Elephant (2003)

So, continuing with Gus Van Sant's trilogy, I watched Elephant, as per Exiled's recommendation. For those of you keeping track at home, I despised Gerry. Thankfully, that's not the case with Elephant. A great, hauntingly beautiful film.

In fact, I have to wonder why I disliked Gerry so much, yet felt so differently towards Elephant. There are some long stretches of Elephant without dialogue or plot, really. But, I think in Elephant, they add to the mood of the film effectively, whereas in Gerry, they really hinder the film. Why, I have no idea, but that's just the feelings I get.

The longest scene in Elephant is gorgeous. The camera is still, and we see some students playing different sports in the background. People walk in front of the camera, and one girl even stops and looks around, as if looking to uncover the mystery of this spot. Maybe she's straining to hear Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata, which has always been a favorite of mine, which also makes an appearance here. Eventually, a guy walks in front of the camera, pulls on a jacket, and walks off with the camera following him. He makes his way through different parts of the school grounds as we observe the daily routines for these kids. It's almost strictly a mood-setting shot, but it's stunningly gorgeous.

I read somewhere that it involved a re-telling of the Columbine Massacre, which stayed in the back of my mind. I wondered if it was just some false information after a while, until John is walking out of the school and you see the two kids with duffel bags and fatigues. At that moment, it's a jolt to your heart, and before you realize it's just a movie, fear takes over and paralyzes you for just a moment, but long enough to stick with you.

I remember after the Columbine incident, everything was changed in US schools. Previously, I'd been bullied to no end in school, and very little had been done about it. I'd just had to grow thick skin and try to avoid it when I could. After Columbine, security in all schools was ramped up to an insane degree. I remember a friend of mine was suspended because someone stole her pen and she snatched it back, playfully remarking that she was going to kill him. There was a big push for counseling, too. Nobody wanted it to happen again, so they were always encouraging people to talk to someone if they had a problem. Me? Everyone was afraid of me at that point, and I was left alone. I didn't mind, it gave me time to myself, where I could read, write, study and daydream.

So, what makes me different from me and the kids who took matters into their own hands? The film explores this, but never tries to offer any explanations, because there really are none. My opinion, isn't that it's the fault of computer games or Nazism or even bullying. I think it's just a matter of not being able to separate fantasy from reality. There's a shot when the kids are stalking around the halls, a first-person shot with the gun at the bottom of the frame. It's brief, but it echoes an earlier scene where they play an FPS on a laptop. Alex's demeanor is what really convinces me. Both of them approach it as if it's nothing more than a game, very playfully, as it's just a fun activity. But, there's an eerie calm about them. It's frightening. They know what they're doing and they have no regrets.