Recognized as a cult classic, Mary Harron's entertaining "American Psycho" used
various cinematic tricks to confuse viewers about the real and imaginary nature
of Patrick Bateman's life. The most elaborate of these can be found in the
interesting first conversation between Bateman and Detective Kimball.
The scene.
After brutally murdering his competitor Paul Allen, Patrick Bateman receives a
visit from Detective Donald Kimball at his office to gather more details about
the life of the recently “disappeared” man. After a successful but
uncomfortable interaction, Kimball leaves, with Bateman relieved to have
gotten away with it.
The trick.
To film this sequence, the team repeated the scene with Kimball displaying
three different behaviors. One was as if she suspected nothing, another as if
she suspected something, and one more as if she knew Bateman was guilty.
The result.
For the final cut, the film's director, Mary Harron, and editor, Andrew
Marcus, decided to intercut the different performances, creating a sequence in
which Kimball's behavior fluctuates subtly. This creates a sense of paranoia
and ambiguity that unsettles both Bateman and the viewer.