American Psycho, a 2000 film, starring the ever-iconic Christian Bale, spawned a voluminous cultural break; a total shock, when the public of the time witnessed it for the first time. They were completely baffled by the grotesque nature of the Mary Harron-directed premise. When the renamed Vice alum wanted to move forward with the project, many saw him as a “career suicide”.
Read more: Movies’ Most Terrifying Psychopaths, Ranked
Now, years later, it would be an understatement to suggest that the film has achieved cult classic status. With a tale involving a character like Patrick Bateman, he’s created a path to laugh at the intriguing memes of the recent age. The effects of its narrative can be felt even decades after its creation.
However, what remains concerning since the beginning of the effort and even now is the misinterpretation of the chilling and satirical role of Christian Bale. In a recent GQ video, Bale opened up about his experiences working in film. Furthermore, he also testified to the concern he felt when people in real life supported Patrick Bateman as an idol back then.
Christian Bale reflects on American Psycho
In the GQ video titled “Christian Bale breaks down his most iconic characters», the first segment was devoted to American psycho. It’s nothing shocking. Patrick Bateman’s role was sinister and macabre. Adapted from the novel of the same name written by Bret Easton Ellis, the film was an ironic and dark take on ’80s American capitalism and ideas of misogyny and toxic masculinity.
Bale had a nuanced portrayal of the character. He managed to intricately devote himself to the premise. The actor’s micro-expressions and excellent dialogue delivery cemented the notorious character as one of the most iconic psychopaths to emerge in movie history.
Also read: ‘It’s only because he passed it on’: Christian Bale reveals he owes his career to Leonardo DiCaprio, says all actors get his ‘leftovers’ even though they deny it
While reflecting on such a career-changing role, Christian Bale remarked that he would always take the novel with him whenever they shoot a sequence. No matter the scene, the actor would have the book by his side. The machinist alum often spent his time reading the pages as he believed author Bret Easton Ellis had “lots of wonderful descriptions” it would serve to help Bale further.
The actor went on to explain his reasons for clicking with premise director Mary Harron. He recalled that during his audition, he did not go into the smallest details of his character. He didn’t care what Patrick Bateman’s childhood was like or why he had gone mad. For Bale, the character has always felt like a “extraterrestrial.”
Christian Bale recalled how in the middle of the audition sequence, while doing a particular scene, he ended up laughing and Harron started cracking up too. It was then that the two deduced that they both share a “sick sense of humor.” As a result, they were able to instantly make things work between them throughout the filming process.
The folks on Wall Street scared Christian Bale
The character played by Christian Bale is a “materialistic yuppie” who works as an investment banker on Wall Street. Naturally, some sequences required visiting the Wall Street trading floors that existed at the time. Bale, however, recalled a disturbing experience that happened once that was enough to stun him. He explained it this way:
“When there was still the Wall Street trading floors and stuff, I went to visit, you know, all levels of people on Wall Street. But the guys on the trading floor, when I got there before I did the movie… I came in and a bunch of them were like, “Oh, Patrick Bateman! and patted me on the back and said, ‘Oh yeah, we love him!’ And I was like… yeah , ironically, right?
To his question, the people in the trading room answered, in a totally distant way, “What do you mean?” This incident caused extreme concern for Christian Bale, who was apparently stunned to see people praising such a despicable and malevolent figure.
Also Read: ‘You’ll Never Play Anything Else Again’: Christian Bale Warned His Hollywood Career Will Be Over After Christopher Nolan’s Batman Movies
The actor then pointed out an important aspect of the film. He clarified that American psycho is a satire of 80s capitalism and is executed in a rather ridiculous and “wacky”, to the point that it’s hilarious for the actor. In such a context, praising the biased and morally unethical character seems rather concerning because it further proves the point that Bret Easton Ellis was trying to make in his novel.
Putting aside these worrying implications, American psycho is nothing less than a work of art. It dives into a convoluted story that is both disturbing and sardonic. It’s seemingly absurd and comical, but also quite empowering. Undoubtedly, it will go down as one of Christian Bale’s finest works to date.
amsterdamwhich marks Christian Bale’s latest attempt, is now in theaters.
Source: GQ
