American Psycho [Film review]

Gildersleeve, Matthew (2016) American Psycho [Film review]. Philosophy Now, 113. pp. 48-49. ISSN 0961-5970

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Abstract

Jacques Lacan (1901-1981) was a French psychoanalytical philosopher. I would like to apply some of his ideas to Mary Harron’s film American Psycho (2000) in order to understand the psychotic behaviour of its protagonist, ‘Patrick Bateman’. My hope is that understanding the film in these terms will contribute to a better understanding of psychosis. Specifically, I want to show that we can understand ‘Bateman’s’ psychotic behaviour in Lacanian terms, since his behaviour at the end of this movie demonstrates the lived experience of psychosis, where, as Lacan says, 'That which has not seen the light of day in the symbolic appears in the real.' All will be revealed.

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Item Type:	Article (Commonwealth Reporting Category C)
Refereed:	Yes
Item Status:	Live Archive
Additional Information:	© MATTHEW GILDERSLEEVE 2016.
Faculty/School / Institute/Centre:	No Faculty
Faculty/School / Institute/Centre:	No Faculty
Date Deposited:	25 Oct 2018 04:33
Last Modified:	26 Oct 2018 04:43
Uncontrolled Keywords:	American Psycho; film review; Jacques Lacan
Fields of Research (2008):	22 Philosophy and Religious Studies > 2203 Philosophy > 220317 Poststructuralism 19 Studies in Creative Arts and Writing > 1902 Film, Television and Digital Media > 190201 Cinema Studies 22 Philosophy and Religious Studies > 2203 Philosophy > 220318 Psychoanalytic Philosophy
Fields of Research (2020):	50 PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES > 5003 Philosophy > 500319 Poststructuralism 36 CREATIVE ARTS AND WRITING > 3605 Screen and digital media > 360501 Cinema studies 50 PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES > 5003 Philosophy > 500320 Psychoanalytic philosophy
URI:	http://eprints.usq.edu.au/id/eprint/34982

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