Elephant (2003)
…………………………………………………
Elephant Movie Review
Elephant is a 2003 psychological drama film written and directed by Gus Van Sant. It is a rather odd movie.
………………………………………………….
“So foul and fair a day I have not seen“
…………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………..
Several ordinary high school students go through their daily routine as two others prepare for something more malevolent. The 1999 Columbine High School massacre was one of the most notorious and deadliest school shootings in US history. A director previously known for making indie movies focusing on fringe groups, Gus Van Sant somehow decided to direct this drama that doesn’t really fit his opus nor is it among his better works.
The filmmaking style in this film is quite strange, especially in the editing department. Gus Van Sant edited the film himself and I honestly did not care for it. He basically decided to cut the movie only occasionally, resulting in overlong sequences that are endless and almost stationary. It has a very small amount of shots and takes for a modern movie, thus resulting in a very cheap-looking aesthetic.
The casting of unknown actors was the right choice in this instance and both Alex Frost and Eric Deulen ended up delivering strong acting work in very underwritten roles. We never get to know any of the characters in this film, even the positive ones, which made it rather emotionally distant.
This distance worked best in the crime department. The killings were shot with such a dispassionate, emotionless approach that fitted the enormity and the seriousness of this particular devastating event. The filmmaker deciding not to go with guns blazing was the best choice that he made on this picture and the only one that I genuinely respected here.
…………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………..
Elephant is rather disjointed in the shifting focus between the murderers and other teenagers, resulting in a chaotic product. The dialogue is excellent and quite believable while the film’s short runtime led to a very engaging watch. I just wished for more emotional and thematic resonance and better editing overall.
Gus Van Sant’s Elephant is a rather odd movie. The emotionally distant tone worked when it comes to the eventual killings in the second half, which were shot in an impassionate, matter-of-fact manner that was the right choice in this instance. However, this tone robbed the film of connecting to audiences more as the characterization is weak and the editing is very messy, resulting in a cheap-looking indie film that was in dire need of more cinematic qualities.
My Rating – 3.5
Results
