Broadcast Media & Popular Culture ~ Level 1 Term 1

Moving Image History & Theory

Assignment 2:

Question 1: Dramatic Structure ‘Story & Plot’ ~ Elephant

(including a Deconstruction of the Opening Sequence)

Words: 3032
Essay ~ 2702
Deconstruction ~ 330

Joanne Lamberti
st06002041
joannelamberti@hotmail.com

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I declare that the work in the following assignment is entirely
my own unless otherwise referenced or clearly stated.

Joanne Lamberti

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This assignment is an analysis of the film Elephant ‘inspired by the

tragic events at the Columbine High School’1, it was written and

directed by the controversial director Gus Van Sant and won many

awards upon its release in 2003 including the highly acclaimed Palme

D’or prize. It will discuss how the film challenges and conforms to the

classic formulaic narrative structure employed by Hollywood to appeal

to mainstream audiences, with particular reference to the camerawork

and how it constructs a coherent sense of time and space

(verisimilitude). It will also assess the importance of the characters,

and if and how the general style of the film creates an illusion of

reality. By doing so, it may be possible to identify whether or not the

techniques employed within the text are classically conventional and

dominated by Hollywood cinema or if it is an oppositional text that

mostly uses techniques derived from Second (European/Art) cinema.

When analysing any text in relation to its narrative structure, story

and plot, it is primarily imperative to define these terms as a basis to

later refer to. Narrative for instance, is simply the combination of

story (fabula) and the plot (syuzhet) as introduced within (and

borrowed from) the Russian formalist period. Narrative is a concept

that many argue has five classically employed conventions which

together constitute the diegesis of a film as discussed by Brannigan.

With the overall structure being the primary component, a clear and

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complete sense of closure, verisimilitude, continuity and

psychologically rounded characters all play equally important parts in

a classic Hollywood narrative. The fabula is broken down and detailed

as the actual story itself, which allows it to be a broader concept by

including all main events and occurrences. The syuzhet is known as the

term for the order that the fabula’s events appear within a text,

briefly argued to be the system in which the signs and codes are

arranged. Bordwell and Thompson state that ‘narrative is the moment-

by-moment process which guides us in building the story out of the

plot’2. Both terms (fabula and syuzhet) are very fluid and open to

debate due to the way conventions included to constitute the overall

narrative are effortlessly read by mainstream audiences – some

arguing that they are so easily read audiences are often unaware

(known as the term narrative transitivity).

With the basis of a dominant Hollywood narrative set down, it is then

possible to branch out and explore less conventional Art cinema such

as the cinematic style of Veritè, that takes its main concepts from

the French wave of ‘Direct’ documentary cinema in the 50’s and 60’s

which was derived from the previously established influence of Dziga

Vertovs Russian realist documentary series of the 1920’s. Direct

cinema (as Americans named it) was firstly and more often known as

cinema Veritè (‘truth’ cinema), because of its conventional necessity

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to show every last true detail with the use of very few editing

techniques and cuts between shots. A ‘direct approach to recording

reality’3, its techniques allow audiences to view the ‘real’ events

rather than the actors ‘playing the camera’4. It conventionally used

relatively unknown actors and a very small budget in order to maintain

its naturalistic, unglamorous and less stylised approach than a typical

classic narrative, also focussing on the mundane reality of everyday

life – all techniques that can be seen to be used by one of the

founders of Italian neo-realism Roberto Rossellini. Some argue that

for the above mentioned reasons, cinema Veritè ‘come to epitomise

cinematic attempts to capture reality’5.

By analysing the opening sequence of Elephant (the first fifteen

minutes) in particular with reference to occurrences further on in the

text, there are clearly elements of cinema Veritè present. The

opening sequence (see deconstructuction) of the text it is notably

conforming to the techniques employed to depict the somewhat dull

simplicity of life with its primary shot being a low angle tracking shot

through green trees and a bright blue sky. Not only does this

establish the location for the audience (which is further established

in the following shots), but it also sets up the means for continuity,

as the use of nature within the background is common throughout the

entire sequence. It signifies a sense of an American suburbia, which

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is commonly denoted as a long row of houses with greenery and tall

trees.

Each of the codes used to allow the audience to make assumptions (set

up within the first shot) are confirmed within the second, as the

camera angle moves up to the trees becoming high angle, continuing to

track at the same pace, it denotes a row of houses whilst following a

single moving car. Branston maintains that by encouraging active

audience participation, a ‘realist filmmaker has an unwritten contract

with the audience which implies a joint project to explore the real

world through the medium of a film’6. With a denotation of parked

cars at the side of the road, the moving vehicle swerves often

signifying that its driver isn’t in control. This can also be read

through the way the car breaks to a halt as a child on a bike rides

across a cross road in front of the car. It could be maintained that

for a films primary shots, they are potentially conventional of a

classic narrative in relation to the content however, it could also be

maintained that the lack of camerawork editing suggests otherwise.

The rawness of the camerawork becomes particularly apparent when

the car brake’s, as the camera continues tracking leaving the car to

move into the bottom section of the screen, an occurrence that would

have most certainly been edited out of a perfectly edited Hollywood

text. The depth of field is also a semantic code, connotative of

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realism, as the background and foreground (everything within the

shot) are in focus and less stylised. Deep focus is a technique that

can be noted in early cinema, but become more apparent in films such

as Citizen Cane directed by Orson Wells in 1941.

This effect is perpetuated during the scene denoting Eli and two

punks; Wolfgang and Caroline. Even thought the introduction to the

three characters is composed using panning shots, the emphasis seems

to be more on the inclusion of the natural background (connotative of

a park). There is little interaction and use of dialogue, but rather a

lot of movement of Eli taking photographs of the two other

characters. Trailed by another panning shot of Eli walking away, it

tends to include all movement, a noticeably important convention of

cinema Veritè. This type of cinema commonly depicts events according

to their actual external temporality, the speed at which they occur if

they were actually happening. This stylistic effect is additionally

maintained through the use of minimal dialogue and sound effects

which reinforces a sense of realism.

The length of the shots has an additionally significant impact on the

construction of realism, as cinema Veritè tends to retain the entire

length of a shot as opposed to Hollywood texts. Some argue classic

texts are subjected to noticeably extensive editing which removes all

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sections of the text that are classed as irrelevant (as discussed by

Walter Murch in ‘In the Blink of an Eye’. This could be argued to be

due to the extensive primary filming undertaken by realist

filmmakers, as Elephant had a shooting ratio of thirty three to one,

allowing thirty three hours of film to be broken down into a short

film. Many theorists debate that this is due to the need for effect to

be created within Hollywood cinema whereas realist directors focus

on what is captured rather than constructed. Branston argues that

‘Various film scholars including Bordwell, Staiger and Thompson

(1985) have undertaken surveys of the shot length from a range of

films and production periods confirming the Hollywood studio period

was around twelve seconds’7. This confirms the diversity between the

two cinematic styles, with many of the shots denoted in Elephant

lasting over two minutes. The prime example of this convention is

when Nathan is shown walking around the school. Characters are often

shown ‘walking in and out of frame and dialogue also overlaps’8 during

this shot – characteristics of contemporary realist filmmaker Ken

Leach’s work.

Sound and the absence of it could also be argued to have an especially

vital function within the text, as it is evidently being used to add to

the reality of the scenes being filmed. Jean Luc Goddard entitled the

use of sound ‘the invisible process’, emphasising the fact that it is

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often overlooked as a narrative code because it is far from visible.

The use or lack of sound timbre in Art cinema seems however, to be

given added importance, as it gives added value to the images viewed

on screen. The minimal amount of dialogue within the film is in sync

with the images being shown adding to the audiences understanding of

the verisimilitude (special and temporal cohesion) and is therefore

classed as synchronous. Even though this is the case however, the

background noise tends to be louder that usual giving the bleak sense

of normality greater emphasis, something which Van Sant agrees was a

clear intention. This is highlighted during the long shot of the schools

sports field as there are no prominent characters; the silence is used

to convey what cannot be expressed in words.

The importance of the soundtrack is ‘held to be more important than

the image track and hold more weight with the audience by many

theorists’9 which could be argued to be true of Elephant as it

employed along with focus to convey the narrative state within the

film. The use of background noise of cheerleaders chanting and the

wind through the trees then becomes more noticeable when it is

included within the shot further on. Michel Chion argued in an early

publication of ‘Cinema du Cahier’ that ‘sound withheld from the viewer

evokes emotions and forces the brain to produce images in order to

fulfil it’, even though it was stated much earlier than the films

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production, many also argued that Elephant enables the audience to

appreciate the simple significance of silence within everyday life. The

lack of sound established within the first quarter of the film becomes

disrupted following the silence with the use of non diegetic classical

music played on a piano. It could be argued to be a metaphoric

semantic code, connoting to the audience extremity of the disruption

that lies ahead, as metaphors and symbols are conventionally used by

allegorical directors to signify deeper meanings. Van Sant maintains

throughout the films commentary that his intention was to not

glamorise the vicious events by giving a biased Hollywood approach. It

could be argued however, that by allowing the film to evolve into a

more constructed, fictionalised text through use of asynchronous non

diegetic sound that is in sync with the images but the characters are

unable to hear and the use of shallow focus, he is indeed putting

forth his dominant opinion.

The idea that the day will unfold to be unusually different from any

other regular day is firstly set up with the construction of

‘normality’. The tracking shots of further characters Nathan and

Carrie, this time inside the American high school enable to audience

to familiarise themselves with the location and characters. By doing

so, it could be argued that he is conforming to the formulaic

structure of Bulgarian structuralist linguist Tzvetan Todorov’s theory

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of ‘equilibrium’. The sense of security set up to enlighten the

audience of the vital information needed to propel the narrative

forward is considered to be the state of ‘equilibrium’ according to

Todorov often identified as ‘normality’. The introduction of classical

music as discussed previously would then be structurally categorised

as the beginning of the state of ‘disruption’. An approach easily

applied to the classic narrative, Todorov’s formula is then completed

with the characters and audiences recognition of the disruption and

then a state of new equilibrium (denouement). Elephant however cuts

the theory short by merely fulfilling the criteria for ‘equilibrium’ and

‘disruption’. There is some sense of the recognition of disruption

signified through the use of a long shot of the school, also denoting

John and other characters running out of the building to safety.

There is however no certain connotation of resolution or re-

equilibrium. The final shot depicts the one remaining killer singing a

children’s rhyme in order to help him choose whether to kill either

Carrie or Nathan first.

The weight that characters conventionally hold within Hollywood is

significant, as they are often debated to drive the narrative forward

by means of body language dialogue. The stereotypical role, actions

they carry out and general stance they are given within the film all

contribute to the way an audience is attracted to them - in particular

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famous stars within Hollywood attract a large fan following. With

Elephant however, each of the actors are merely high school students

acting in the way that they normally would during any other normal

day. It could be debated that there is no stereotypical Proppian hero

(a conventional stereotype for all that is good) explaining why there

is no denouement. Each character is shown to carry out their everyday

tasks, there is no greater emphasis placed on any particular person

however, certain stereotypes are shown to prevail regarding American

high school students such as the conventional geek, jock etc…. Some

may argue that even though the film is intended to give an insight

into the lives of all types of people that attended the school affected

by the ‘Columbine killers’, John’s character is significant, as he is

stereotypical of Vant Sant films with Gerry for instance also

depicting a troubled male character.

‘Realism’ is one of the means by which European cinema has

traditionally sought to differentiate itself from Hollywood’10.

Elephant’s lack of conventionality is signified to the audience not only

through the use of camera work and sound, but with the use of a shot

that merely denotes a black screen and the name ‘John’ in plain white

font centrally aligned. A convention often employed by the likes of

Quentin Tarantino, one of the most recognised Post modern directors,

it is a reminder to the audience that the text is fictional and is a

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construction. It is a contemporary technique associated with Post

modernism that the films director, Gus Van Sant admits to

intentionally using to reinforce the sense of fictionalisation, as he

intended for the film to depict an unglamorous, rather more realistic

and gritty version of the violent events within the films climax. This

is perpetuated through the statement on the films DVD cover ‘An

ordinary high school day. Except that its not.’ It is ultimately a text

that Gus Van Sant has created using elements and techniques of many

filmatic styles. Most predominantly evident is of course Direct

cinema, yet there are also clear conventions of Postmodernism such as

those mentioned above. Simply it could be classed as a neo or

contemporary approach to cinema Veritè, denoting an extremely

constructed illusion of reality. It is possible to state that although

the text doesn’t conform to the classic conventions of Hollywood

narratives, it still achieves a believable sense of temporal and special

cohesion by creating an authentic construction of reality. The use of

written codes placed upon a black background reinforce its

construction however the sense of reality is maintained through the

use of Veritè conventions such as external temporality. ‘Often

considered to be a conceived as an appeal to national or cultural

authenticity’11, Van Sant managed to create a text that encountered

the very real impact that legalised possession of firearms in America

has on its people – a controversial political and cultural topic that

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Hollywood would be less likely to take on.

In conclusion, it is evident throughout the text that many conventions

are clearly exemplified and it is for this reason that it is such a

difficult task to place it beneath one heading/ classification. It is

most certainly a post modern text however, which enables it to

become such a mix and match range of diverse cinematic styles both

conforming and challenging the conventions associated with Dominant

Hollywood cinema.

References

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1. G u s V a n S a n t , 2 0 0 3 , E l e p h a n t , H o m e B o x o f f i c e F i l m s I n c .

2. D a v i d B o r d w e l l & K r i s t i n T h o m p s o n , F i l m A r t : A n I n t r o d u c t i o n ,

6th Edition, The McGraw Hill Company, UK, 1979, p. 43.

3. G i l l B r a n s t o n & R o y S t a f f o r d , T h e M e d i a S t u d e n t s B o o k , 2 n d

Edition, Routledge, an imprint of Taylor & Francis books Ltd,

UK, 1999, p. 231.

4. G i l l B r a n s t o n , C i n e m a a n d C u l t u r a l M o d e r n i t y , 1 s t E d i t i o n , O p e n

University Press, Buckingham UK, 2000, p. 38.

5. S h o h i n i C h a u d h u r i , C o n t e m p o r a r y W o r l d C i n e m a , 1 s t E d i t i o n ,

Edinburgh University Press Ltd, Edinburgh UK, 2005, p. 15.

6. G i l l B r a n s t o n & R o y S t a f f o r d , T h e M e d i a S t u d e n t s B o o k , 2 n d

Edition, Routledge, an imprint of Taylor & Francis books Ltd,

UK, 1999, p. 216.

7. Ibid, p. 217.

8. Ibid, p. 217.

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 9. Ibid, p. 214.

10. J i l l F o r b e s , E u r o p e a n C i n e m a : A n I n t r o d u c t i o n , 1 s t E d i t i o n ,

Palgrave Publications Ltd, Hampshire UK, 2000, p. 15.

11. S h o h i n i C h a u d h u r i , C o n t e m p o r a r y W o r l d C i n e m a , 1 s t E d i t i o n ,

Edinburgh University Press Ltd, Edinburgh UK, 2005, p. 15.

Bibliography

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•Bordwell, David & Thompson, Kristin, Film Art: An Introduction, 6th

Edition, The McGraw Hill Company, UK, 1979, pp. 38-50.

•Branston, Gill and Stafford, Roy, The Media Students Book, 5th

Edition, Routledge, An imprint of Taylor & Francis Books Ltd, 1999.

•Branston, Gill, Cinema and Cultural Modernity, 1st Edition, Open

University Press, Buckingham UK, 2000, pp. 38-240.

•Carroll, Noel, Engaging the Moving Image, 1st Edition, Yale University

Press, Michigan USA, 2003, pp. 50-55.

•Chaudhuri, Shohini, Contemporary World Cinema, 1st Edition,

Edinburgh University Press Ltd, Edinburgh UK, 2005, pp. 12-15.

•Forbes, Jill, European Cinema: An Introduction, 1st Edition, Palgrave

Publications Ltd, Hampshire UK, 2000, pp. 15-30.

•Lewis, Jeff, Cultural Studies: The Basics, 2nd Edition, Sage

Publications Ltd, London UK, 2003, pp. 190-238.

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•Strinati, Dominic, An Introduction to Theories of Popular Culture, 1st

Edition, Routledge, An Imprint of Taylor & Francis Books Ltd, 1995,

pp. 222-259.

•Van Sant, Gus, 2003, Elephant, Home Box office Films Inc.

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 Deconstruction of Opening Sequence ~ Elephant (2003)
Directed By Gus Van Sant
Denotation Connotation/Myth Theory/Extra Notes

Low angle tracking shot Connotations of a row of Classic stereotype used

moving through green trees houses/American suburban within Hollywood
also showing bright blue sky scene, houses, grass front
and trees.

High angle tracking shot Even though the angle has

moving at the same pace
denoting a car, green grass,
cars on roadside
shifted, the consistency with
regards to pace signifies
continuity. This is also done
through the use of green
within the shot. The moving
car is important as it is
central screen

The car is swerving and
breaks suddenly when a child
moves into the road on a
bike. Car falls to the bottom
of screen and then back
again
Movement connotes lack of Cinema Veritè – capture
control – the way the car everything
moves to the bottom is
significant of a certain
editing/cinematic style – it is
disturbing for the audience

Blank black screen with the Breaks the film to give an A post modern technique
name JOHN in plain white indication of a character employed to indicate that it
font placed centrally that will be explored enigma is actually a constructed film
code – is he the one driving?

Blonde hair, yellow t-shirt,
white male, medium long shot
of him right of screen
getting out of the passenger
side of car – dialogue and
interaction with his father
Confirms he wasn’t driving
but actually his Dad. Lack of
cooperation from dad
suggests he is under the
influence of alcohol
Conventional story – troubled
teenager – johns character is
one often explored by Van
Sant

Panning shot of Eli walking
through trees, grass
interaction with two others
wearing leather jackets,
make up, red and black
Continuity again with nature,
greenery. The two other
characters are stereotypical
punks signified through their
clothing etc…
Long shot length again
conventional of Veritè
characters are recognised as
stereotypical - conventional
representations within

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clothing Hollywood

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