JamesBenning’sfirstfilmcalledTheUnitedStatesofAmericawasa1975tripacrossthecountry,capturingitsscenerythroughacarwindshield.Thissecondonealsocrisscrossesthenation,butwithoutacar,carvingitupinsteadintoaseriesofstaticshotsofjustundertwominutes,oneforeachstate,presentedalphabetically,fromHeronBay,AlabamatoKelly,Wyoming.Thenamesoftheplacesarenondescript,buttheimagesattachedtothemareanythingbut,immaculatelycomposedshotsoflandscape,cityscapeandthespacesinbetween.AswemovefromAtoZ,theimagescoalesceintoaportraitoftoday’sUSA,tracingoutitsfaultlinesalmostinpassing:fenced-offfacilities,ariverbedrunningdry,factoriesandrefineries,run-downstreetsandgasstations,acampunderabridge.Thepastistheretoo,seepingupthroughthesongsandspeechesthatsporadicallypiercethebackgroundnoiseorthemotifsthatevokeawholecareertheclouds,trainsandcabinsarestand-insforfilms,notjuststates.Asalways,there’stimeformoreabstractthoughtstoo:eachimagemaystandforastate,butrepresentativityisslippery.Whichstateismorecinematicthantherest?
