elephant
(2003) [R] 1h 21min Dir. Gus Van Sant
(2003) [R] 1h 21min Dir. Gus Van Sant
synopsis:
Several ordinary high school students go through their daily routine as two others prepare for something more malevolent.
initial thoughts:
So basically I always had this film in the back of my mind to watch but I never did. But when I went to Paris over summer there were posters all over the city of a Gus Van Sant cult classic movie event so I immediately saw it when I got back home.
Here's what I think… its good. Really good. Like it stuck with me, still thinking about it weeks later good. It's not long in it's runtime and its very minimalist.
It's simple yet very controversial. After watching, I immediately looked up all I could about how it was made and the buzz it garnered after it's initial release. The inspiration for the style and the violence is very interesting. I was worried about the film exploiting the school shooting idea for entertainment. Not glorifying the violence and portraying it as emotionless took all of the exploitation out of the question.
The film didn't sway the audience into feeling sympathy or empathy for any of the characters, victim or killer. Instead it casually shows their normal interactions throughout a seemingly normal school day. This seemed to be the whole theme of the film... showing the events leading up to a school massacre, without manipulating any feelings. It leaves the audience with a clear, unbiased persecutive. Very interesting.
aesthetic / style:
+ long, smooth tracking shots
+ colors, soft blues
+ multiple connecting perspectives
Several ordinary high school students go through their daily routine as two others prepare for something more malevolent.
initial thoughts:
So basically I always had this film in the back of my mind to watch but I never did. But when I went to Paris over summer there were posters all over the city of a Gus Van Sant cult classic movie event so I immediately saw it when I got back home.
Here's what I think… its good. Really good. Like it stuck with me, still thinking about it weeks later good. It's not long in it's runtime and its very minimalist.
It's simple yet very controversial. After watching, I immediately looked up all I could about how it was made and the buzz it garnered after it's initial release. The inspiration for the style and the violence is very interesting. I was worried about the film exploiting the school shooting idea for entertainment. Not glorifying the violence and portraying it as emotionless took all of the exploitation out of the question.
The film didn't sway the audience into feeling sympathy or empathy for any of the characters, victim or killer. Instead it casually shows their normal interactions throughout a seemingly normal school day. This seemed to be the whole theme of the film... showing the events leading up to a school massacre, without manipulating any feelings. It leaves the audience with a clear, unbiased persecutive. Very interesting.
aesthetic / style:
+ long, smooth tracking shots
+ colors, soft blues
+ multiple connecting perspectives
final thought:
It's an interesting and technically well done film. It affected me long after I finished it… I still think about certain shots and scenes and how it all came together so seamlessly.
worth watching?
If you're a lover of technically unique films, you'll love. It tackles such a tricky and unsettling subject matter but doesn't put forward a message. It just lets the events unfold and it's up to the audience to decide what's what.
It's an interesting and technically well done film. It affected me long after I finished it… I still think about certain shots and scenes and how it all came together so seamlessly.
worth watching?
If you're a lover of technically unique films, you'll love. It tackles such a tricky and unsettling subject matter but doesn't put forward a message. It just lets the events unfold and it's up to the audience to decide what's what.
