Section 2: American Psycho

American Psycho

Narrative Structure

The narrative structure of American Psycho is a linear. We know this when the viewer watches the killer's daily routine which is clear and we know he is the killer. In the opening sequence nothing is concealed and nothing is hidden from us as we know who the killer is straight away. There is also an equilibrium shown.

Thriller Codes and Conventions

At the start of the first sequence of the thriller a transformed city is shown. It is shown when at the start the killer and the location is set in a night club, which is usually safe but is turned into a place of danger when the guy starts to threaten the girl at the bar. Then the location turns to the killers flat which is a safe bright place in contrast with the night club. There is also a question and answer model used in the opening sequence, for example the killer gets the audience asking questions about his next actions, will he kill the girl that is serving him at the bar? Is he the killer in the film? Why is he in a nightclub and what is he going to do next? Also it is odd that the killer is in the city a busy and crowded place where killers are normally hidden away from other people.

Camerawork

The first shot is an overhead shot of the nightclub, this shows how busy and crowded the night club is and how the location is set out. This makes the audience ask more questions like why would a killer be in a place so busy? Is it too crowded to kill somebody in such a busy place. There is an over the shoulder shot of the girl serving the killer at the bar, this helps us to understand whats going on. When the camera cross cuts it leads us into the killer apartment, this shot takes us through each room and also shows us what his living conditions are and where he lives whilst introducing us to the killers surroundings. Further on in the opening sequence there are a large range of medium shot, close ups and extreme close ups. These shots mainly consist of highlighting the killer regime to the viewer and showing us that he takes part in yoga, there are a few long shots of the killer in the shower naked aswell.

Mise-en-scene

In the first few minutes of the opening sequence there is a contrast between the killer night life and his daily life at home. Whilst the killer is a nightclub which is dark and crowded in the evening, his apartment is full of light, clean and in order which is the total opposite to the nightclub that he is in at the evening. In the killers apartment there is many mirrors placed around which could show there is two sides to the killer. Also the killer uses a face mask which could show he is trying to hide who he really is and is putting a mask on to hide away his bad side to his identity. Whilst walking around the killers apartement his movement is slowly and he purposely moves around the apartment without urgency. There is a Les Miserables picture placed on the wall of the killers apartment this could reflect how the killer feels about life and the situation he is in. Les Miserables is about a lonely person, this could reflect with the killer and he could be lonely and miserable too.

Sound

When were first brought into the film we are in the nightclub and 1980's music is being played which is diagetic. This could signify the time period of the film and when it was set or if could signify that the nightclub is a 1980's nightclub that the killer is in. In the killers apartment there is classical music played, although it is hard to decide whether this music is diagetic or non-diagetic. The only dailogue used in the first sequence of the film is when the killer talks about killing the women at the bar. Again this is also hard to determine whether he is thinking this or joking or saying it out loud the women at the bar.

Editing

At the beginning of the opening of the film a shot reverse shot is used when the killer and the bar girl are talking and slow placed cuts dont move the narrative along,this makes us unaware who the main character/focus is. A cross cut is also used when the camera goes from the nightclub to the apartment. In the apartment we are taken clamly through giving the viewer a calm inpression.

Graphics

The graphics used in the opening of American Psycho are central, white and in capitals. These graphics make the names of the actors/actress' and directors stand out and are made more visible to the viewer.