Elephant (DVD)

Advantages: thought provoking ending, hopeless reality of events
Disadvantages: poor acting, too many clichés and stereotypes, fragmented structure

I rented Elephant on the strength of a friend's recommendation to me, my appreciation of Gus Van Sant's work and my desire to watch something different. This was certainly what I got with Elephant, a film whose story is loosely based on the Columbine High School shootings. Elephant is not an ordinary film, and indeed the tagline suggests the same - "An ordinary high school day. Except that it's not." The film begins slowly, like the gathering calm ...
...as they go about the first half of their day. Throughout this first half of the film we are introduced to typical teen stereotypes. We have the over-snappy photographer, the geeky girl who works as a library assistant, the tall black basketball player, the popular guy and the popular girls. Then there are the two killers who, not surprisingly, like guns and violence. This is conveyed to us by shots of them playing violent video games, looking at ... Read review

Advantages: distinctive film making, thoughtful approach to the subject
Disadvantages: a few stereotypical explanations for 'why kids go bad'

"Elephant" is a film loosely based on the Columbine American school shootings. As soon as you know this, plot wise you know the whole film. For this reason I can see why people might be disappointed in this Palm d'Or winner but I loved it. For me it's not about the story but the way a film's style can affect and move the audience. One of the critisms I've heard against this film is the lack of characterisation. How can you sympathise with characters ...
...this is exactly where the film stands out for me. In a voyeristic style we are introduced to several students as they go about an ordinary day of high school. 'Introduced' is the key word here as our snapshots into their day only ever leave us with clues as to who they are as characters. There's John whose father's a drunk, Eli studying photography, a bookish girl, a couple facing a pregnancy scare and three gossiping girlfriends. All are seemingly ... Read review

Advantages: Though provoking, artsy, good cast
Disadvantages: short, empty, peculiar

I cannot remember where I first heard about this film, or what attracted me to it, but I remember thinking that I really wanted to see it. When I did get around to buying the DVD and watching it, I was not disappointed. The film starts with a long credit sequence, with the view just showing some telephone wires and fast moving clouds behind. I'm not sure if this has an imagery significance, but it means straight away you know it's going to be a fairly ...
...bad thing I will leave up to you to decide. This film shows very different pupils at an american high school going about a normal day, and shows how they bump into each other and their lives collide throughout that day (until you realise you are seeing the same section of time over and over from different people's perspectives you can be mistaken thinking that the same thing is happening over and over). I'm sure you know that this film is about ... Read review

Advantages: Mesmerising camera work and visuals
Disadvantages: There is one scene which is a terrible cliche.

This film really engages you. Most of the film is shot on steadycam which follows various carismatic students around a generic highschool. This shows a highschool masaccre without dramatising it at all and shows how emotionless the killers are about the whole thing, which makes it very realistic and relatable. The whole film is absolutely visually beautiful. There is a gay scene that is completely unnecessary which is dissapointing because other ...
...Some people i know found it slow, there are some long shots just of people walking through corridors. However i think this is a wonderful aspect of the film, you are put in the shoes of the students so when they are killed it means something to you. Also all the actors are real highschool kids and there was no script for the film, which could have been a disaster, but it actually adds a lot to the realism and they are all completely believeable. ... Read review

Advantages: Hypnotic soundtrack
Disadvantages: Slow and pointless

Gus Van Sant chose not to use any actors in this film, instead casting high school students. He also made the disclaimer that it was not based on real events, but a hypothetical school shooting. Well don't whisper it too loudly, but it draws spooky paralells to the Columbine school massacre. Comlumbine prompted hours of dicsussion and debate as to what could lead a teenager to do such a thing. This film offered nothing in terms of motive and made ...
...This film is nothing more than the operatic comings and goings of students during a normal school day, with a brutal shooting tacked onto the end. To give it it's due, the shootings and ensuing melee was very well filmed and really captured the terror of this kind of scenario. This could have been so much more, but I was not sure what I was meant to feel about the whole event. Should we have sympathy for the two boys? Well we don't know, because ... Read review

Advantages: Moving, well acted and directed .
Disadvantages: Better for an edit, slightly too long. Unavoidably sombre.

...good film and apart from the time as a youngster, the biggest impact on me was when I bought this last year on dvd and saw itwith fresh eyes. Having watched it again I still think it is a very good film but my attention was not held as on the previous occasion. As such 'The Elephant Man' is not a dvd that you will want to view repeatedly, as it is hard to envisage many people saying 'I've got an hour to kill..I know I'll watch 'The Elephant Man'. I would therefore recommend borrowing or renting this, as this film deserves to be seen at least once, I just question the shelf life if purchased. SPECIAL FEATURES Language selection English (stereo), Italian and Spanish (both mono) Scene selection Photo Gallery This is one of those dvd's where it is a crying shame that there is no documentary regarding Merrick's life or the making... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Stark Realism of a True Event
Disadvantages: Slow Build and Violent Images

...and frequency, and that it could happen anywhere and at any time. Elephant (2003) 18 Cert 121 Minutes Cast : Eric Deulen, John Robinson, Elias McConnell, Alex Frost. Available on imminent UK Video/DVD release. To highlight the everyday nature of this movie 'Van Sant' decided to cast real students in the lead roles and even allow them to retain their real names throughout the production. This provides the movie with an erie and unsettling reality and must have been similarly unusual for the actors especially as the story turned darker. We are introduced to each of the characters in a series of long tracking shots following them from room to corridor to room as they interact with their fellow students on what is an otherwise normal day. We see each of these tracking shots from different angles and perspectives as they cross... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Sensitive direction, superb performances
Disadvantages: For once I'm stumped!

...... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful