He is known for his hedonistic yet realistic pictures. but his tryst with Christopher Doyle for the film Parnoid Park marks his foray into greatness. The film which is an art piece plays out like any other suspense drama. But in this movie he gives the cause, motive and everything early into the film. This was a cause for concern for most movie buffs who didnt get their moneys worth. But this film is not about the plot it self but the look. It is one of the most beautiful films made in quite sometime with such a limited budget. Gus is know to capture silhouettes of emotions bathed in the crux of doubt with some visceral shots of the protagonists. It is a trully unforgettable experience one Gus can cherish as one of his greatest works yet.

Before this had gone into several teenage angst driven movies. His vision was always tainted by the performance of his actor who primarily stole the show in his earlier movies. But this was not so for his second phase as a director when he director the likes of Elephant, Gerry, Last Days and Parnoid Park. This marked his departure from common sensibilities. His ideas of film making stem from very claustrophobic shots, his signature 360 degree shots. He also stems from a Bresson School of thought where he lets the viewer get a feel of the surroundings of the character with some charming out of focus shots. He also plays with many Kieslovski standards by putting in unheard of music for artsy sort of situations. He almost still breaths the air of a teenager get into their psyche and bring out some unusual performances from his cast.

Unlike his early films that were drama heavy his current filmography boasts of some really cold accounts. This is more like his ideas for cinema of the future. One of his old classics is To Die For that catapulted the careers of all of the actors. One actor whose character caused alot of misogynist accusations against the film was played by Nicole Kidman. Her character uses Joaquin Phoenix to kill her husband in process seducing him as well. The film was hailed as a churning of teenage rebellion and was the strongest of his earlier works. But Gus Van Sant’s career would be inadequate if it wasn’t for the input of River Phoenix. His performance in My Own Private Idaho pushed queer cinema to whole new level. It brought in the likes of Greg Arakki and Todd Haynes who were avid followers of Gus’s body of work.

He takes a strict addiction towards his using of background details and some innovative plot twists. There are also some interesting angles that the characters are shown in to bring out a feeling that is very foreign to the language of modern cinema. Gus almost moves away from commercial sensibilities imbibing his very own whirlwind concepts of film. There is no strict conduct that he follows in order to get the desired result but a layering of several improvisations that bring out some interesting and at times startling images. But this at times misconstrued as self indulgence to the naked but it is not so.

There is alot of interesting poetry that goes into creating some of the lasting and endearing moments in cinematic history. As i have earlier stated his use of silhouette brings out several dimensions to the character that haven’t been explored on film but is no stranger to the written word. I would like to call some of his movies “creations of still images”. His use of still images in a moving image is what coalesce both thought and reality and at times bridges the gap. But he still floats a thin line using real images. He is certainly not for a Spike Jonze treatment of film but instead works with a reality that is at times almost staring at us. He threads a thin line of experimentation and self indulgence many people find it hard to stay in this middle path.
His foray into feel good semi biopic films hasn’t been greeted with open arms. For instance his Finding Forrester was not met with great enthusiasm. His very standard approach to this film was looked as a fall from grace for the great hel mer. But he fell back into what he knew best in the very powerful and cold Elephant. This was one of the films that had cemented his place among the greats like Hou Hou Hsien and many others. He used an approach that has since been one of his most signature styles. He took this style once again into his most poetic and visceral piece of art Parnoid Park. This is one of his lost in time and space sort of film. It is by his most feared and envied collaboration yet. It is a well known fact that Christopher Doyle who took Wong Kar Wei to new heights. His foray outside Wong’s work was the immensely appreciated Hero with Zhang Yimou. It Gus Van Sant alot of convincing to make sure Doyle was in for the ride of his lifetime. The film was a simple story of a boy who accidently kills a man and the trauma he has to face after the incident. But it was not as simple as it seemed. The result was one of the greatest films Gus has ever made. There were several films that promised us a lot of experimentation but none had the scaled the heights this one just did. It took cinematic discoveries into a whole new realm.

Parnoid Park by now has seen several audience reactions. But one of the scenes that will still remain in mind is where Alex who has held a secret and walks through a corridor in slow motion typical of Doyle’s style and he looks back for anyone who might catch his drift. The whole execution of this shot gives it a feeling of self preservation that is unlike anything i have ever seen. Gus hasn’t just peeked into this man’s life but he has sort of disrupted his very being and that was something that needs a second viewing. But for all that Gus has to offer it is still going to be seen whether he can match up to this in his next movie about Milk starring Sean Penn. If he does succeed his filmography will be one to follow to the grave.

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