American Psycho is a novel that was made
into a movie in the year 2000; it is about a serial killer called Patrick
Bateman.
As well as having the serial killer theme, it is also a portrayal of
Wall Street in the 1980s, about materialism, value, and vanity. It also blends
in its own style of humour, making it more of a comedic watch over a
horror/slasher one. The opening credits starts with a blank white canvas that
persists through the intro. There is a
reason for using this particular colour. In most films about serial killers
there is usually an element of darkness and shadows. There is also a lot of red
to symbolise blood. This film has taken another approach. Because it is not
just about a serial killer, but his own persona of self-perfection and vanity.
It has used the colour white for its own symbolisation. The description of the
colour white is one of perfection, completeness. It also means to be
independent and it is also reflective, something that means something within
the film. The film shows how people strive to be perfect, to act pure and
innocent. Because the film is also comedic heavy, it wanted to let people know
that it isn't as dark and scary as people might have gathered from the name.
The white background is also used as a way to phase out of the introduction
scene into the storyline. The second most important thing in conjuncture of
this is the metaphorical use of preparing a meal that looks similar to a scene
of murder. On the white canvas behind we see several blood drops falling and
then they hit the floor, also a white canvas. The blood looks a fake, almost
computer generated. A hand lifts a large knife out of shot then fades into it
whacking it on to a piece of meat, cutting it in two. We then go to see the food being prepared gracefully, obviously at a
fine five star restaurant by the way of presentation. This leads into the
opening scene with the main actors.
This misleads people to think that something sinister is going on when in truth it is the exact opposite. It makes people think two things. People know what they are watching just by reading the title, but it wants to assure people it is what it says it is, but it also says a lot about characters in the film just by this short opener.
This misleads people to think that something sinister is going on when in truth it is the exact opposite. It makes people think two things. People know what they are watching just by reading the title, but it wants to assure people it is what it says it is, but it also says a lot about characters in the film just by this short opener.
The third thing about the film is the
music. At the beginning we can hear a very sharp, eerie sound every time a
piece of blood drops. The music gets more sinister along the way then
transitions into the restaurants own music.
This is a
tool used to shift between both meanings of the sequence. The murders and
obviously the restaurant own music. So it starts of a bit dark, and then slowly
shifts into calm relaxing music. The same as the opener in general.
All of this, the colours, the music, the way it presents the metaphorical murder for expensive fine dining has all been used so people understands every aspect of the film just by the short opening sequence. To watch this is to understand what is to be expected once the film truly begins.
The thing about this sequence is that it is similar to the T.V show Dexter’s intro scene that was first shown six years later.
Both are about serial killers, who seek to fit in to the modern day world. How the characters wear their own masks to blend in. Both introduction scenes use the metaphorical meal to display their own secret message for violence and murder. American Psycho is very subtle, whereas Dexter makes clear it is a meal, but does so in a way that suggests how he lives and private serial killer lifestyle.
After the introduction scene in American Psycho, Patrick Bateman talks about his daily routine, and shows us how to put on his "mask". Dexter does the same thing within his own title sequence. How he fulfils his morning routine. Both drawing similar lines. Both titles are extremely different, but the message is quite clear when looking at both sequences and comparing their similarities.
All of this, the colours, the music, the way it presents the metaphorical murder for expensive fine dining has all been used so people understands every aspect of the film just by the short opening sequence. To watch this is to understand what is to be expected once the film truly begins.
The thing about this sequence is that it is similar to the T.V show Dexter’s intro scene that was first shown six years later.
Both are about serial killers, who seek to fit in to the modern day world. How the characters wear their own masks to blend in. Both introduction scenes use the metaphorical meal to display their own secret message for violence and murder. American Psycho is very subtle, whereas Dexter makes clear it is a meal, but does so in a way that suggests how he lives and private serial killer lifestyle.
After the introduction scene in American Psycho, Patrick Bateman talks about his daily routine, and shows us how to put on his "mask". Dexter does the same thing within his own title sequence. How he fulfils his morning routine. Both drawing similar lines. Both titles are extremely different, but the message is quite clear when looking at both sequences and comparing their similarities.
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