I remember the minute details from the day of the Columbine High School massacre.
Working my standard 1pm-10pm shift at Chanatry’s, I was amid stocking paper towels when someone from the 4pm shift joined and asked if I had heard what happened.
It was 1999. There were no smart phones with constant updates. The radio in the backroom was set to alternative rock not NPR. I shook my head. He casually explained that two kids had shot up their high school. What became a commonplace was shocking at the time.
In 2003, artsy filmmaker Gus Van Sant released “Elephant” which was inspired by the Columbine massacre. The movie has a true indie feel in its grit and unpolished authenticity. It received the Palme d’Or at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival.
Impending Doom
“Elephant” is uniquely presented, following several students at a Portland high school in a simultaneous timeline in the minutes leading up to a shooting.
There are no big stars. The ensemble cast consists of actual high school students, and most of the dialogue was improvised. It perfectly captures the organic awkwardness of teens. Watching the movie felt like watching a reality TV show. The character interactions were of simple dialogue and fascinating to take in.
John (John Robinson) is a garrulous student dealing with an alcoholic father. Elias (Elias McConnell) is a photographer constantly working to perfect his craft. Brittany Mountain, Jordan Taylor, and Nicole George are standard teenage girls, concerned with shopping, boys and their carefree lives.
What compels the narrative, or lack thereof, is how the students proceed through the day in a mindless routine. We can picture Elias applying for colleges, intent on majoring in photography. John calling his brother to help him deal with their father. Or the girls on their upcoming shopping excursion. All are unaware of the impending doom about to unfold.
Alex Frost and Eric Deulen portray the shooters. The relationship is similar to that of the Columbine shooters, with limited insight into motive. The motives of the shooters aren’t the point of this story. Van Sant opts to highlight the students as students and not victims or perpetrators.
Unique Style
Watching “Elephant” I was reminded of “Slacker” one of my favorite indie films. The camera follows characters from behind, randomly jumping from one to another, with several crossing paths as the day proceeds.
The perspective isn’t first or third person. There’s a strange voyeurism to following the characters the way that we do. Like a shooter video game Call of Duty or GTA. Its intentional and highly effective.
The autumnal backdrop and cold filter capture everyday life in the Pacific Northwest. Scenes are long and slow. Several times the camera follows a character for several minutes without any dialogue just walking. There is a melancholy piano that plays throughout that adds to the tension.
“Elephant” is a fascinating film dealing with a difficult subject matter. Its sad that Van Sant unknowingly predicted the wave of these tragedies that was to follow. It’s a good movie to watch from the creative aspect.
