American Psycho
After the pitch in progress collaboration, I watched American Psycho (2000) because it was one of the recommended shows to watch to help me with my story world. It was an interesting movie since the ending was not what I expected it to be. Though I read an article stating that the director wished for the ending to be more open but it ended up making the audience think that it was all in Bateman’s mind the protagonist which in actual case it was not (Eisenberg, n.a). There were a few questions left unanswered especially the part where we wonder if all the murderous acts were true in real life or it was all in his mind. Also, what was the reason for his fetish to kill people? Was it simply jealousy of others and enjoyment in killing? Could such reason be this simple? I was hoping to get an inspiration for my story because I am having trouble finding out the reason why the girlfriend shot her boyfriend and the sudden killing spree too. In addition, how will I portray the spirit of the boyfriend and reveal that it was all in her mind?
However, what I have learned from American Psycho is how the protagonist tries so hard to fit into society but instead of standing out the protagonist blends well thus no one suspects that he could do such a thing. Also, what was interesting is that the narrative voice over is the voice of the protagonist which make the audience feel more intimate as we peer into his life and thoughts. The character also confesses that he was going insane and that he has dark thoughts but no one cares to take him seriously. The protagonist describes himself as though he is one of a kind and that he is different from anyone else but why was it that the other characters kept forgetting his name and identity as though he was not a memorable person. This is the part where we see two different worlds in the story. The world in the protagonist mind and the actual world. The people living in the actual world could not enter the protagonist mind however the protagonist mind consist of the people in the actual world and living in the actual world. How do we know that we are in the protagonist mind? It is the part where he is alone at home or when someone ticks him off and eventually kills somebody. His alone time with the victims is his world. The protagonist world is exclusive to him and the voice of the character is evident since no one in the actual world knows what is going on with Bateman’s life.
In terms of my story world, I have to sort out the different world and layers to it and show how different each world is. I will need to be able to identify the smaller world easily and also make the audience understand what is happening in the story. I have my smaller world already but I have yet to add more elements to make it more distinct. Thus, I will have to work on more elements of story world to build my world further.
References:
Cinema Blend. American Psycho Ending: What Really Happened Retrieved from http://www.cinemablend.com/new/American-Psycho-Ending-What-Really-Happened-70126.html
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