A Critical Message about Materialism and Lookism to Modern Society from American
Psycho
A protagonist,
Patrick Bateman was a 27 years old Vice President at P&P financial company in
Wall Street, New York. He did a thorough self-management, had a nice view and
expensive apartment, and had a fiancé from a plutocrat family.
To this explicitly
perfect man, there were several things he could not fulfill his mind. He cheated
on his coworkers’ fiancé, who was the best girl to Patrick. He sought a delight from
call girls, not from his fiancé. He envied Paul Allen most because he made a
hardest restaurant reservation at Dorsia, which was almost impossible to Patrick and his
coworkers. Also, Paul Allen confused Patrick Bateman with the other coworker
whose suit, hair style, and glasses were almost same as what Patrick had, lived in
nicer landscape and more expensive apartment, and had the most decent business card.
Patrick never satisfied with what he had and even had an extreme feeling of inferiority
toward Paul Allen. Patrick’s inner mind was going breaking down and cruel, but numbness
about killing people.
All
extreme actions by Patrick seem to reflect our lost identity and unlimited
desire.
In the business card scene,
Patrick gave a monologue,
“Paul Allen has mistaken me for this dickhead Marcus
Halberstram. It seems logical because Marcus also works at P&P and in fact
does the same exact thing I do and he also has a penchant for Valentino suits
and Oliver Peoples glasses. Marcus and I even go to the same barber, although I
have a slightly better haircut”.
Why Paul Allen was confused Patrick Bateman with Marcus Halberstram? Characters in this scene could be audience who care about other's eyes in appearance. As Patrick thought, People might not want to wear similarly or look better. As Paul Allen made a mistaken to call Patrick, in Paul's eyes People care about their appearance and exaggerated action which caused Paul to get confused. As Paul did, modern people seek standard value on television show or idols so that people think that the standard of beauty is them. People compare to others with their pretentious value.
On the contrary, after Patrick saw, his competitor, Paul Allen’s business card, he suddenly got
freeze and dropped Paul Allen’s business card with his lost focus. Patrick
feared about distinguished Paul Allen. This part of the scene seems to show us that Patrick had a low self-regard.
Even though Patrick's reaction was inflated and extreme serious, some of modern people might could have a feeling of inferiority or have an experience to think like as Patrick did. As the movie's title is American Psycho, Patrick became a psycho because he was masking all of his inferiority or something that he cannot fulfill inside by making a perfect shape in appearance! On the other side of his duplicity was a killer. Patrick killed so many people who made him uncomfortable by touching him or being distinguished.
Even though Patrick's reaction was inflated and extreme serious, some of modern people might could have a feeling of inferiority or have an experience to think like as Patrick did. As the movie's title is American Psycho, Patrick became a psycho because he was masking all of his inferiority or something that he cannot fulfill inside by making a perfect shape in appearance! On the other side of his duplicity was a killer. Patrick killed so many people who made him uncomfortable by touching him or being distinguished.
Whatever the value for looking perfect, modern people in this
period or now and forever should have a strong self-regard by loving themselves and should not seek master pieces from outside to look perfect, but from inside. Modern people need
to take off their masks and approach truly to others.
So the movie is talking about kinda human psychology? I am fond of movies describing the mental situation among people! Coz I think what people is thinking about is like a riddle that await us to figure out...Yep, we do always look at the surface, but sometimes we do only have the surface to think about...
ReplyDeleteBut when it comes to what you said in the blog that people should pay more attention to their inner world,as well as to show what they are really like, I agree with you that materialism and lookism is not good for us. These two tend to push us to work hard but sometimes forget what we really want, thinking that possessing luxury items is the only happiness. Also,these make us like to compare ourselves with others. On the one hand, comparison encourages self-introspection which may allow us to do better; on the other hand, excessive comparison makes us so stressful and easily lost, forgetting how to be happy and satisfied. Whatever...I really want to see the movie!!
I think it's an interesting movie and it does reflect some problem with modern people. Some modern people have attached too much values to the surface things. As you said, " Characters in this scene could be audience who care about other's eyes in appearance." When we pay too much attention to others' views on us, we would finally lost ourselves. We may try our best to live as how others look us, setting our standard as other people's standard, because we have already forgotten what we really need. As a result, when wealth became the standard, people begin to compare with each other with the material things, as if they could be happier if they are richer. However, the real happiness comes from your heart, which has nothing to do with money or other things from outside. After all, what's in your heart can never be compared or valued. I agree with you about the topic that people should look themselves from the inside rather than the outside. However, it seems that it does not mention people should "approach truly to others", although they actually should do like this.
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