Elephant (2003)
Director: Gus Van Sant
Writer: Gus Van Sant
Stars: Elias McConnell, Alex Frost, Eric Deulen
Runtime: 81mins
PLOT: Several high school students go through their everyday routine as two others prepare for something more malicious.
REVIEW: The movie amazes the audience who are looking for solutions or antagonist, as it does not provide either. Cinematographer Harris Savides uses the fullest of his talents, darting through extended scenes filmed in one take. His low-key cinematography is a sign of maturity that brilliance does not require glitz.
Director Van Sant gives the film subtle life by shifting its focus from one group of students to another, making the camera drift like a bored high school students. The movie seems like one that would be seen projected in a high school, giving it a very homely vibe, while staying deceptively calm.
At the end of the movie, it is realized that much of the clarity and power of it comes from the camera; by making the camera an observer, the audience gets a different perspective quintessential to horror movies. The film is a mixture of the ordinary with the terrifying, which is a brilliant thing to witness.
Source: New York Times
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