In 1994, a series of classic films such as "Pulp Fiction," "Forrest Gump," "The Shawshank Redemption," and "True Lies" exploded onto the scene, marking a new pinnacle for Hollywood movies. These films sparked heated discussions worldwide and began to influence the film industries of other countries.
It's widely known that Hollywood's standardized narrative formulas and production thods have turned filmmaking into an assembly line process, with genre films lined up for continuous output. Simultaneously, Hollywood has relied on advanced computer technology to completely change the language and expression of cinematic storytelling.
On the other hand, with the widespread availability of caras, more and more people began picking up caras to beco directors. However, the experintal filming techniques often ended up being re formalism, and as movies beca increasingly popular, they gradually lost their function as a dium for conveying thought and value, becoming more and more mundane.
For four Danish directors, the dazzling use of new technology was the culprit behind the superficial expression of cinema.
In March 1995, directors Lars von Trier, Kristian Levering, Thomas Vinterberg, and Søren Kragh-Jacobsen initiated the Dog 95 movent.
They established ten rules for filmmaking, which they called the "Vows of Chastity."
1. Filming must be done on location without props or sets.
2. Sound and image must not be produced separately.
3. The cara must be handheld; the film's story may take place where the cara is, but the shooting must occur where the story takes place.
4. The film must be in color, with no special lighting allowed.
5. Optical work and filters are forbidden.
6. The film must not contain superficial actions such as murders or violence.
7. Temporal and geographical alienation are forbidden.
8. Genre movies are not acceptable.
9. The film must be in 35mm.
10. The director's na must not appear in the credits.
These Danish directors believed that in a film world increasingly dominated by money, superficial performances and films were becoming mainstream, leading to the disappearance, and even death, of cinematic artistry. Therefore, they believed that film production needed a set of rules.
These ten vows could be seen as the directors' attempt to define artistry in filmmaking. They sought to strip away superficial, sensational elents and focus solely on storytelling and the language of the cara to express the soul of artistic creation.
When the Dog 95 manifesto was announced, it was t with ridicule.
Many believed it to be not only naive but also foolish, arguing that their actions would make films crude and awkward, stripping away the allure of light and shadow and risking the creation of substandard works, which would be the real harm to cinema.
In 1998, at the Cannes Film Festival, the first two Dog films were presented: Thomas Vinterberg's "Festen" and Lars von Trier's "The Idiots."
"Festen" made a stunning impact, earning critical acclaim and winning the Cannes Jury Prize that year.
The handheld cara work, unpolished dark lighting, and the use of conflict as a new thod of expression added artistic depth to the films. The simple performances, rough editing, and raw, impactful scenes sparked widespread debate.
The brilliant debut of these films made people aware of new thods of artistic exploration. The collision of natural light and handheld cara work created a distinctly different chemistry, leading more directors to join the movent.
The original intention of Dog 95 was to break free from the influence of technology and return to the essence of storytelling, character, and directorial work. By stripping away the flashy gimmicks, they sought to return to the core of cinema. However, this also sparked controversy: is the shaky cara work, rough footage, and chaotic editing really "artistic"? Should the audiovisual language of cinema be reduced to re rhetoric by abandoning technology?
The answer is no.
"If following the vows hinders the developnt of cinema, then it's not worth it."
It's like stopping eating for fear of choking.
In fact, even the four founding directors broke their own vows at different levels, unable to fully adhere to their original commitnts.
According to the official Dog website, the last Dog film was shot in 2004.
Lars von Trier undoubtedly explored this area the most. In 2000's "Dancer in the Dark," he separated music from the visuals. In 2003's "Dogville," he virtualized the scenes. These works were all inspired by the Dog vows in different ways.
Later, no one fully followed the ten vows to make Dog films, but the movent left a lasting impact on the field of filmmaking—
Handheld caras, natural lighting, and synchronous sound-image production, these non-technical ans of expression, never disappeared. They even beca techniques used in nurous comrcial films. Dog 95's thoughts and pursuits of artistry beca integrated into contemporary cinema in another form.
"Elephant" clearly didn't fully adhere to the ten vows and can't be considered a Dog film.
However, it's undeniable that Gus Van Sant drew inspiration from the movent, striving to minimize the influence of technology. He aid to capture and present events in the simplest, most primitive way, effectively blurring the line between reality and fiction, recreating the scenes of a tragic event.
At this mont, in the most raw and primitive footage, all the expression is handed over to the plot and the actors. There's no need for visual stimulation or dramatic impact.
The point is, when the plot is stripped of all fiction and collision, the actors must carry the entire weight of the film's language and artistic expression.
It's a challenge, almost insurmountable.
This is also why Gus chose real students as actors.
Anson was the only exception.
But now it seems that Gus's gamble has paid off. The Dog 95-like primitive shooting thod has instead distilled the most simple and authentic side of Anson:
Natural and unique.
Just look at the reactions on set. These kids are all students, genuinely seventeen, genuinely in their adolescence, with no acting experience, all the sa age as the victims at Columbine High School. What they see in their eyes is exactly what Gus hopes the audience will see.
Maybe Dog 95 didn't ultimately change film history like the French New Wave, but there's no doubt that its ideas beca a spark of inspiration, offering a new perspective on filmmaking and evolving into different sparks in the worlds of various directors.
Gus likes the current direction in which the film production is heading.
The thread is smooth.
So, Gus didn't plan to interrupt. After one long shot ended, another shot followed—
The protagonist remains Anson.
During the filming of the phone scene earlier, Gus was worried because Anson's "acting" seed overly perford, risking a sense of affectation. If this state appeared on cara, a long shot without polish or editing would inevitably expose that state.
But now it seems that there's no need to worry. Even under the scrutiny of a long shot, Anson held up, even bringing unexpected power.
Sure enough, the next long shot didn't disappoint Gus.
"Action!"
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