The difference between Secret Ballot and Gerry is that the latter is American, and the former isn't. There may be preconcieved notions at hand as to what an American film should look and act like, which don't work in Gerry's favor. Gus Van Sant has openly stated that both Gerry and Elephant were inspired (to whatever extent) by the films of Hungarian director Bela Tarr. I would also add that there seems to have been heavy influence, in Gerry's case, from the late Russian master Andrei Tarkovsky. Most critics haven't been quick to note these influences (if they even mention them at all - which, from what I've read, the majority haven't) - making a few awkward and generally-inaccurate comparisons to the work of Irish playwright Samuel Beckett and recent American indie The Blair Witch Project. American (or English-based) film is thrown into its box, and everything else is thrown into another. Gerry's non-traditional narrative just doesn't compliment that limited mindset - making it to be a frustrating film to endure for those who think American film should remain "American" and not "foreign". This mindset isn't a new one - German director Wim Wenders' Paris, Texas was attacked by many for "treating an American subject in a European way".
Van Sant's film's stark ambiguity doesn't help aide things, either - whatever "meaning" to be found in the film is indefinite and arguable. For those who want to be more spoonfed (or at least given some hint that there is a purpose), long takes of the two leads (both referred to as Gerry) walking will probably seem purposeless. Interpretations of it remain arguably personal, it not just outright projections onto the work itself. Ambigious and plotless film is not a new concept, but Gerry feels unique - if only because it's the most unflinching American work in recent memory.
If anything, Gerry feels more like an experiment or a stepping-stone than an actual film. This isn't so much because of its plotless nature, but because it often feels more like a technical excerise. There are moments in Gerry that Van Sant seems to be crying out to find his own voice admist those of Andrei Tarkovsky, Bela Tarr and his two fellow screenwriters (and stars of the film), Casey Affleck and Matt Damon. The result is a strange blend of both similar and unlikely ingrediants, somewhat comparible in theory with the mix of Steven Spielberg and Stanley Kubrick in A.I. - Artificial Intelligence.
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