The viewed film Elefante by Pablo Larcuen carries a deep meaning and meaning that immediately becomes clear. This film is about a man who fails in three main areas of a man’s life. He does not have a good job, he does not have an excellent friend, and he does not even play a role in his family. The film is about the fact that a person utterly alienated from society will not be happy.
The evaluation should start with a review of the plot of the film. All events follow one another sequentially, and the audience is shown the main character who fails in the family, work and friendly spheres. He is apprehensive about his family, in which he is like a stranger. He goes to a doctor who gives him a rare diagnosis, because of which he gradually becomes an elephant. The main character was alienated from society, and after a rapid metamorphosis, he became utterly isolated. The plot is a bit absurd, as it tells about the transformation of a man into an elephant. Still, this metamorphosis demonstrates how much the main character is stuck in his isolation and alienation.
The next step is to evaluate the characters of the film and their relationships. Hellerman claims that the main characters are those heroes of the film who most often appear on the screens. In addition to the main character, the director also shows minor characters: Sergio, a man with whom the main character plays squash, Manuel’s daughter and wife and his young son Esteban (Larcuen 0:25-0:40). Manuel hates Sergio, and he is worried about his relationship with his wife and daughter, but he is apprehensive about their relationship with Esteban. This is demonstrated through the fact that Manuel does not call his daughter and wife by name, and a name always distinguishes the little son.
Probably, if the main character’s family relations had developed differently, he would have been able to achieve some success at work, and friends would have appeared later. The audience is shown that Manuel is in a hopeless situation, and even the family does not accept him as a member, and the disease completely takes away from him everyone who was at least nearby.
The complex combination of comedy and tragedy in this film makes it unique and vivid. Such a mixture of genres will not leave any viewer indifferent (Grodal 2). The humor, in this case, lies in the fact that a person quickly transforms into an elephant, and the tragedy is demonstrated through the complete alienation of the main character at the end of the film. The atmosphere is inflated by a sad soundtrack that runs through the entire movie. The viewer can feel the absurdity of the situation, along with empathy for the main character. Periodically, dramatic moments of the film can cause strong emotions in the audience and pity for Manuel’s life that has completely lost its meaning.
In conclusion, the film is undoubtedly quite strong and evokes certain emotions. It is complicated to leave emotions at a neutral level, as the atmosphere and the plot create feelings of emotion and sadness concerning the protagonist’s life. Despite the absurdity of the situation, the film still shows how desperate a person can be who is in a state of alienation from society and even from his family.
Works Cited
Grodal, Torben. “How Film Genres are a Product of Biology, Evolution and Culture—An Embodied Approach.” Palgrave Communications, vol. 3, no. 17079, 2017, pp. 1-8. Web.
Hellerman, Jason. “What’s the Difference Between the Protagonist and the Main Character?” No Film School, 2019. Web.
Larcuen, Pablo, director. Elefante. 2011.