From Flower Vase to Film Emperor in Hollywood

Gus Van Sant, a director with a unique style who has always studied the language of the camera, is not interested in showing off his skills, but in lengthening the duration of shots to present the state of characters and scenes, using the camera lens to capture time.

Just last year, Gus, along with Matt Damon and Casey Affleck, spent ten days shooting an experimental film, "Gerry"—

The entire film has only fifty shots, which is exceptionally concise compared to other films with thousands of shots, and from beginning to end, it's just Matt and Casey walking in the desert, chatting as they walk, engaging in self-exploration and analysis in a minimalist way.

Released at the beginning of this year, it was undoubtedly a unique attempt.

From such a project, one can see Gus's exploration of film; in the realm of American independent film, Gus is undoubtedly a well-known name.

As early as 1989, "Drugstore Cowboy" made Gus famous; in 1991, his collaboration with River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves on "My Own Private Idaho" further established his place in the film industry, proving his unique charm as a director.

In 1997, "Good Will Hunting" and in 2008, "Milk" earned Gus nominations for the Academy Award for Best Picture and Best Director twice, reaching the peak of his career.

Overall, Gus is a director who believes in and is passionate about the camera. He particularly likes to use the camera lens to capture the state of actors and characters colliding, so the actors in his films always deliver captivating performances, and the actors' charm even overshadows the film itself to some extent.

However, Gus himself has a strong temperament of being detached from the mainstream and indifferent to fame and fortune. He has never directed any commercial films. The excellent box office performance of "Good Will Hunting" was more like a beautiful accident. Most of the time, he is focused on writing scripts and studying films, which makes people unfamiliar with Gus as a director.

When "My Own Private Idaho" is mentioned, people think of River Phoenix; when "Good Will Hunting" is mentioned, people think of Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, but non-film fans probably won't remember Gus.

So, Darren asked a question.

"Do you know a director named Gus Van Sant?"

Anson's smile turned upwards at the corners of his mouth, "Of course. I fell asleep directly in the theater while watching 'Gerry' at the beginning of the year, and almost caught a cold. How could I forget?"

In the first half of the sentence, Darren thought Anson was going to compliment Gus, and was surprised; in the second half of the sentence, the style turned to an unknown territory, and Darren couldn't help but laugh.

"Haha, you can talk to Gus about it. Honestly, I haven't seen that movie. God, what were Casey and Matt thinking?"

Casey Affleck, Ben Affleck's younger brother, is also Gus's next-door neighbor, plus Matt Damon, they all hang out together—

The "Gerry" project was inspired by Gus after watching Béla Tarr's seven-and-a-half-hour work "Sátántangó," and was discussed with his neighbor Casey.

"How boys become men." Anson answered Darren's question with a serious face.

Darren: ? ? ? "Huh?"

After a half-beat, Darren realized what was going on, and couldn't help but chuckle, "Kid, you and Gus should hit it off."

After speaking, Darren laughed directly.

"That's a good thing."

"Here's the thing, do you remember the year before last—no, the year before the year before last—wow, has 1999 really been that long ago? Time flies, anyway, Columbine in 1999?"

Remember, how could he forget?

Even though Anson was a transmigrated soul, he had heard the news on the other side of the Pacific in his previous life, a school shooting case that shocked the world.

On April 20, 1999, a school shooting occurred at Columbine High School in a suburban area of Denver, Colorado.

Two teenage students equipped with firearms and explosives entered the campus. After failing to detonate the bombs, they opened fire, killing twelve students and one teacher, and injuring twenty-five others. Finally, the two committed suicide.

Discussions about violence and life should never be ignored.

Wait, Columbine High School, Gus Van Sant?

When the keywords collided, Anson immediately thought of a movie—

The winner of the Palme d'Or at the 56th Cannes Film Festival, "Elephant."

"Elephant" is a very special work, and another exploration of film language by Gus. The film records a daily routine of an ordinary middle school in a pseudo-documentary way. It is an ordinary, simple, and calm daily routine, and then in the last twenty minutes of the film, gun violence brutally destroys everything.

In the film, Gus's directorial perspective is calm and even detached. He does not stand at any angle to analyze, express his opinion, or condemn, but presents the undercurrents surging beneath the calm in an almost cold-blooded manner, revealing the repression, restlessness, and madness between the characters and the environment to the fullest, creating a chilling impact.

In the first half, Gus uses trivial and delicate brushstrokes to create ordinary and vivid student images, treating them as human beings; in the ending, Gus then crushes everyone into powder with an unreasonable attitude, coldly and cruelly not treating people as human beings. This contrast and impact perfectly showcases the cruelty and bloodiness flowing in the image.

Undoubtedly a masterpiece.

People's impression of Gus always remains in the loneliness and confusion of "My Own Private Idaho" and the tenderness and inspiration of "Good Will Hunting," but Gus casually throws out an "Elephant," completely subverting all imaginations.

However, if Anson remembers correctly, Gus used an all-amateur cast to shoot this film. All the characters that appear in the film are not actors, but ordinary students—

Otherwise, if Gus needed to, Matt Damon or the Affleck brothers would have been a matter of a word. He wouldn't need to worry about actors at all.

And he wouldn't need Darren's help.

Could it be that Anson guessed wrong, and the project Darren is discussing is not "Elephant"?

Anson didn't rush to jump to a conclusion, remained patient, and continued along Darren's words, "Of course, so Gus is planning to shoot a movie about Columbine?"

Darren didn't continue to keep him in suspense and directly cut to the theme.

"Yes."

So, it is indeed "Elephant"?