The film chronicles the events surrounding a school shooting. Several ordinary high school students go through their daily routine as two others prepare for something more malevolent. Elephant fine line, directed by gus van sant, was inspired by the mass shootings at columbine high school in april 1999. Elephant is a 2003 american drama film written, directed, and edited by gus van sant. Gus van sant borrowed the title from alan clarkes film of the same name, and thought that it referred to the chinese proverb about five blind men who were each led to a different part of an elephant. His films typically deal with themes of marginalized subcultures, in particular homosexuality. Gus van sant alex frost, eric deulen, john robinson, elias mcconnell.
Elephant by gus van sant the format of the movie is. Elephant, the new film by gus van sant, is spare and austere, full of long tracking shots of the mundane comings and goings of a series of ordinary. Analysis of elephant by gus van sant 2017 words cram. Gus van sants elephant is a record of a day at a high school like columbine, on the day of a massacre much like the one that left dead.
The killers were very smart but they played violent video games and the day of the shooting they had to watch hitler every bit of violence. Elephant 2003 is gus van sants cinematic response to the 1999 columbine high school shootings, in which twelve students were shot down by two of their peers. Simon hattenstone talks to gus van sant film the guardian. Elephant, a gus van sant movie 2003 1 what struck you most in the film. Bela tarrs satantango primary and stanley kubricks the shining. We gaze at the sky as it allows clouds to drift fluffily through it, and appears entirely empty of portents. It takes place in the fictional watt high school, in the suburbs of portland. Gus van sant was born on july 24, 1952 in louisville, kentucky, usa as gus greene van sant junior. With elephant, van sant continues to experiment visually but has churned out a film. Every gus van sant movie, ranked film school rejects.
I like the way gus van sant develops a minimalistic style throughout the film, because the idea of showing the moments that preceded a massacre in such a simple and neat way instead of the chaos i thought i would find before i started watching this movie is, in my opinion, innovative and. Gus van sants elephant examines the tiny, or tragic. That fact alone makes gus van sants brilliant 2003 film elephant, which was loosely based on the columbine massacre, even more harrowing. Due to his somewhat experimental treatment of the material, the film has divided audiences and critics alike. To channel the realistically freeflowing randomness of high school life, gus van sant shot the film entirely in a series of long takes and multiple.
With elephant, its a pleasure to welcome gus van sant back to the land of the living. A semiremake of alan clarkes film of the same name, but set as a fictionalised version of the columbine massacre producing the film for hbo, van sant takes full advantage of the tv movie format. The story of harvey milk, and his struggles as an american gay activist who fought for gay rights and became californias first openly gay elected official. Director gus van sants elephant is a docudrama thus, the events in the film are based on the 1999 columbine school shooting in colorado, united states. Written, directed and edited by gus van sant and the winner of the palme dor at the 56th cannes film festival, it discerns the filmmaker principally basing his scenario on the columbine high. Jan 23, 2004 van sant says that meaning is also applicable to his own film, but that what he had in mind when making it was the old parable about the five blind men who touch different parts of an elephant. Elephant, the new film by gus van sant, is spare and austere, full of long tracking shots of the mundane comings and goings of a series of ordinary high school students. Bela tarrs satantango primary and stanley kubricks the shining secondary. Elephant undertakes effectual protracted camerawork to characterise the mindlessness of violence which remains an evocative problem for a nation enamoured with firearms. It offers no explanation for the tragedy, no insights into the psyches of the killers, no theories about teenagers or society or guns or psychopathic behavior. People like to say things like this film saved my life without really meaning it, but this film very well may have literally saved my life. Gus van sant has the camera pointing upwards as his latest movie begins. A day in the life of a group of teens as they travel around new york city skating, drinking, smoking and deflowering virgins.
It simply looks at the day as it unfolds, and that is a brave and radical act. Van sant says that meaning is also applicable to his own film, but that what he had in mind when making it was the old parable about the five blind men who touch different parts of. Mais ce serait bien faux, malgre son evidente lenteur, ses plan sequences magnifiques mais a rallonge, son absences devenement marquant, elephant et vraiment. Oct 23, 2003 the first 45 minutes of gus van sants new film, elephant, is selfassured, formally adroit, and profoundly illuminating.
To put it mildly, gus van sants threedecade feature film career covers a lot of ground. After going mainstream over the last few years with movies like finding forrester and psycho, gus van sant seems to be making a concerted effort to move in the other direction. At the very least, seeing this film for the first time was an experience that i will never forget. Elephant trailer gus van sant 2003 cannes palme dor. The surprise recipient of the palme dor at cannes 2003, van sants movie began life as a conventional hollywood psychological drama inspired by the massacre of 12 students and a teacher by two. The first 45 minutes of gus van sants new film, elephant, is selfassured, formally adroit, and profoundly illuminating.
His film certainly has its flaws, yet its virtues so outshine them that his past few years in the wilderness can now be forgiven and mainly forgotten at least two of the major influences on elephant are plainly visible. Elephant 2003 film elephant is a 2003 american drama film written, directed, and edited by gus van sant. It takes place in the fictional watt high school, in the suburbs of portland, oregon, and chronicles the events surrounding a school shooting, based in part on the 1999 columbine high school massacre. I like the way gus van sant develops a minimalistic style throughout the film, because the idea of showing the moments that preceded a massacre in such a simple and. Elephant by gus van sant the format of the movie is great. A docudrama also known as documentary drama is a genre which contains dramatized reenactments of an actual event. Winner of the palme d or and best director awards at the cannes film festival, van sant drew inspiration for. However it is a shame that gus fell in every bit of troping he could. He is a twotime nominee of the academy award for best directorfor good will hunting 1997 and milk 2008, both of which were also nominated for best pictureand won the palme dor. I personally found the visual composition of this film brilliant. Official trailer for gus van sants excellent columbine movie elephant.
Written, directed and edited by gus van sant and the winner of the palme dor at the 56th cannes film festival, it discerns the filmmaker principally basing his scenario on the columbine high school massacre, which in 1999. Winner of the golden palm at the 2003 cannes film festival, elephant is a brilliant and deeply affecting film that makes a. Elephant dvd winner of the palme dor and best director prizes at the 2003 cannes film festival, gus van sants good will hunting, finding forrester elephant takes us inside an american high school on one, single ordinary day that very rapidly turns tragic. Van sants primary interest with elephant is to examine not. Gus van sant celebrity profile check out the latest gus van sant photo gallery, biography, pics, pictures, interviews, news, forums and blogs at rotten tomatoes. With elias mcconnell, alex frost, eric deulen, john robinson. He is a director and producer, known for elephant 2003, my own private idaho 1991 and drugstore cowboy 1989. Regissoren gus van sant vann for elephant guldpalmen samt pris for basta regissor vid filmfestivalen i cannes 2003. Gerry, released earlier this year, was a plotless examination of how two men react to becoming lost in an expansive desert. Elephant 2003 film wikimili, the free encyclopedia. Sublime anarchy in gus van sants elephant senses of cinema.