Gus Van Sant‘s Elephant is one of the most beautifully photographed films i’ve seen lately. the long, silent walks from one school building to another, beethoven on the background, sparse, improvised dialogue: random elements that collectively produce, a very, very satisfying blend of cinema. i didnt expect this for a high-school gunning type of movie.
the overlaps of character scenes seem a little loose, though without it, the story will spread thinly for two hours. yes, admittingly, it feels like a sanitized, non-porn, cleanly executed Larry Clark movie.
afterwards, i re-viewed Terry Gilliam‘s commercial flop, Brazil. it feels dated, unlike, say, Blade Runner. nevertheless, its still a classic in my book. great visuals (for its time), and an overly effective tragic love story.