–
© James Benning
––
The United States of America
–
Telephone poles and power lines run through this America. The eternal expanse testifies to unbelievable loneliness. Sometimes it seems as if we would wander through a parched land , in which only the industrial complex gives a sign of life. At first glance, the images appear unimpressive, but each one tells a story, from the myth of the frontier to modern capitalism.
Attention, follow massive Spoiler !
The thing is: none of these pictures are Real . Although Benning gave us the precise state and location with the intermediary panels, he decided to shoot The United States of America never venture beyond the borders of California . So we don’t see Alabama, Wyoming, or any state in between. Benning’s camera only shows us excerpts from Californian landscapes.
Nevertheless, we take every picture from him for over an hour and a half. Why does this work? Quite simply: The claimed content confirms our ideas and prejudices that got stuck in our heads. The United States of America is a game of expectations, not to mention that the mix of authenticity and distortion brings a certain amount of humor to it.
With the biggest twist of the Berlinale 2022, Benning puts the documentary form to the test and challenges us to question what we see . The fascinating thing is: as much deception as there is in The United States of America, as much truth can be found in the deceptive images. Restricted by the corona pandemic, Benning has created a provocative piece of cinema in search of America that crosses borders and still ends up standing in front of a locked gate.
If you want to make this trip yourself, you can find my Berlinale notes here.
We start in…
Heron Bay, Alabama: A demolished house sticks out of the picture. Earth and mud form the foundation. Soft music in the background.
Copper River, Alaska: The rubble is followed by the light of dawn and a path that leads into a mighty mountain range. It’s my favorite frame from the film.
Ajo, Arizona: We dive into a dry river bed. The stony, barren landscape stands out to the left and right. A joyless canyon.
Tucker, Arkansas: It’s going to be tough. A road leads along a large lattice fence with barbed wire and a watchtower. A power box also catches the eye.
Wilmington, California: We look into the sunlight and see a homeless camp under a bridge. One of the most disturbing images in the film.
Grand Junction, Colorado: The oppressive is replaced by a wide landscape that could have come from a Western. trees and drought.
New Milford, Connecticut: The American flag flaps in the wind against a blue sky, but we see it from the mirror-inverted perspective.
Wilmington, Delaware: A large house with pointed protrusions sits calmly at the edge of a street while talking can be heard on a radio.
Washington, D.C.: The statue of a man dominates the picture. Exhausted, he sits in front of his plow and examines his hands. Forever petrified in his work.
Key Biscayne, Florida: A large yacht surrounded by many boats. The port goes directly into hotel complexes. An extinct holiday paradise.
Okefenokee, Georgia: Green grass and a peaceful body of water. We see trees and the sky while various animals make sounds.
Kilauea, Hawaii: Despite the dry ground, Benning shows a small part of a plantation. Thick palm trees stand in the sun.
Shoshone, Idaho: A stony terrain stretches out in front of us, which ends in a flat hill over which a tiny person is walking.
Mining, Illinois: Grass, degrees and more grass. The land is flat and wide. The familiar tones of This Land Is Your Land ring out through the dense fog.
Gary, Indiana: Gigantic silos in the background, a turning truck in the foreground. In addition, there are monotonous industrial noises.
Rice Lake, Iowa: A hazy shot of a lake with a few birds flying over it. It could also be the lonely moor from a dark fairy tale.
Wallace, Kansas: A desert spreads before our eyes, not only made of stones, but also of windmills. An endless noise.
Willard, Kentucky: A few horses run through the picture and along a fence. A couple of chickens cluck in the background. There is not much going on here.
Lake Charles, Louisiana: Two cars are parked in front of an industrial plant, one old and one new. Smoke rises and a dog barks into the void.
Albione, Maine: Huge sunflowers take over the picture almost completely. Only the sound of an approaching helicopter deceives the idyll.
Baltimore, Maryland: Benning shows us a port with large cranes and even larger warehouses. A small ship chugs on the water.
Tonset, Massachusetts: Waves slowly roll onto the beach. The movement repeats itself, everything in upheaval. Only the sky stands still.
Muskegon, Michigan: Even more water and space. Not a picture of hope, however. Rather a dreary sight and a lonely boat.
Hibbing, Minnesota: The camera bores into the depths of a quarry. Huge machines that still appear small and powerless from a distance.
Fayette, Mississippi: Power poles, telephone lines and a cotton plantation accompanied on the audio track by inventories of racism.
St. Elizabeth, Missouri: A river flows comfortably around the corner. An angler in a yellow jacket casts his rod several times. A dog. And the birds in the background.
Stemple Pass, Montana: It’s getting really cold for the first time. A lot of snow falls on the trees. It’s hazy but also very peaceful.
Omaha, Nebraska: The mountains on the horizon. Otherwise steppe and dry grass as far as the eye can see. Constricting as well as liberating.
Warm Springs, Nevada: Small cacti protrude from the earth. The ground is rocky and dry. Play of clouds in the sky and – yes – mountains again here.
Carroll, New Hampshire: D he desert character disappears. Instead, a spooky night spreads between the dry trees.
Laurence Harbor, New Jersey: Another port. This time huge container ships pass us. The weather is cloudy. Very cloudy.
VLA, New Mexico: Withered bushes and satellite dishes stand on the dusty ground. Fighter jets sound from far away.
New York, New York: In the middle of a canyon of houses we see a deserted street. No people, no cars. The back of town.
Ashford, North Carolina: Surrounded by power lines, a church stands in the fog. First it’s quiet, then the bells ring reverently.
Grassy Butte, North Dakota: Telephone lines run across the prairie. The amicable mooing of the cows and the awakening crowing of a rooster.
Cleveland, Ohio: Clouds as if they were from a picture book. They are fluffy and white with minimal shadows. And Lovin’ You by Minnie Riperton. “La la la la la la.”
Duncan, Oklahoma: Oil pumps go deep. The image is severe, however, mainly because of all the cables and pipes that pierce it.
Durkee, Oregon: A freight train with a two-story load on its trailers drives and drives and drives past us. It seems to have no end at all.
East Berwick, Pennsylvania: The chimneys of a nuclear power plant towering high into the sky in contrast to flat solar systems. Both behind a fence.
Arecibo, Puerto Rico: Music from afar brings life to an otherwise desolate street of homes for sale.
Jamestown, Rhode Island: A bridge with a wind farm in the background. Also: water and a jetty. People are only very small.
Kershaw, South Carolina: A view of a field. Trees with white blossoms stand peacefully in several rows around the area.
Little Eagle, South Dakota: The clouds lie low in the landscape and pass us by. It’s dry, but the trees and mountains don’t seem to mind.
Paris, Tennessee: Clouds gather in the light of the setting sun while the moon is already in the sky. An incredible play of colours.
Valentine, Texas: A run-down gas station, pragmatically boarded up. Without a doubt one of the saddest images in the film.
Hanksville, Utah: We stare at layers of eternal stone. The passage of time before our eyes and yet movement seems impossible.
Milton, Vermont: A hilly landscape in the snow. Fir trees are densely packed here, a bit of sun and lots of shade.
Norfolk, Virginia: The fourth and last port. This time a warship sits in the water with flags and lines. Three cannons jut directly into the picture.
Okanogan, Washington: A steep slope with trees growing out of it. The earth is wet and fog hangs in the mountains. rolling thunder. A very powerful image.
Meadow Bridge, West Virginia: Several cars race through a muddy stockcar track in front of large billboards. Mainly they slide in the mud.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin: A parking lot hugs a factory building and waits for the trucks. The familiar tones of Imagine ring out.
Kelly, Wyoming: The last picture shows a chain link fence and a locked gate. The road has cracks. “Privat Property.” This is the end.
*The link to the Amazon offer is a so-called affiliate link. If you make a purchase through this link, we will receive a commission.
Have you ever ventured into the cinematic worlds of James Benning?
–
