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.

The Demon (1960) is a Soviet opera-film based on the eponymous opera by Anton Rubinstein. The plot derives from Lermontov's Demon, a poem which was banned for decades due to its sacrilegious content. The titular demon is a fallen angel, a figure of negation and a brooding anti-hero. He falls in love with Tamara but his love destroys her. The Demon is played by the brilliant Estonian singer Georg Ots.
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.
The Last Duel is about rape. Although the film delves into rape culture in medieval Europe, there are many striking similarities to modern rape culture.
The French-born director Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre’s strategic choice to entrust the interpretation of a conventional, feminine character to a non-binary actor pays off: Corrin’s Lady Chatterley is awkward, edgy, and uninhibited at the same time.
I Love You Forever, marketed as a “subversive” romantic comedy is in fact a painful horror film about a young woman deep in the throes of an abusive relationship.
A Japanese anime movie that brings survival, adventure, and friendship to the big screen.
Hulu continues its Summer releases with The Princess. This film follows the princess (yes, she is unnamed) as she attempts to escape her tower, refusing to be wed to a cruel man vying for the throne. Action-packed and snarky, this is a decently fun film if you need a fighting fix.