Production Year: 2003 - Drama - Director: Gus Van Sant - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Alex Frost, Eric Deulen, John Robinson more
Advantages: The last 15 minutes Disadvantages: The rest of the flim
...few behind the scene extras.
Visually, Elephant offers quite a lot to those interested in cinematography. Unusual scenes, clever camera angles and arty shots. But for the average filmgoer, there is nothing of substance there. The final scenes with the shootings are good, but it's not worth sitting through the hour of footage beforehand, as it adds no depth or emotion to the people we see being killed.
Overall I wouldn't buy this film. But if you ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
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 ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
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 ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
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 ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
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 than ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful
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 ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful
I got this movie because I really wanted to know why people go on shooting sprees.
I have only watched it once and i proberly will not watch it again.
Its a really weirld film, it starts of by the veiwers getting to know each of the main characters, which is not that bad
The thing that i do not understand is why the movie ends when it does, one of the teens on the shooting spree opens the door to where 2 teens are (they are boyfriend and ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average not helpful
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06.07.2006
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Elephant [DVD] [2004]
Elephant, the elegant and unsettling movie from Gus Van Sant (My Own Private Idaho,Good ... more
Will Hunting), depicts students at a high school before and during a harrowing, Columbine-style shooting. The movie follows one young boy who takes over the wheel f...
Elephant [DVD] [2004]
Elephant, the elegant and unsettling movie from Gus Van Sant (My Own Private Idaho,Good ... more
Will Hunting), depicts students at a high school before and during a harrowing, Columbine-style shooting. The movie follows one young boy who takes over the wheel f...
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