A high school day turns tragic as students face a catastrophic act of violence from two disturbed youths.
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Winner of the Palme d’Or and Best Director prizes at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival. An ordinary day at a typical American high school takes a sudden tragic turn in this unforgettable film from director Gus Van Sant ('Good Will Hunting'). Unfolding via a series of ingeniously time-shifted segments from the points of view of several students, the story follows them through a variety of familiar activities—classwork, hobbies, gossip, socializing—in the hours leading up to a catastrophic act of violence committed by two disturbed youths. With Timothy Bottoms and an ensemble cast consisting primarily of actual high-school teens including Alex Frost, Eric Deulen, John Robinson, Elias McConnell and Jordan Taylor. Written and directed by Gus Van Sant.
"Awarded with the Palme d'Or at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival, 'Elephant' is a movie partially based on the Columbine High School massacre, one of the most infamous and deadly school shootings in US history. Directed by filmmaker Gus Van Sant ('My Own Private Idaho'), 'Elephant' is the second part of his 'Death Trilogy' (comprised of 'Gerry' and 'Last Days'), which marked his return to independent cinema after his commercial forays like 'Good Will Hunting' and the remake of 'Psycho'. In this film, Van Sant returns to the minimalist aesthetic of his early works such as 'Mala Noche' and 'Drugstore Cowboy', with an unusual narrative that portrays the same series of events over and over again, but seen from various perspectives. Thus, the title 'Elephant' derives from the parable of 'The Blind Men and the Elephant', and is a tribute to Alan Clarke's short film of the same name for the BBC, which also explores the issue of school shootings. It is a movie that invites reflection on a serious problem in the United States, approached from different angles and without simplistic answers, achieving a broad and cold portrait of the danger that, in a blink, can end young lives without reason or explanation."