Review of Elephant (2010) by Jj B — 31 Oct 2009

One of the most haunting and powerful aspects of this film is how committed it seems to portraying the material realistically. This acclaimed film from Gus Van Sant is about a Columbine-esque school shooting.

However, if you were to watch the film without knowing that, you wouldn't be aware of it until a little over halfway through. The film doesn't try to set up the events in the film with ominous music, excessive foreshadowing, and contrived monologues from the future murderers exclaiming why they did what they did (because ultimately there is no valid reason to behave in such a repulsive way is there?).

Instead the film shows the kids interacting prior to the events as if it was any other day. None of the kids seem to be having any major revelations in their lives or life changing events that were shattered by the tragedy.

Instead, and this is where the movie is incredibly chilling, the film makes it appear as if such an atrocity could happen on the most conventional of school afternoons, and there is nary a second to truly adjust or comprehend to what has happened.

The pacing is deliberately slow at first, as rushing it would likely make the film seem to over-processed and at worst, it could over-glamorize the murderers in the film, which this film chose not to do and is much wiser for it.

When the violence happens, the actual shootings last for maybe 15 minutes of the film. And as it was in real life, Van Sant's setup of the film shows these types of shootings for what they are; brief but life-altering and without any reason, sense, or logic.