A collection of landscapes from each state, presented alphabetically; some picturesque, others disturbing.
Benning’s catalogue of the USA is composed of landscapes—beautiful views of nature and eerie shots of the manmade world, including concrete cityscapes, prison facilities covered in barbed wire, and a battleship. The audio commentary seems arbitrary and paradoxical: Dwight Eisenhower, Woody Guthrie, Gregory Peck, and Alicia Keys.
America is Benning’s home and his obsession. He shot his first film titled THE UNITED STATES of AMERICA (27 minutes long) in 1975 through his windshield as he drove from New York to Los Angeles. His new THE UNITED STATES of AMERICA is a magnum opus; a 90-minute long collection of postcards that often depict dilapidation rather than progress.
THE UNITED STATES of AMERICA
Director: James Benning
USA, 2022. 98 min, 16+