Elephant (2003)

Elephant (2003)

Directed by: Gus Van Sant
Screenplay by: Gus Van Sant

Genre: Crime | Drama
Running Time: 81 Minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Viewed: Owned DVD

An ordinary high school day. Except that it's not.

[IMDb]

Comments: I recall watching Elephant the first time a few years ago; I was bored through most of it, (patiently waiting) until those final scenes. I knew what Gus Van Sant was trying to do - show everyday life and how it is destroyed by unthinkable violence. There just wasn't anything that held my attention until the end. But watching the film again, I found out just how Elephant is incredibly well made, and that mundane feeling throughout truly helps elevate what is to come. You get to know many of these characters even thought you're never given much, and you feel what they feel when staring into a gun. I can't put a finger on it exactly, but the film is so much more powerful to me than when I watched it originally. I feel uneasy now just typing this. Elephant certainly isn't for everyone, but if you go into the film ready to watch a slow, dramatic piece, you may see just how powerful it is.