Jennifer, I agree, I don't think any of the murders happened. My sense, and
I wish I had written this down after I saw the film because now it is a
little fuzzy, is that this film is a classic case of the "return of the
repressed," his manifestations (paralleled in his doodlings) registering
(very symptomatic in the same way, or similarly, as _Fight Club_) his own
tormented, distorted dislocation of self, i.e. his narcissism belied by his
severe inadequacies/his inability to live up to the image his lifestyle has
defined for him. The ending where he himself comes to this realization, not
the "return of the repressed" part but knowing that he has been channeling
his energies and hatred of humanity (himself really but re-directed towards
others)into imaginings and not the real thing, after the classic screaming
for someone to stop him, prefigures his entry into actual murder. In other
words, the whole film brings us to the point where he will begin to enact
his psychotic fantasys. Or something along these lines. I know it is more
complicated than this and that I may not be getting it quite right but this
is the direction I think the film goes. In any case I echo what some others
have said about this film, though flawed (what film isn't?!?), it is an
interesting and worthwhile study.
Best,
Reagan
At 04:12 PM 06/04/2001 +0100, you wrote:
>What makes this particular allusion even more
>> interesting, is its reference to the "what
>> happened/what didn't" question evolving in American
>> Psycho."
>
>I agree with this, does anyone have any opinions on what is reality and
>what is paraniod fantasy within the film, at least for patrick if not for
>everybody else. I felt this was one of the most striking differences
>between the narrative of the book and the impression I was left with after
>watching the film. After reading the book I was in no doubt he had killed
>some people even if not all; after watching the film I doubted the reality
>of any of the murders and was more inclined to beleive the whole thing had
>been patrick's fantasy.
>
>Jennifer
>
|