We are the ultimate voyeurs in the worst possible way.
As we look at each character more closely, we begin to see a clear disparity emerge from within the ranks of the students. For some it is the best years of their lives and for others, it is pure hell. While this angle has been explored in countless other films, there is just no escaping it as it is just part and parcel of the high school experience.
As for the shooters, Alex and Eric, Van Sant chooses not to dwell on or examine their motives but show tidbits of possible influences. We see Alex getting picked on in class, Eric playing violent video games and their fascination with Hitler by having an old Nazi newsreel play on the kids´ television set. It would have been easy for Van Sant to assign blame to any one of those factors but instead he gives the audience a choice to either make up their own minds or not at all. In fact, none of us, other than the killers, will ever know what really set them off. Rather than try to find a reason to the madness with "Elephant", Van Sant simply forces us to look at the many individuals involved and what constitutes a life, as it is cut short in an instant. Nothing fancy. Nothing earth shattering.
One thing that sticks out like a sore thumb amidst the impending carnage is the use of Beethoven´s music throughout the film. Before embarking on their killing spree, Alex is shown playing the beautiful Fur Elise on the piano, revealing a soft side that juxtaposes wildly with the evil and the violence. This scene leaves us with directly opposing questions like, "Maybe there is a chance that he can still be saved" or "He is so far gone, he has descended into complete and utter madness". Whatever the response, it never gets a chance to be answered.
Using an entire cast of virtual unknowns, Van Sant displays his skill as a director by being able to coax outstanding performances from all of them. Shot in Portland, Oregon where Van Sant lives, he and producer Danny Wolf decide to shoot the film with a loose script and lots of improvisation. Casting actual Portland high school students with very little or no acting experiences, Van Sant allows authenticity to permeate into the film. Given that he used the same strategy of improvisation on "Gerry", it is a relief that this time around, it has worked out very well.
Video:
"Elephant" is released as a single double-sided disc. Both the anamorphic widescreen and fullframe version of the film are located on Side A. The other side of the disc is allocated for the special features. With an aspect ratio of 1.85:1, the widescreen version, as well as the fullscreen one are very well reproduced with vivid colors and natural skin tones. Seeing that "Elephant" is such a recent production, the video, as expected, is beautifully transferred with no dirt or scratches to report.
Audio:
The audio tracks complement the excellent video transfer very well. Featuring Engish language DTS, Dolby Digital 5.1 and Dolby Surround 2.0, "Elephant" sounds as good as it looks. Although mostly dialogue-driven, the melancholy flow of the film enables the classical Beethoven music and environment sounds to periodically swarm the surrounds. Also available are audio tracks in Spanish mono and French mono.
Extras:
Although the entire Side B is set aside for extra features, only two are available. The feature "On the Set of Elephant: Rolling Through Time" is a 12-minute behind-the-scenes look at the film´s production. It is very sparse with occasional interviews with the cast and production footages. The only other feature available is the film´s theatrical trailer.
Entertainment Value:
So what does the title actually mean? What has an elephant got to do with school violence? First of all, the late British filmmaker, Alan Clarke´s 1989 work of the same name, which dealt with Northern Ireland´s sectarian violence, had a big influence on Van Sant. Clarke titled his film after the old saying about ignoring an elephant in the living room, which carries the same interpretation in the case of school violence in America. A highly appropriate analogy.
Winner of the prestigious Palme d´Or prize at the recently concluded Cannes Film Festival, "Elephant" is actually one of a handful of winners that actually deserves that prize. With "Elephant", Van Sant forces us to look at the minuteness of each individual without losing sight of the bigger tragedy. It doesn´t pretend to try and answer any compelling questions but instead gives us a first-hand account of what it is like to be caught in that tragic situation. We are the ultimate voyeurs in the worst possible way. Turn away if you can´t stomach it but this is reality with a capital r. With a non-traditional filmmaking style that slowly raises the level of tension until the final climax, Van Sant has given us his best work to date.
As for the shooters, Alex and Eric, Van Sant chooses not to dwell on or examine their motives but show tidbits of possible influences. We see Alex getting picked on in class, Eric playing violent video games and their fascination with Hitler by having an old Nazi newsreel play on the kids´ television set. It would have been easy for Van Sant to assign blame to any one of those factors but instead he gives the audience a choice to either make up their own minds or not at all. In fact, none of us, other than the killers, will ever know what really set them off. Rather than try to find a reason to the madness with "Elephant", Van Sant simply forces us to look at the many individuals involved and what constitutes a life, as it is cut short in an instant. Nothing fancy. Nothing earth shattering.
One thing that sticks out like a sore thumb amidst the impending carnage is the use of Beethoven´s music throughout the film. Before embarking on their killing spree, Alex is shown playing the beautiful Fur Elise on the piano, revealing a soft side that juxtaposes wildly with the evil and the violence. This scene leaves us with directly opposing questions like, "Maybe there is a chance that he can still be saved" or "He is so far gone, he has descended into complete and utter madness". Whatever the response, it never gets a chance to be answered.
Using an entire cast of virtual unknowns, Van Sant displays his skill as a director by being able to coax outstanding performances from all of them. Shot in Portland, Oregon where Van Sant lives, he and producer Danny Wolf decide to shoot the film with a loose script and lots of improvisation. Casting actual Portland high school students with very little or no acting experiences, Van Sant allows authenticity to permeate into the film. Given that he used the same strategy of improvisation on "Gerry", it is a relief that this time around, it has worked out very well.
Video:
"Elephant" is released as a single double-sided disc. Both the anamorphic widescreen and fullframe version of the film are located on Side A. The other side of the disc is allocated for the special features. With an aspect ratio of 1.85:1, the widescreen version, as well as the fullscreen one are very well reproduced with vivid colors and natural skin tones. Seeing that "Elephant" is such a recent production, the video, as expected, is beautifully transferred with no dirt or scratches to report.
Audio:
The audio tracks complement the excellent video transfer very well. Featuring Engish language DTS, Dolby Digital 5.1 and Dolby Surround 2.0, "Elephant" sounds as good as it looks. Although mostly dialogue-driven, the melancholy flow of the film enables the classical Beethoven music and environment sounds to periodically swarm the surrounds. Also available are audio tracks in Spanish mono and French mono.
Extras:
Although the entire Side B is set aside for extra features, only two are available. The feature "On the Set of Elephant: Rolling Through Time" is a 12-minute behind-the-scenes look at the film´s production. It is very sparse with occasional interviews with the cast and production footages. The only other feature available is the film´s theatrical trailer.
Entertainment Value:
So what does the title actually mean? What has an elephant got to do with school violence? First of all, the late British filmmaker, Alan Clarke´s 1989 work of the same name, which dealt with Northern Ireland´s sectarian violence, had a big influence on Van Sant. Clarke titled his film after the old saying about ignoring an elephant in the living room, which carries the same interpretation in the case of school violence in America. A highly appropriate analogy.
Winner of the prestigious Palme d´Or prize at the recently concluded Cannes Film Festival, "Elephant" is actually one of a handful of winners that actually deserves that prize. With "Elephant", Van Sant forces us to look at the minuteness of each individual without losing sight of the bigger tragedy. It doesn´t pretend to try and answer any compelling questions but instead gives us a first-hand account of what it is like to be caught in that tragic situation. We are the ultimate voyeurs in the worst possible way. Turn away if you can´t stomach it but this is reality with a capital r. With a non-traditional filmmaking style that slowly raises the level of tension until the final climax, Van Sant has given us his best work to date.
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[release]12117[/release]