In the Gus Van Sant film Elephant, a very unconventional and presentational take on the Columbine murders is shown. The portrayal of high school in the film is very stylized and at once very grounded; while some of the interactions seem fairly realistic, the silence and the lyricism present in the film shows a really unconventional way to portray high school. I did know the film was based on the Columbine school shootings, but I did not expect the film to portray violence in such a huge, grotesque way. Even though I knew the fact that it would erupt into violence, the slow and deliberate nature of the film made it a surprise when the film did turn to violence. The long, slow tracking shots filled with silence lull you into a false sense of security, so when the shootings happen you are shocked and taken aback. I think this was incredibly deliberate, because it puts you in the mindset of the other high schoolers, who expected a slow, normal day that was interrupted by death.
The film eschews the normal five act narrative structure by presenting the lives of these people in more or less a slice of life for the characters. There are few if any narrative arcs or a sense of flow; this is a deliberate move by Van Sant, as it makes the film very unconventional and lyrical as a result. The plot is constructed as a series of seemingly random events, which makes it very episodic - few of the scenes lead into each other smoothly. It also keeps the audience off guard, as the film does not play out necessarily as we expect. Editing and timing is kept off balance, some shots and scenes being longer or more abrupt than others.
The fragmentation of the point of view of the audience is done through the camera and the editing; this allows the various events to unfold through the eyes of whoever is experiencing them. Sometimes, entire scenes are hidden from the audience, as the camera lingers outside the door. This makes it unclear who the main character is, and instead shows the film as an ensemble piece. The slow pace of the film also adds to the unconventionality; it is very different from a film as entertainment or spectacle. In a regular film, it would play out as either a normal drama, with dialogue-filled scenes, or as a thriller with a clear focus on stopping the killers. Instead, the events just happen, with little to no pace or forward action to drive a plot forward. This makes it more of a meditation on how these things happen. The storm is presented as representative of the horrific events that are coming, which are seemingly ignored by the characters before it actually happens.
No one specific thing is blamed for the killers' shooting spree. There are jocks who bully the main characters, and one could also believe the lack of acceptance of Alex and Eric's homosexual relationship as another element of their lack of understanding. At once, these characters are treated both fairly and unfairly, as no real reason is given for the shootings, and no blame is assigned. This makes it a fairly even-handed appraisal of the film. In conclusion, the film is a surprising, lyrical and unconventional take on what leads to school shootings.
