Textual Analysis

Mise en Scene In the Opening Title Sequence for American Pyscho the shots were filmed in three different locations; the apartment, the busy city and the office. The establishing shot of the busy city is very typical of the Thriller genre as it shows that the main character/s will have ease blending in amongst it. The shots of Patrick Bateman’s apartment show him to be obsessive-compulsive – his pristine apartment shows that he takes great care of his belongings and surroundings. Most of the apartment shots are very well lit, the exceptions being: the bathroom ‘reflection’ shot, the shower shot and the face mask shot. The low key lighting (for example in the shower shot) help to define Patrick’s body. The shelves of lotions are lit by a glass wall behind them – the helps create the low key lighting effect in the shower. The majority of the colours throughout the apartment scene are very white (again showing Patrick’s obsession with cleanliness). The well lit apartment shots emphasise the spaciousness of his surrounding, and the lack of colour. This makes the apartment appear cold; creating an uncomfortable feeling for the audience. The low key lighting also emphasises Patrick’s egotism. This picture shows Patrick’s apartment; clean, tidy and spacious. Although it doesn’t convey the genre type, it does give the audience an insight into Patrick’s OCD tendencies.

Performance. Costume: In this Opening Title Sequence, Patrick’s character appears very preened; his hair, skin and body seem immaculate. During the apartment scenes he’s almost entirely naked, therefore I cannot comment on his dress or makeup. Patrick’s preened appearance reiterates his egotism and obsession with cleanliness. Props: There are only three minor props in these beginning scenes: the mirrors the lotions and Patrick’s eye mask. These props aren’t typical of the Thriller genre, nor do they add to the action, however they do help to emphasise Patrick’s egotism – the mirrors show how vain he is and the lotions and eye mask show the amount of care and TLC he gives to his body. Actor’s Performance: In these scenes, Patrick appears very self confidence, this is clear by the way he speaks, walks, and admires himself. During the apartment scene, we see Patrick pamper himself (however this seems to be part of his daily routine). Although there is no diegetic speech, there is a voiceover. His self-confidence, combined with his modern, clean apartment show that Patrick is a wealthy, upper-class man. His body language helps to reiterate his egotism and vanity. This image shows one of the metaphorical masks that Patrick hides behind – this shows that there are two sides to him; the real Patrick, and the Patrick he shows to the rest of the world. This shot shows Patrick’s vanity – he’s always looking at himself (whether it’s in mirrors or reflections). The lighting here is also effective, showing that a dark side to him could develop later on in the film.

Shots. Below I have listed all of the shot in the first minute of American Psycho’s OTS, and the different movements and angles they use: 1.Establishing shot – Level - Track 2.Wide shot – Level - Track 3.Long shot – Level - Static 4.Long shot – Level - Static 5.Close-up – APOV – Zoom in 6.Close-up – APOV - Static 7.Medium close-up – High angle – Slight pan 8.Wide shot – Level - Static 9.Medium close-up – Level - Static 10.Medium close-up – Level – Static The first few shots were used to set the scene and introduce the audience to the main character and his surroundings. After these, the majority of shots are close-ups (or variations) – these give the audience an insight into Patrick’s vanity, by viewing his character as he would like to be viewed. The only ‘different’ camera angles that are used here are the APOV’s and High Angle shots. The APOV’s have been used to make the audience involved in the narrative from the very beginning of the film – giving them an insight into his daily routine, and showing the audience how he views himself. The high angle shot has been used to show that his routine and vanity could be a weakness later on in the film. The first two shots are tracking shots – this lets the audience view Patrick’s surroundings as though we were actually in them. The zoom on the fifth shot has been used to add drama to the scene – it makes the audience aware that the shot will be relevant later on. Editing. The editing is quite slow paced; reflecting Patrick’s relaxed attitude towards his daily routine. The shots all flow together nicely, for example: the first tracking shot has a slight turn towards the end, which leads into the second tracking shot with begins with a slight turn.

Sound. There is classical piano music through the entire opening scene. There is ambient sounds, such as; footsteps, Patrick urinating, the fridge opening. There is no diegetic speech, however there is a voiceover where Patrick talks about himself. The classical piano reiterates Patrick’s position in the class system; however when he mentions his age in the voiceover it seems that he has very unusual/particular tastes for a man of his age. The voiceover gives the audience information regarding Patrick’s character. It also shows how comfortable he is talking about himself, which links back to his egotism.