Before hitting the cinemas in the USA, "American Psycho" had to be cut down slightly. The reason, like many times before and after, was a sex scene too explicit for the R-Rating.

When the DVD hit the stores a few month later, two different versions were released: The slightly censored Theatrical Version (R-Rated) and the uncensored Unrated-Version including the missing scenes.


The US-DVD is presented in a very good anamorphic Widescreen in 1:2,35. A bit odd is the fact that a few details are lost, compared to the German Rental DVD (1:1,78). This might mean hat the film has been matted to 1:2,35 but that is very unusual. Through a comparison of screenshots, we attempt to show the differences and the missing details.
The time indexes are measured in PAL running speed.

Four cuts and two different shots in one scene. The Unrated Version runs approximately 17 seconds longer.

Sex with the two prostitutes:

0.42.35
The first shot is longer.
2 Sec

0.42.45
The scene in which we see the event through Bateman's camera has been shortened. It also starts earlier in the Unrated.
3,8 Sec

0.42.48
A shot of one of the prostitutes going at Bateman orally is missing completely. The following shot (through the camera again) of the three changing positions is missing as well.
10,9 Sec

The following shot starts a bit earlier in the R-Rated: Bateman puts the prostitutes legs onto his shoulders.
1,2 Sec

0.45.24
The shot of the lying woman is shorter in the R-Rated.
0,4 Sec

0.42.59
Here, different footage has been used in both versions:

Unrated:
The prostitute is lying in front of Bateman, her legs on his shoulders. We see him looking into his camera, then the camera moves to the woman.

R-Rated
The second woman watches, uninvolved. Then the other woman grabs her ass.
No time difference

Concerning the display details:

1. example:
After Bateman kills Paul Allan in his his apartment, he sits down on the couch and smokes a cigar. In the last shot of the scene the corpse is lying in front of him. Due to the aspect ratio of 1:2,35, the pool of blood under the body is not seen.
Also, almost no details are missing on either side of the screen in 1:1,78, leading to the conclusion that the film has been matted to 1:2,35.

Scene in 1:2,35

Scene in 1:1,78

2. example:
During the sex scene we see one of the hookers lying on the bed. Thanks to the aspect ratio of 1:2,35, only half of her butt is shown, while in the 1:1,78 version we see the full moon rising.
Scene in 1:2,35

Scene in 1:1,78