I was wandering through Big Lots the other day (no I’m not ashamed) and made an astounding discovery. The store contained three large DVD racks containing an array of Sundance winners and lesser known Indie flicks. I purchased ten movies, costing me a little over $30.

The first of these films consumed was “Elephant,” directed by Gus Zan Sant. The film chronicles the lives of several “stereotypical” high school students, leading up to the day of a violent school massacre. The film kept an uncomfortable tension for its entire run. Not only does the film dive deeper into the stereotypes of average high schoolers, it is one of the few films that I’ve seen that actually humanizes them. The film is incredibly dark; however, this darkness is merely hinted at through most of the film (just enough to make you sick to your stomach). The music is haunting, mainly Fur Elise and other classical tunes, and while the contents of the first hour of the film are somewhat lighter in nature, the music creates a depressive aura the seems to glimmer in the faces of the characters.

The film has an extremely genuine quality about it, not seen in many films. The actors are mostly of high school age, and the dialogue seems free flowing and unscripted. At times, it seemed as if I was watching a documentary. The script blurs the line between childhood and adulthood, as the students deal with eating disorders, alcoholism, sexual preference, and of course, violence. Most of the time, the students seem more mature than their parents.

The most disturbing sequence in the film occurs in the last 15 minutes. Although the footage is not too gory in nature, the mere situation is enough to crumble even the strongest of foundations. Getting to know the students is extremely painful, knowing that some of their lives are about to end. The director takes care to develop the killers just as he develops the victims; all are on the same plain. This is a refreshing difference from the norm of “let’s feel sorry for the poor misunderstood murderer”. At the same time, the director does not take to the other extreme.

What drives this film over the top is the complete nonchalance with which the school massacre is handled. One student takes a picture of the gunman, after seeing his classmate gunned down. Another boy almost smirks, as he watches the burning school, and a teacher maintains a monotone as he drags the corpse of one of his pupils into the classroom. This isn’t bad acting. I won’t begin to try to analyze this directing choice, but it absolutely makes the film.

It’s about time that this sensitive subject was handled in such a manner. The director forces the audience to confront the bloody reality of a child being shot to death. The victims share the same culture as the murderers, and both are affected equally by it. This is the most humanizing film that I have ever seen. Well done.