Gus Van Sant is one
of those directors who have immense talent, but who can
also use that immense talent and get a little too
adventurous, leading them to disaster. With "To
Die For", "Good Will Hunting", and
"Finding Forrester", Van Sant demonstrated that
he was one of the best directors around today, with his
stunning character studies. However, his remake of
the Alfred Hitchcock classic "Psycho" was a bad
idea from the start, as was his last outing,
"Gerry". Thank God for
"Elephant". Otherwise, he might have
disappeared off the face of the earth for a while.
This film follows in the footsteps of the film "Zero
Day", which was one of the best films of the year and
one of the most powerful motion pictures I have ever seen.
However, whereas "Zero Day" focuses on the two
boys committing the shootings, "Elephant"
focuses on the students and the faculty members at the
school, as they go about their normal day and routines,
some coming in contact with the attackers during the day.
There is one chilling scene in which a student passes them
outside and the killers instruct him to not go back in the
building. "Elephant" is filled with scenes
of intense sorrow and intense violence, leaving us with
the question of 'why' and 'how could they'. Van Sant
offers no easy answers. We don't leave the theatre
with a warm and fuzzy feeling -- with leave feeling sick,
uncomfortable, and sad. Sometimes, that is a good
thing.
Gus Van Sant has taken a plague on society and turned it
into something every high school student should watch.
This film does not glorify shootings and will not
encourage students to commit those crimes. Instead,
it paints a very grim and very horrific picture of what
happens in the shootings and just how senseless and
immoral they are. Going back to his days of indie
glory, Van Sant uses impressive camera techniques,
extended shots, and even amateur camerawork to convey his
message, and it works like a charm. We get to see
from the filming style just where Van Sant came from.
The acting is also very strong, coming primarily from an
unknown cast. There are a couple of familiar faces,
but not any that the regular movie goer would notice.
The way in which these young actors immerse themselves in
their roles is truly fascinating and it even appears, at
times, as if we are not watching a film, but rather video
footage or a documentary. It is that documentary
feel that makes it so powerful and so hard to watch.
"Elephant" is also one of the best films of the
year and left me with the same feeling as "Zero
Day" -- that there are no easy answers and there
might not be a cure for this kind of senseless violence.
If it accomplishes anything, "Elephant"
de-glorifies those acts of violence and might even keep
some from committing them. Let's hope so. What
the world needs now is love.
