Dogme 95

What a grand, idealistic idea! In the totally corrupt world of filmmaking where it matters more how much money you spend and how many famous actors you cast than how innovative or interesting your film is, these filmmakers said "forget this. we're doing it our way and if you don't like it, then tough."

of course, I've never seen a Dogme 95 film. Maybe in actuality the films are horrible, pretentious pieces of filth. But the idea is awesome. I'm not sure if these filmmakers are still around or if they still religiously follow the "Vow of Chastity" (HAH!) in their films, but I can definitely see that they have made an impact on other filmmakers.

When we talked about this film movement in class, I immediately though of Gus Van Sant. He had major success with Good Will Hunting, but his other films(Gerry, Elephant, Last Days...) were kept mainly to artsy film festivals and whatnot. I haven't seen Last Days yet, and Gerry was absolutely terrible, but I feel that Elephant is one of the most amazing films ever made. Seriouly. Also, it definitely contains aspects of the Dogme 95 tradition: there is very little dialogue, and for the most part, what's there is totally unscripted. there are no "famous" people in the film. Instead the characters are all played by normal teenage kids. Costumes? More like what they had in their closet. Sets? More like a high school in Oregon. It's unlike anything I've ever seen before.

Of course, Elephant isn't a complete "Dogme" film. It is based loosely upon the Columbine school shooting, so there is some violence at the end. However, when the violence occurs, it is completely shocking and unexpected, a total contrast from the rest of the film, which focuses mainly on a day in the life of several teenagers, all incredibly different.

Elephant is an amazing film, one that showcases what "real" filmmaking should be. Much like the Dogme 95 filmmakers, Gus Van Sant chose to go against all conventions and do things his way, whether anyone liked it or not. See it. Reflect on it. If you like it, good. If not, too bad.