Decalogue 2004: Elephant

The kids are definitely not all right in Gus Van Sant's portrayal of a high school shooting. He bravely makes no attempt to explain the unexplainable, to provide insights into Columbine or any other massacre, instead simply portraying an ordinary day using ordinary students. Non-professional, improvising actors bring a raw, realistic edge that complemented its minimal, abstract style (it was shot for cable network HBO). The slaughter, when it comes, is made all the more horrifying for remaining unsensationalised and stunningly composed.

“Gus Van Sant’s film Elephant deserves to be considered in the Decalogue as it is a bold piece of cinema which attempts to explore and shed light on the unimaginable. He uses the language of filmmaking, in particular multiple perspectives, to convey how the ordinariness of everyday life can be ruptured by the chaos of violence.”

Mark Cosgrove, Head of Programme, Watershed.

Related Links:
Interview with Gus Van Sant and Diane Keaton