Gus Van Sant's Constant Thematic and Cinematic Elements
The differences in these films could not be more blatant, and yet Gus Van Sant has found a way to portray the same messages and use the same techniques in each.

Hyunho and Junghee are in their 20s and have been married for two years. Dreaming of becoming an actor, Hyunho quits his job and begins going to acting auditions. Junghee can’t find a job because of the fact that she’s married. On a cold winter day, the contract for their unheated single-room flat expires and the two start looking for a new home. They come across a couple of similar age living in a spacious, luxurious house. They fall into despair. Pushed by a sheer desire to earn money, Hyunho goes back to work but keeps it a secret from Junghee, who still supports his dream.
The differences in these films could not be more blatant, and yet Gus Van Sant has found a way to portray the same messages and use the same techniques in each.
An aspect of She-Ra that I find refreshing is even though a large portion of the cast is on the LGBTQ+ Spectrum, being gay is never mentioned. While this might initially sound like a negative thing, in the show’s land of Etheria being on the gay spectrum is shown to be so common and normalized that straight isn’t the default. As much as there is to appreciate about narratives revolving around the obstacles that may come from being non-heteronormative, it’s nice to get immersed in a world where no one bats an eye at all to any sort of differing identity.
This Transgender Day of Remembrance, let us take a look at six films about transgender children grappling with their identity in a heteronormative world that despises their kind and tries its best to invalidate their feelings.
The Invitation takes a creeping look at two simple premises: reuniting with forgotten friends and new-age spiritualism. Though one seems a bit scarier than the other, the film heightens social awkwardness to a macabre level that puts an uncomfortable look on when the social taboo of grief is put on public display.
The latest installment in the beloved media franchise is a unique stylized mesh of humor and heart.
Elio could be seen as fantastic piece of representation, showing lonely children who feel ostracized that they are not alone. That is, unless you look behind the curtain.