Gus Van Sant: The Art of Making Movies

by Katya Tylevich

From Drugstore Cowboy to Elephant , Milk and Good Will Hunting , Gus Van Sant's films have captured the imagination of more than one generation. Alongside his filmaking, however, Van Sant is also an artist, photographer and writer. Based on a series of completely new and exclusive interviews, this book provides a personal insight into how Van Sant successfully approaches these different and very varied artforms, providing an inspirational look into the working life of one of America's most pivotal cultural and creative practitioners.

Genres: Film, Art

288 pages, Hardcover

Published November 16, 2021

Reviews

[Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Too much of a coffee-table hagiography to be especially insightful, but for van Sant fans, a glorious artefact that's well worth your time.

[Ben · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful man

[Rhys Scarabosio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blessed reading. GVS 4ever❤️

[Dylan Kiewel · Rating 4 out of 5]

finished in literally one sitting after breakfast (chorizo n eggs) in new apartment amidst freezeout here in portland. slow cinema era gus would approve. van sant is undeniably one of my favorite filmmakers of (roughly) my lifetime and along with haynes and reichardt a big reason i feel right in trying to follow my filmmaking bug here in portland. i remember seeing Milk in theaters when it came out with my dear mum. i recall sitting at my best friend and neighbor's house after school throwing on elephant and being bewildered, stunned. i have never revisited it. i recall seeing dont worry he won't get far on foot at the brooklyn restaurant/bar cum cinema Syndicated (? maybe) on a whirlwind cinema daytrip to the city wherein i also crammed in madeline's madeline, education of cameron post, and notes on an appearance in various theaters ranging from lincoln center to quad to brooklyn (i may have been reading Americana at the time im not sure). it was sad to read of don't worry's raucous debut at cinema 21 here in portland a mere 8 months after i had left town on my first try living here, i would've loved that, alas financial and thus mental insecurity has led to many a missed opportunity. moving on and in contrast i do not clearly remember any of the 3 or so instances i've seen my own private idaho as that film has the merits of a chameleon whose colors keep shifting beautifully in my brain inspiring and inciting me to my own chaotic feeling based and still inchoate artistic practice. i recall sitting in my tiny and incredibly depressing garden apartment room in chicago on the eve of lockdown i think binging on all the van sant's i hadn't seen after an awkward but rewarding viewing of Gerry with my jocky but mentally scattered older brother while back home for the holidays. each new joint a revelation, a bolt of lightning tho i have small qualms with a few of them thats only appropriate as all of gus is shapeshifting and reaching, sometimes awkward but always raw and experience based. i watched to die for with my "ex" and remember not loving it so i consider myself due for a revisit, maybe i'll do elephant too. who knows? love you gussy!

[Mie Albæk · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book in Berlin on a wild shopping spree, and It could very well have ended up as another beautiful coffee table book to boost my pretend intellectual persona. And then I started reading it and ate it up in a day while falling in love with Gus Van Sants uncompromising focus on creativity over dollars.

[Adam Pavlovic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic read. Gus Van Sant had the life and career of a pretentious asshole and somehow managed to end up being absolutely earnest and down to earth.

[tarynresende · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book for sale at BMV, and being a huge fan of his work I knew I had to buy it. I’ve seen a few of his films prior to reading this and loved them all. So I was excited getting into more of his background and story.

Overall, this book made me love his work and respect his craft so much more. Even when he was making Hollywood films he pushed to go the non traditional way of storytelling, always going with his artistic vision rather than viewership or what’s popular.
Each chapter was a film of his and discussed his challenges making it and how it came together at the end. Van Sant although extremely successful faced a lot of challenges even during his success since a lot of people didn’t understand his vision or even give him a chance to take full creative reign. But ultimately if it took years to make something the way he intended to, he would wait.

Van Sant is the Warhol of our postmodern generation! Going against the grain, representing new queer cinema, and ultimately being a true artist. Sorry Sean Baker but Gus Van Sant is the truest of all indie filmmakers.

[Joshua Rimmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

a story of a true artist, multifarious and constantly morphing, linked only to a desire to explore and understand foreign worlds he doesn't yet. I didn't know Gus van sant much before this book, and now I feel I know him and his life deeply, as you explore his entire 50 year career, never losing the scent for something new and exotic. sometimes the limelight colours him, but usually he's working on the outside trying to find the fringe. it's really cool to see the full personal process of how he made his movies, no matter how big or small, and how they went from a idea to the next idea, unfurling like wave upon wave. it's quite a personal account, and I enjoy it's simplicity and focus in what could be a very difficult book to understand. it hones in the central emotion of Gus and his oveure: curiosity. we've all be curious, but mabye not as much as Gus van sant. mabye we should be more.

"And just recently I wondered, why in all these paintings, is this naked man in Hollywood? Well, maybe it's because there really is one. He's called Oscar. And everyone's trying to win him."

[b G · Rating 4 out of 5]

”Knowing what keeps a story together means knowing how to more accurately break it apart.”

There was a point when I saw everything Van Sant made the weekend it was released. The book was a reminder of not only how much I admire him as a person, but to also reconnect with the films he’s made over the years that I’m not acquainted with.

I think this book differs from others it would be categorized with. They tend to all be structured the same way: childhood, education, and then going through their filmography, which this book does, but it also includes the opinions and ideas of his collaborators. It also includes an informal epilogue as well––a glimpse of the creative life he lives outside the industry.

[Disco Earl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up this book in a used bookstore in LA. Why not read a book about movies in the entertainment capital? It's curious: nicely designed with high production values, the book appears to be self published. The author had good access to Van Sant, and she clearly adores him. It was interesting to follow the career of this artist who did/does not follow Hollywood's rules. Makes me want to watch Drugstore Cowboy again.

[Alexander Fontana · Rating 2 out of 5]

An easy read of the abstract aspects of filming, written by Tylevich. More of a view of artistic philosophical arguments for various film and career choices made by Van Sant, than a technical how to book.

[Joseph Connor Hurt]

good looking book. Writing got a little cutesy at times. a more unadorned text may have better complimented / accompanied the great photo collection and life's work narrative. Valuable creative insights present however.

[Daniel Staud · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing and personal book. You feel like Gus is your friend by the end of it and its a book full of treats and golden nuggets.

[Camille🪼]

Gus je t’aime

[Sarah Allen]

An emphasis on filmmaking outside the machinations of Hollywood - cinema/ art anywhere, everywhere.

[sadie m · Rating 5 out of 5]

there is so much rich portland history in this book!

[Hailie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gus Van Sant has always been a driving force in my creative light. When I write I think “now how would Gus do this?” This was such an incredible look into his mind.

[lou · Rating 4 out of 5]

gus van sant i love you. and i will defend you until i die

[Neil · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this guy so much. This book was so inspiring and important to me. I would write more but I already took so many notes as I was reading