ELEPHANT, a GUS VAN SANT movie

ELEPHANT, a GUS VAN SANT movie 




1) What struck you most in the film?

To begin with, I would like to emphasize the fact that this question is particularly difficult to answer when it comes to the analysis of this movie. Even if I have mixed feelings in the choice I have made, it goes without saying that this particular scene is quite striking. In the first place, this moment struck me because it is the actual accomplishment of their shooting plan. Moreover, it is worth mentioning that the artistic choice of Gus Van Sant decelerate the arrival of the shooters and that the different time lapses and point of views create a shroud of confusion. Strange as it may seam in this scene all seems to be clarified. But, what strikes me the most in this scene is that Michelle is the first victim. This, in fact, seems very paradoxical because she could be considered as a "nerd". On top of that, she is very lonely and she is also harassed and humiliated by other students. On the whole, what strikes me the most, is the unjustified, unfair and above all very violent death of this character.   

2) What also impressed you?

The truth is that, what is more impressing in this movie is the contrast between the realistic choice of the film maker and his will to maintain an artistic touch throughout the movie. One example is enough to highlight the fact that he has artistic intentions for this movie, as we can observe in the alternations of point of views, of original takes and also the alternative lengths of the movie. On the whole, I would go as far as to say that  it gives a very personal touch to this art piece. We could think that the more artsy takes are unnecessary but conversely, every take of this work contributes to the main plot. 

3) Did you find anything more particularly upsetting?

Without the shadow of a doubt, I would say that what upsetter me the most was the fact that the two shooters had such an easy access to guns first. This is a case in point when they got guns delivered home. Besides it can be noticed, that the they were able to enter in the school so easily and with such an ease and composure without anyone noticing it. Indeed, it could seem that this could never happen in real life but in fact this is no fictional story and even if the film maker took some liberties, this happened just like this. Therefore, this scene while they are waiting for people to appear to shoot them, repulse me. 

4) What did you find very disturbing?

Then again I had some trouble choosing one particular situation that disturbed me. As far as I am concerned,  I choose this picture because ,even if it isn't the main purpose of the movie to show the mental issues of young students and their problems, I think it is was a good choice to show it in the movie. What's more it raises important issues like bullying, compulsive eating disorders, loneliness.... To the best of my knowledge this are problems that are very expanded between young people, so even if the way Van Sant show it is not very realistic it isa great thing to make it more apparent.

5) What was most shocking?

Although I'm not very empathetic towards the second shooter, I was shocked when I saw Alex killing him because it was very unexpected. Additionally, it must be noticed that just a few scenes before they were kissing in a shower and that a few seconds before he was his only and best friend. Of course this implies that we may question the intention of the film maker of changing the ending, because in the real story they committed suicide. All summed up, this also is very confusing.

6) What does the film  suggest about the two school shooters?

Conversely to what we may think, Gus Van Sant shows us two very sensible shooters. As we can see the very first one has. sensitive artistic skills, he plays at this moment a very calm piano song " Lettre à Élise". The there one is also shown reading with is not very common at such a particular age. These two characters are very paradoxical because on the one hand,  they are very violent and in the other hand they are very sensitive and calm. 

7) What's more, what does the film director make clear about the two killers?

In the same way, we learn that these two teenagers are conscious of their future death because they are both willing to kiss each other since they did not kiss anybody before. We could think it was an accomplishment of a homosexual desire, but in fact it is just sad because they are just doing it due to their premature death.  

8) What kind of approach to the school shooting itself did Gus Van Sant opt for?

The first question that arises is the choice of GUS VAN VINCENT to show the spectator short pieces of life of trivial teenagers in a generic high school. This choice also shows that these school shootings have nothing fair because if he had chosen to show only a revenge he would not have made the choice to show the death of Michelle and Ellias. We can also notice that the fact that it is such a realistic movie is a way to remember that it happened once and could happen again. To put it in a nutshell,  the parallelism made between the game and the real shooting is a way to be in the shooters shoes and to have their point of view.  

9) Moreover, what's the main consequence of the realistic treatment he uses? What about the 'poetic' touches he instills throughout the film?

In a sense, this realistic treatment has as a consequence that it may be a little bit boring by times, that it may be also a bit too realistic. In a way it is not a documentary but it is such a trivial story at the beginning that we don't really get the point of these scenes. Conversely the poetic touch given to the movie make it more artistic and original. These moments are also very useful because they are meaningful like the evolution of the sky. In fact the sky is actually an image of the shooting (storm.).

10) As a conclusion, what must we admit about the way in which the killing and the killers are perceived by the film viewers?

Strictly speaking, it must be recognized that even if they are shown as very sensitive persons and also as victims of bullying it is very difficult for the spectator to be empathetic. Likewise the fact that they give no importance to human life and they take it as a game does not help a lot. Finally, since it isn't a revenge which could let us to think that it was fair and that they kill innocent people we are not able to understand their acts.