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. The film, which was a surprise winner of the palme dor at this years. This is the second movie in gus van sant s death trilogy the first is gerry and the third last days. Parents need to know that elephant is gus van sant s palme dorwinning drama, which is loosely based on the infamous 1999 columbine high school shootings. An american independent cinema case study elephant 2003 free download as pdf file. Follows a young boy who takes over the wheel from his drunken dad while returning.
Elephant 2003 gus van sant, elias mcconnell, alex frost. Elephant is a 2003 film directed by gus van sant that depicts a day in the life of high school students, two of whom later go on a shooting rampage. Gus van sant and diane keaton interview on elephant 2003 duration. Gus van sant has the camera pointing upwards as his latest movie begins. Gus van sant alex frost, eric deulen, john robinson, elias mcconnell. The film is based in part on the tragic events surrounding the 1999 columbine shooting. Gus van sant s elephant made me sick in the stomach. Several ordinary high school students go through their daily routine as two others prepare for something more malevolent. The following weapons were used in the film elephant. Elephant to make a film about something like the columbine student shootings incident and provide no insight or enlightenment would seem to be pointless at best and irresponsible at worst, and. Its deliberately mysterious and opaque, following several characters throughout the day and observing that they are all dealing with personal troubles, with little or no adult help. It is examined as a piece of american independent cinema, with the text analyzed in relation to its formal features, sociohistorical context and the industrial factors which concern it as well as how. Several ordinary high school students go through their daily routine as.
Egglestons influence can also be seen on the silver screen. Elephant takes place in the fictional watt high school, in portland, oregon, and chronicles the events surrounding a fictional school shooting, based in part on the 1999 columbine high school massacre. Download scientific diagram elephant gus van sant, 2003. I explore that possibility in relation to gus van sants elephant 2003. Elephant full movie watch online, stream or download chili. Never have i seen a film deglamourise violence in this way. David lynchs blue velvet 1986, gus van sant s elephant 2003, and sofia coppolas the virgin suicides 1999 have all. Alex frost, eric deulen, john robinson, imdb rating.
A case study of the 2003 gus van sant movie elephant. Elephant is a 2003 american drama film written, directed, and edited by gus van sant. Elephant undertakes effectual protracted camerawork to characterise the mindlessness of violence which remains an evocative problem for a nation enamoured with firearms. Using long, tracking shots and minimal explanation, van sant. These traumatizing events began a debate about what was wrong with the nations youth, an issue that is the subject of gus van sant s elephant. Its an attempt to make sense of a senseless act, while at the same. Winner of the palme dor award at the 2003 cannes film festival, this controversial film by gus van sant portrays two days in the life of a suburban american high school that is set to become the scene of a columbinestyle massacre. His films typically deal with themes of marginalized subcultures, in particular homosexuality. Elephant by gus van sant photography and arts essays. Slightly disguised, gus van sants recent film elephant is intended to evoke columbine, something the viewer will know.
Elephant 2003 gus van sant, elias mcconnell, alex frost, eric deulen. Winner of the golden palm at the 2003 cannes film festival, elephant is a brilliant and deeply affecting film that makes a courageous attempt to grasp the malaise of todays youth culture. The cinematography is breathtaking and really conveys each story line feelings of the characters. Between 1997 and 1999, the united states had no less than eight fatal shootings perpetrated in schools, including the notorious columbine high school. The surprise recipient of the palme dor at cannes 2003, van sant s movie began life as a conventional hollywood psychological drama inspired by the massacre of. The film follows a number of high school students lives, and it centers on the shooting that eventually takes place at the school, and which is carried out by the two characters alex and eric.
Gus van sant s minimalist drama follows several students and teachers on the day that two bullied teenagers stage a massacre at their high school. William egglestons color photos were shocking for their. Look back in anger 1959 tony richardson, richard burton, claire bloom, mary ure. Hbo video firm depicts students at a portland, oregon high school before and during a tragic school shooting. It takes place in the fictional watt high school, in the suburbs of portland. Elephant 2003 elias mcconnell, alex frost, eric deulen. Elephant fine line, directed by gus van sant, was inspired by the mass shootings at columbine high school in april 1999. Elephant dvd winner of the palme dor and best director prizes at the 2003 cannes film festival, gus van sant s good will hunting, finding forrester elephant takes us inside an american high school on one, single ordinary day that very rapidly turns tragic. Elephant is director gus van sants depiction of a seemingly ordinary. With elias mcconnell, alex frost, eric deulen, john robinson. Elephant is a film instructed by gus van sant and premiered in 2003. Well, both gerry and elephant were originally just ordinary projects where we took an incident that wed read about in the papers and used it as an influence on a story that we decided could go in any direction. But the fictionalized version could be even more revealing of the crimes nature.
An ordinary day at a typical american high school takes a sudden tragic turn in this unforgettable film from director gus van sant good will hunting. Two boys, acting without any compunction, remorse, rage, bitterness or obvious emotion of any kind. Official trailer for gus van sant s excellent columbine movie elephant. Gus van sant and diane keaton interview on elephant 2003. Gus van sant, using a casual spontaneous cast, indeed true, directs this. I kind of consider gus van sant to be one of my favorite directors. Disneys elephant documentary, narrated by meghan markle, is the relaxing watch we need 03 april 2020. 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. The gus van sant high school drama was initially meant as a tv movie that would accurately chronicle the columbine high school massacre. Gus van sant s 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. Watch elephant 2003 full movie online free on putlocker. An american independent cinema case study elephant 2003. Maerzmusik elephant gus van sant berliner festspiele.
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