Patrick bateman is handsome, well educated and intelligent.
Aug 08, 20 while mary harrons christian balestarring adaptation of american psycho has become a cult favorite, author bret easton ellis has never been a fan of her movie. Brave new world great book came out in 1932, 1984 also a great book came out in 1949. Set in manhattan during the wall street boom of the late 1980s, american psycho follows the life of wealthy young investment banker patrick. The book is very well written, and it has a style that creates a world easily accessible to the reader.
Also in 2000 witherspoon had a memorable turn as the sister of jennifer anistons character on the popular television series friends, and she provided a voice on the animated series king of the hill read more. Adapted from a novel by bret easton ellis, american psycho largely misses some of the book s more pointed critical and satirical points, going more directly for dark comedy and shocking horror. The story is told in the first person by patrick bateman, a serial killer and manhattan businessman. Sep 02, 2017 the film adaptation of the bret easton ellis novel american psycho was released in 2000, and has been confusing viewers ever since. 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. A novel and a movie always differ, theyre very different media. He is the quintessential citizen of consumer society who consumes the victims of his insanity, all with the same disengaged obsession he uses in choosing outfits. American psycho summary from litcharts the creators of. See actions taken by the people who manage and post content. T hree years after the bret easton ellis novel american psycho finally got made into a movie, after a production odyssey nearly as tortured and calamitous as its publication as a. Bret easton ellis on patrick batemans legacy author reflects on controversial books surprising afterlife, from a cult movie to a new musical. 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.
Parents need to know that american psycho is based on bret easton elliss controversial 1991 novel, which is set in the 1980s and deals with materialism, narcissism, and the amassing of great wealth to be spent on personal pleasure. 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. As film adaptations of books go, the movie american psycho released in 2000 is fairly spoton. It was really about what is going on with men now, in terms of surface narcissism. Ive read the book, ive listened to the audio version, and ive seen the movie about three times. 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. And there are always going to be people getting the wrong message from a moviebook see also. Its too bad that director mary harron and her coscreenwriter, actress guinevere turner who plays one of patricks victims, couldnt have given it a. The reader is introduced to the novels narrator, patrick bateman, a 27yearold wall street. In adapting bret easton elliss turgid, gory 1991 novel to the screen, the director mary harron has boiled a bloated stew of brand names and butchery into a lean and mean horror comedy classic. American psycho is a dark and biting satire on 80s excess and toxic masculinity. Find all the books, read about the author, and more.
And there are always going to be people getting the wrong message from a movie book see also. 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. It stars christian bale, willem dafoe, jared leto, josh lucas, chloe sevigny, samantha mathis, cara seymour, justin theroux, guinevere turner and reese witherspoon producer edward r. American psycho trailer on the occasion of the movies 20th anniversary, yahoo movies uk. There is a lot of black comedy in american psycho, though. Abandon all hope ye who enter here is graffitied across the side of a bank in bloodred paint. Differences between american psycho book vs movie page 1. The book and the film versions of american psycho have one thing in common, and thats the controversy that surrounds them. The film adaptation of the bret easton ellis novel american psycho was released in 2000, and has been confusing viewers ever since. Bateman, who relays the action of the novel, as well as his innermost thoughts. The story is told in the first person by patrick bateman, a serial killer and manhattan investment banker. Patrick bateman admits at the outset of the film that there is no real him, that hes constructed an illusion of a person.
In the movie donald kimball is a young detective, almost at the same age as patrick 26 donald kimball is portrait by willem dafoe, turning him into an older character. I dont think thats the general consensus of the story, though. The reader is introduced to the novels narrator, patrick bateman, a 27yearold wall street investment banker. Sep 27, 2017 a novel and a movie always differ, theyre very different media. American psycho producer shares cult films secrets on its. Because bateman is a rich, white, wellmannered, educated young man with a.
He works on wall street, has a pretty girlfriend, and spends most of his life in trendy restaurants and clubs. American psycho producer shares cult films secrets on. The book creates a dissonance from real life and the actual plot that leaves the reader questioning if our. Jan 29, 2019 the book and the film versions of american psycho have one thing in common, and thats the controversy that surrounds them. Apr 14, 2020 t hree years after the bret easton ellis novel american psycho finally got made into a movie, after a production odyssey nearly as tortured and calamitous as its publication as a book, a. American psycho begins with a quote from dantes inferno.
Obviously books will always disclose more detail, and are able to paint a picture that the reader connects to, however i wanted to know that in the books. Among the more standard tools knives, scalpels, and scissors are a metal clothes hanger, a mousetrap, and a hole punch christie even tells patrick the second time he goes see her that she had to go to surgery and probably needs to get a lawyer while much of the film is meant to be comedic, patrick chasing a woman down. American psycho, a novel by bret easton ellis, satirizes the apathy, narcissism, and emotional void of modern consumerist culture, through the metaphor of the psychopathic killer, patrick bateman, whom no one will believe is a killer, despite his repeated confessions. Its also a story about a callous murderer, with several gruesome killings shown, and lots of blood, as well as shots of severed. While initially appearing straightforward, the film. Ellis explained that the book was really about the dandification of the american male. American psycho by bret easton ellis, paperback barnes. American psycho 2000 rotten tomatoes movie trailers.
A wealthy new york city investment banking executive, patrick bateman, hides his alternate psychopathic ego from his coworkers and friends as he. Twenty years ago, christian bale delivered an iconic 21st century movie monster. American psycho is a novel by bret easton ellis first published in 1991. Mary harrons adaptation of bret easton ellis controversial 1991 novel, american psycho, offered a chilling look. 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. It is the story about the archetypal 80s businessman. Or, put another way, the movie acts as a kind of alternate universe version of the novel. Facebook is showing information to help you better understand the purpose of a page. So, this may have been discussed at some point, though i was curious, in the book, american psycho, was the movie adaptation similar in the general explanation of patrick batman. American psycho is a 2000 satirical psychological horror film cowritten and directed by mary harron, based on bret easton elliss 1991 novel of the same name. American psycho trailer on the occasion of the movie s 20th anniversary, yahoo movies uk. American psycho director mary harron thought joker outrage was ludicrous the filmmaker was a member of the venice film festival jury that awarded joker the golden lion.