Elephant

[AmaiStina]

i read Rick Kisonak's review of Gus Van Sant's film Elephant to see what he thought of the film.

Elephant review

I'm not disagreeing with what he discussed, but I think how I reacted to the film further substantiates the notion that not everyone sees the same thing when they watch the same movie.

my thoughts as i watching the film:

--Gus Van Sant uses much offscreen space. He creates dimensionality by including all the offscreen space. It's wonderful.

--Zero Day (Ben Coccio) is a lot more intense b/c youre placed into the company of the characters, a result of direct address technique. Elephant puts up a barrier. You're a voyeur no doubt, but youre not experiencing the events in the film with the characters. There's more emphasis on space and the organic quality of pedestrian movement (long takes on people walking, bending, running, playing football).

--The non-linear element is interesting. I'm not sure about the bulimia bit, though (three girls nibble at a salad lunch and then throw up).

--Zero Day gives a philosophy, an understanding but no motive as to why the two boys go on a shooting spree. Theyre direct, "here's how i feel and think about stuff and im doing this just because." Elephant gives a casing, a likelihood, but no motive. Theres criminal intent, but no clear motive (one kid is bullied, but what about the other one?). "heres what i do or possibly have to go thru on a weekly basis at school. but you have to assign feelings to me."

--Zero Day's narrative culminates into something, Elephant's doesnt.

[Thing99]

I am appaled at how bad the film was. The fact that it won in Cannes sickens me. The use of dead space is jarring and pointless and so F' ing annoying.

Putting a camera on the back of a kids head for 5 minutes is not art, or filmaking. It's boring and pretentious.

All of the actors blended together and were unbelievable. The only thing I enjoyed was when the credits came on at the end.

Lame ass Piece of KRAP.

[AmaiStina]

Originally posted by Thing99
The use of dead space is jarring and pointless and so F' ing annoying.

Putting a camera on the back of a kids head for 5 minutes is not art, or filmaking. It's boring and pretentious.

this kind of stylistic device seems mismatched for a film that covers the events of one schoolday where "nothing" happens until the end...

but it is nice to know that Gus remembered that what isnt seen happening in front of the camera is just as important as what you can see.

either Gus couldve stuck to hackneyed conversations & situations btwn the school kids & employed more conventional methods of cinematography & editing, Or have the cliches but utilize a different approach to filming & editing. and i guess it just didnt work for you.