Hope Y'all Enjoyed This Movie Reaction, I'm So Glad I Finally Seen This Movie. This Performance Was So Mesmerizing. I Would Love To Here Your Thoughts On The Movie And This Movie? Also What Other Movies And/Or Videos Would You Like Me To React To?
The cool thing about Willem Dafoe's part: the director told him to do a scene as if his character didn't suspect Bateman. Then she had him do the same scene as if his character wasn't sure either way. Then they did a take where he absolutely suspected Bateman. Then, in editing, the director jumbled up these takes one after the other, in no particular order during the same scene so that we as the audience were just as uncertain about the detective's motives and his knowledge as Bateman is. F&%king brilliant...
It's a joke that nobody hears him when he talks about murder. It's the only time he's opening up and being completely honest but everyone else is so self involved that they aren't listening when he reveals these truths.
Hell is other people. And even an inhuman lunatic like Bateman, gorging himself on the morons, is eventually creeped out and _freaked out_ by the vapid villionaires all around him.
It's not just them be self absorbed. All people avoid cognitive dissonance like the plague. All people from all walks of life will try their best to ignore things that threaten to shatter their illusion and the delusions that they have about themselves and reality, in general. Bateman feels unheard because his peers genuinely cannot comprehend his predicament, and do not care to. They have too much to lose from abandoning their bubbles.
I’ve always found it fascinating how the director stated that everything that happened in this movie was not in Bateman’s head like some people think it is. Instead, Patrick actually did kill all of those people, but everyone around him is so self-absorbed with their own greed and image that no one cares or cares to believe him. Absolutely brilliant.
Hell is other people. And even an inhuman lunatic like Bateman, gorging himself on the morons, is eventually creeped out and _freaked out_ by the vapid villionaires all around him.
What about the police? Willem Dafoe's character has been investigated the murders that Bateman was responsible for. At some point, someone is going to tell them and Bateman will be behind bars, if he doesn't get the gas chamber.
@@chuckh4077 that’s the point. It’s meant to show that these people are so obsessed with image and money that they will quite literally look the other way at murder. It’s a critique of Yuppie culture.
@@alecazadi-hocking8381 I glad that's cannon. The fact that Patrick mentions one of the guys confusing him for someone else, and then his lawyer confusing him for Davis and confusing someone else he had lunch with in London for Paul Allen, them all looking similar. I would be mad if that was all in his head or just coincidence.
The bit with him being mistaken for Paul Allen is foreshadowed in the beginning when they're comparing cards and he says people confuse them constantly because they look similar and have the same firm position. Patrick isn't a figment of anyone's imagination or a split personality, in fact the lawyer at the end mentions that he (thinking Patrick was Paul) did a horrible impression of Bateman on the answering machine. The movie's quite the mind bender though, so it's a forgivable misunderstanding on the first watch.
@@heftyelf Ya, he introduces himself as "Paul Allen" in one of the restaurant scenes but the scene makes it clear no one really buys it or even hears what he`s saying, they`re just playing along.
@@HelloMellowXVI In The Novel, Patrick Bateman`s monologues are even more dull and out-of-touch with how normal people speak and behave than in The Film and go on for hundreds of pages. He`s also way more racist,misogynistic and crude in his "real psychopathic Bateman" persona in The Novel and his OCD drives him to wear a full red and black bodysuit complete with skimask when he commits his murders, which justifies him not being recognized as the murderer far better than The Film does!Also, in The Novel he never takes off his gloves!
Reason why Bale washed his hands after his coworker kissed his gloves is cause this movie took place during the 1980s AIDS epidemic, he was so terrified of catching aids he forgot he was wearing leather gloves.
@@__TheWiseMan__ that's my interpretation. He doesn't want to catch "the gay". People think that you can become gay if you see gay people or touch a gay person. Its sad.
I was watching this card scene on RU-vid months ago and some guy commented saying that he used to do the exact same job that Bateman and those others did and that the card scene was not an exaggeration. He said they really do act like this in real life aside from the murders which I thought was interesting because I didn't think that could be possible
Aye, most are certainly not murderers. However, it is notable that while only 1% of general population meet the criteria for psychopathy nearly 20% of CEOs exhibit psychopathy. Bateman is a good example of someone who simultaneously wants to prove himself yet wouldn't work a "lesser" job, so gets a high-pay position through nepotism. Over 60% of wealth in USA is inherited... many buy into the myth that others are rich because they earned it, but the majority simply got a good spawn point in life. He can't get any women to take him serious without buying them. What Bateman owns brings no joy because it was just given, and no one genuinely cares about him. He brings little value to the lives of others or even his work; just spends his days jerking it and doing anything he can to score vanity points.
@@Rhodair "many buy into the myth that others are rich because they earned it" My grandfather literally started dirt poor on a farm. His family couldn't even afford shoes. He earned it.
@@Trenchcoat3 he told you that? And you believed him? Oh you sweet summer child, granddaddy got his hands dirty on the way to the top for sure, and it wasn't from the farm.
@@patrickgogan3517 Nod to "No Exit" by Jean-Paul Sartre, where "Hell is other people". Basically the starting point for building the narcissistic Bateman.
You know Bale said he was emulating Tom Cruise when playing Patrick Bateman. He said Tom was all smiles with “nothing behind the eyes” and he nailed it!!! Just how I’d expect a psycho to act
@@HelloMellowXVI I wouldn't quite go that far, but I try to read it at least once every year or two. It's hilarious like the movie, but it's just not a headspace that you want to be in too often.
@@HelloMellowXVI I'm quite a few months behind these other comments, but there is also a parody with Huey Lewis and Weird Al Yankovic where they redo the apartment axe murder scene while talking about the movie. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Fk15H6PjBis.html
Bale's dead eye stare comes courtesy of Tom Cruise. He watched an interview and said Cruise had this facade when he smiled. It was dead. I'm paraphrasing.
There's a blink-and-you'll-miss it aspect of the lawyer scene where you see him blink and pull a face at Bateman when he cuts him off while saying "No you didn't." that suggests he knows about the murders, especially Allen's, and is trying to keep him from confessing.
There are actually two main characters in the book. Patrick and the cold, shamelessly greedy American aristocracy that speaks through everyone else with the exception of his secretary, the detective and some of his victims. The book is much more graphic and describes many more killings that aren't portrayed in the movie to include a random kid at a zoo and his ex who really got the treatment. He set a starved rat loose in her by the end. The reason nobody catches him or believes his later confessions is because he is high society elite who everyone knows by name but couldn't pick out of a lineup. Because the bourgeois don't actually give a fuck about each other or anyone but themselves so they don't even actually know what their "friends" and coworkers look like exactly. Even his "fiance" has no idea who he is throughout. Not really. While he does do a little daydreaming and reminiscing in the book it never implies he is delusional. At the end he does have kind of a nervous breakdown when nobody will believe him but that is just his rage at wanting to be caught but failing to get anyone to listen. I guess the director thought it would best to leave most of the social commentary and more obvious undertones of the book out and leave it ambiguous and mysterious at the end. I wouldn't have gone that route.
@Lady Seashell Bikini Those last scenes with him starting to shoot people didn't actually happen. This stuff happens when he has the psychotic delusional episode starting around when the ATM tells him to feed it the cat. Most of the killing/murder happens in both the book and film but many people seem to think everything he did was all in his head because of the fact that nobody cares and that everyone is constantly mistaken for someone else. This theme of Identity and people being too greedy or self-absorbed to care or discover that Bateman is a serial killer is much more pronounced and obvious in the book. Like the old lady in the apartment had the apartment cleaned and didn't call the cops because she really wanted to sell or rent the place and she knew why Bateman was there, tricked him into revealing what she suspected, and she got very cold and serious in telling him to leave and never come back.
@@kevincola3184 several critics and the author have said that all the killing that Bateman does is all in his head that he's extremely delusional to the point where he believes he's killed all these people, when in fact he's had a psychotic break trying to fit into the corporate world and grappling with elite upper society and all of its disposability. there's a bit of a tell in both the film and book, there are no bodies EVER found.
@@neuroticgothguy Bret Easton Ellis even said in an interview that the book would be pointless if Patrick Bateman didn't kill anyone. I've read the book and it's obvious Patrick indeed killed quite a few people. In the movie and book, the scenes with him shooting people is a delusion/psychotic episode which I've already explained. In the movie, Patrick is intended to be an actual serial killer, the director basically says he is in an interview in which she was disappointed that people thought it was all in his head by the end of the film. All of the bodies/parts in the Apartment were disposed of by the woman and whomever she employed to clean the place. With the theme of Identity, Paul Allen was most likely killed but everyone keeps mistaking each other with someone else especially in the book.
I've seen this movie countless times and I still cannot fully figure out what is in his mind and what really happened. Christian Bale just kills it in this movie.
Loved your reaction to this, honestly this is my favourite movie of all time. Bale's performance is amazing and haunting at the same time. The music is amazing in how it explains his thinking without changing his character in the moment. Also a female director which gets forgotten a lot. The film and book is really quite simple in premise as a satirical look into wall street and how status means everything. To me it seems even more relevant at the moment with the rise of influencers and the need for likes and views on social media.
I love how far the movie goes to show that it's not just a lone psycho - he's in a world full of selfish people and people who will look away and let it all take place. And how exhibits a the behaviours we viewers are taught to value - high confidence, looking after yourself, talented etc. So in a way we're complicit with the bad place that narcissism takes him.
Interesting fact. The interview scenes with Willem Dafoe were filmed in three different ways. In the first take the director told Dafoe his character did not suspect Patrick Bateman at all, the second take he was told to act as if he suspected him and in the third to act like he KNEW it was Bateman. Then in editing they mixed all the takes together to give those scenes an unbalanced and creepy vibe.
That Is Absolutely Genius Directing Right There! I Love Knowledge Like That, Thank You So Much. This Movie Is A Masterpiece, I Bet The Cast Had A Blast With Directing Like That.
Welcome to the dark side of the 80s. Great reaction, Mel. I saw this in the movies when it first came out. As a child of that decade, I saw firsthand the superficial, the consumerism and the virulent greed. It’s such a great adaptation of the book.
There are multiple interpretations of the story, not just the film version, but for the novel as well (which the author of the novel had admitted that even he doesn't know what Patrick does is real or not). And here's what they are: 1. Patrick imagined the whole thing and is just so nuts, that he doesn't realize it, and daydreams of being a serial killer as a means of dealing with his mundane existence. 2. He committed all the crimes (but not the police chase seen in the film), but due to his father (the owner of the company he works for), he has been able to pay people to keep him from being caught. 3. He committed the murders (but not the police chase seen in the film), but everyone is so self-absorbed that no one notices how dangerous he is, and no matter how much it is obvious or confesses, they either don't notice or don't care to notice (this is the interpretation that Mary Harmon, the director and co-writer of the adaptation, and Guinevere Turner, the co-author of the adaptation and the woman who plays Patrick's old girlfriend Elizabeth, believe). 4. He committed the crimes, but not as many as he thinks he does. This is the split difference between the above three, that Patrick did kill some people (like the prostitute and homeless man) but didn't kill people he thought he did (like Paul Allen). There's an alternative fan theory to Number 1 I read that explains Kimble that does kind of make sense: That everyone knows Patrick is insane and has been constantly confessing to killing people, but they know he actually never killed anyone. And the reason why Kimble showed up is that he's actually not an investigator, but is actually an actor Patrick's friends hired just to mess with him (this is why every time he's confessed, no one believes him). In the end of the day, whether or not if you believe Patrick is insane or guilty, he is not free of his obsessions. He is still trapped in his place, even though he believes he is unique, and we will never really know if Patrick is really insane and dangerous, or just insane and mundane to the point of boredom. As the book best put it: this is not an exit.
Psychopaths are born that way. It's an incurable mental illness. But there are different levels of it. Not all psychopaths are criminals and killers. This guy just happens to be an extreme case of a homicidal psychopath. Complete lack of empathy, morale and extreme narcissism and manipulative behavior are usually the main signs. There also seem to be heavy signs of it being genetic as well, although I they haven't come to the solid conclusion of it. Petty much all the signs so far point to it being directly linked to genetics. Basically, the empathy part of the brain is flat out broken, doesn't work, signals are defunct. And there is no cure for it. True psychopaths will always be psychos. Another early sign of a homicidal psychopath is killing animals at an early age, just because. Baby animals included. If you know a kid like that, seriously beware. That's is usually a 100% sign of a psychopath.
Wow, Thank You So Much For All That. I Appreciate That, Was A Good Read. Where'd You Learn All That? And I Yeah I Assumed It Was A Mental illness As Well And Had Something To Do With Genetics
The great thing about that "interrogation" scenes with William Dafoe is that they spliced 3 different types of ways the scene was shot all into one: where Dafoe knows Bateman did it, where he doesn't suspect Bateman did it and where he kind of suspects he did but he isn't sure. So there's a bunch of different instances in the facial expressions you can try to pick up that make the interactions unique.
I've seen a handful of your reactions before this one, but this is one of my favorite psychological thrillers ever. The acting is all top-notch, the dialogue is hysterical and the direction by Mary Harron is perfect in this film.
29:00 Okay, my interpretation? Patrick did murder someone there, but the landlords just wanted to rent out the place regardless. They sent Patrick away because the murderer returning to the scene of the crime would've hurt the resale value.
Some of it was inside his head. For example the police scene, that was obvious. And he definitely hasn't killed nearly the amount of people he thinks. But other than that, everything we saw was real. The film is a satire, it's a critique of the toxic masculinity of the 80s, especially in the Wall Street, higher class environment. I'd say that he did kill Paul Allen, and that realtor had it cleaned up because she wanted to sell the apartment(critique of capitalism), but that's more open to interpretation. As for the ending, it just summarizes the entire movie. People being so oblivious and caught in their lifestyle that they mix people up and don't hear what is being said. That lawyer had dinner with someone in London who he thought was Paul Allen. I mean, he clearly can't differentiate between his clients if he can't recognize Bateman. The movie is not supposed to be taken seriously, it's really absurd, but at the same time, it's amazing. Dark comedy at its finest.
Wow Those Are Some Fantastic Thoughts, I Really Appreciate This Comment. Was A Good Read, I Love Movies Like This Where There Can Be Different Interpretations. But I Definitely Agree That This Is A Dark Comedy. It Was So Absurd And Intense And Fantastic.
@@HelloMellowXVI No problem. Some other movies you can check out where some mental gymnastics are required: Vertigo, 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange, Taxi Driver, The King of Comedy, The Shining, Eyes Wide Shut, Fight Club, The Prestige, Enemy.
In short, it was obsession with status, power, and materialism. Everyone is so self-involved and driven by money and power that they lose their humanity and ability to connect with other people on any meaningful level. This is exaggerated and highlighted by various characters in the film noticing and obsessing over the smallest trivial details, and, knowingly or unknowingly, missing every major detail. Everyone is just a means to an end for everyone else.
22:25 I don’t know if this can be considered a “fun” fact, but at this part of the book, Patrick was eating the chick, then decided he wanted to “eat” the chick and got to chomping on the kitty. One of those parts of the book you never forget.
Kudos for connecting Dafoe and Joker. Also, in the "greatest acting" clip, right at the end, Bale does the Joker's "keep smiling' bit. Also, the chainsaw down the stairwell relates to Batman falling down the parking garage stairs onto Scarecrow's van in Dark Knight.
Such a beautiful interpretation of the psychology behind Wall Street (or any big corporation), where people are making so much money that their actions are not even questioned, or are defended to the fullest. Beautiful piece.
18:59 "Bruh, is she really eating that damn yogurt, man, that's cross-contaminated with that f*cking dead-ass head in that f*cking refrigerator, bruh, that's shit's nasty as hell, yo!" LMAO!
The interrogation scene with Willem Defoe was filmed three times, each time the director told him change the degree of suspicion: one take with Willem not suspecting anything, one with him thinking Patrick could be the killer and one with him being convinced he did it. The final product is a mixture of all those different takes, to keep the audience guessing, whether Willem knows or not.
Yeah later in life Paul Allen played as the worst Joker in Suicide Squad which is bored me to death until he played as Joker again in Zack Snyder's Justice League.
Nice commentary on the movie, I never really got the full meaning of it but your hypothesis holds up, especially Defoe being his conscience, never thaught of that
Yeah Thank You, It Just Came To Me Because Of The Suspicion And How It Seemed He Knew Things About Him Already And That He Pretty Much Just Vanished In The Movie
@@Johnnysmithy24 yes. I worked as both a personal assistant to a few studio big wigs and at Spago back in the 80's. I assure you laughing at people who called for reservations at the "it" places was a thing. A very 80s early 90s thing but a thing none the less.
@@Johnnysmithy24 as an assistant, I made reservations regularly to use as trading chips with other assistants and concierge. Gotta keep my boss thinking I am a miracle worker. 😉
For me, and probably a lot of people, this is the first time I ever saw Christian Bale in a movie. So every single movie after, all I see is him dancing around in that raincoat, talking about Huey Lewis and The News.
The scene with the two hookers is described in much greater detail in the book, especially the aftermath with hanger which they thankfully didn't show in the movie. It's some really sick shit.
Really great reaction. I would like to think this was all in Patrick Bateman’s head. The success of this movie solely rested on Christian Bale’s performance. Fantastic.
@@Gino565 I disagree, I think serial killers are a rare exception but the the Freudian Id is part of all our make-up. They scary idea for me is that dark fantasies can lurk in anyone. The part at the end of the film, when he shoots random people just hints at a fantasy.
@@thickerconstrictor9037 What the author intends and what meaning is actually drawn from an artistic work are often not the same. For me, serial killers are not a scary part of humanity as they are rare and an exception. The more scary thought is that dark thoughts can lurk in the Freudian Id and can be in all of our subconscious. In history we have seen that in war or under despotic regimes we are more likely to either be perpetrators of moral crimes or at best impotent witnesses.
@@dbking4194 yes but just the final killing spree. The rest of the murders and the interactions with people in between are all meant to be very real. The entire film essentially sets up the ending, with people constantly being show as self centred and even on a few occasions ignoring little Patrick’s confessions.
I loved your reaction and the movie gets better everytime you watch it because you can understand from the perspective of Patrick. Also you should watch the movie Se7en if you haven’t, would probably be an amazing video idea for you because of the movies craziest moments
Just subbed after watching now this and your Holy Grail reaction earlier, you have a great sense of humour dude! You may have already watched it, but if not I highly recommend watching and/or reacting to The Blues Brothers. Judging by what's made you laugh so far.. I think you'll thoroughly enjoy it!! :)
Christian Bale's Greatest Performance in my Opinion! He was snubbed by the Oscars for this! Bro could you react to The Devil's Advocate also with Keanu Reeves and Al Pacino! It's an Underrated Masterpiece that deserves to be acknowledged!
I Absolutely Agree With You On That, And That’s Absolutely Messed Up. I Haven’t Seen Fighter Though, And Bro Lmao Everyone Just Out Of Nowhere Requesting The Devils Advocate And Angel Heart So Those Two Are Up Next After Spider-Man 2, 1982 The Thing, And Mandy Because I Already Got Them Recorded And Editing Them Now. And Then After Those Two Movies I’m Watching 12 Monkeys And Shutter Island.
@@nox5870 I Was Trying To Do All The Movie Reactions In Order By Request, But What I’m About To Do Is Just The Movies Requested By Popular Demand And That Not A lot Of People Has Done.
One of the craziest parts about this movie is the fact that Bale was only 25 years old in this. He's been in countless iconic roles since this one but this will always stick out to me as one of his best performances ever.
The best scene in this film comes down to two scenes. It's either the scene in the beginning where Patrick is going over his skincare regimen, or the business card scene. Personally, I have always preferred the business card scene. One of the best scenes in film history, imho.
Love this video bro, hella funny haha. I love this movie, I've seen it 20 times at least. There's a lot to analyse. You should watch "Snatch"! That would be awesome, you'll love it!
Part of what makes the book so interesting is that every paragraph Patrick Batemen says OR thinks contains at least one brand name or name-dropped celebrity. The eighties emphasis on Greed and Conspicuous Consumption for the Businessman is put right up top where everyone can see it, and because Patrick's character has NO interior emotions but greed and disgust, he can't feel or do anything else but agree that material goods and shallow status are what makes life worth living. He knows it's empty, and takes the loathing out on the poor and disenfranchised that he feels better than. I loved your reaction, I saw this movie with my Mom when I was fifteen. We had no idea what we were in for either!
I know this videos a few days old, but great video! This is defiantly of my favorite films ever, easily Christian Bale‘s best performance in my opinion.
Thank You So Much Any Support And Opinion Is Welcome, This Just Became One Of My Favorite Films. And To Me This Is Christian Bales Best Performance, I Haven't Seen Fighter Though Lml.
The crossword with Meat and Bone was just him thinking about body parts and murder as always. When he mentioned Bone in the card scene he meant Bone White, the cards color
Probably already been said, but most, if not all of the things he does in the film are just in his head. Killing a homeless guy in a dark alley might go unnoticed, but, chasing a prostitute down a stairwell with a chainsaw would be pretty obvious.
To answer your question: There's several reasons a detective might ask an obvious (or non-relevant) question like that. One may just be to gauge a interviewees openness or willingness to cooperate. Another might be to evaluate a persons level of nervousness, or distraction. Often - in a criminal investigation - a suspect will be so frazzled (if guilty) that they may not even be able to provide answers to easy questions they are sure to know the answer to. And finally, you might ask specific questions - where upon in the course of a second or third interview can be compared - to determine if the details of their story are changing or inconsistent/suspicious.
I love the ambiguous ending, it's cool to see you are left with as many questions as some of us, too. I personally think that he did all of the murders, but there are mistaken identities all throughout the movie. The guy he confessed everything to on the phone and later said he had lunch with Paul Allen, like, it probably wasn't Paul Allen. And now Patrick Bateman is disappointed that he never got caught.
The point of the movie was not if Bateman killed or not. It's not even a horror movie in a classical sense. The movie's message is literally "rich people can get away with absolutely everything and despite some of them perhaps feeling miserable and hollow because of their existence where everything is provided to them, it is still no excuse for their behavior and they're a menace to everything good in this world". This story is blatantly anti-capitalist.
I don't know if you have done it or not yet but you got to do a certain movie I would tell you what it is but I can't talk about it or I'd be breaking the first two rules lol
Enjoyed the reaction! Only thing that slightly irked me was the fact you kept calling him "William" Dafoe as opposed to "Willem" Dafoe...🤣 nitpicking of course, but a good video nonetheless
This is my favorite review of yours to date! Really enjoyed how much this film affected you and your perspective on it as it went. Pretty phenomenal film!
This movie is great. One cool thing is that Willem Defoe's scenes were shot in 3 ways. Once where he knows Patrick is the killer, where he suspects he is the killer, and where he doesn't know he is the killer and they were spliced together. What I like about this movie is that it keeps you guessing
😄haha your hella funny! Thank you for making the day a little bit brighter. Haha when that guy kissed Patrick's hand and he washed it all panicked. That's like how it is today.
