美利坚/合众国

　　James- -Benning’s first film called-* The. United S#?tates o]
f Ameri +;!ca was a 1975
$* trip a`(c /ross [the_= co` untry%, c%*=aptu=ring its scenery th].rou-gh a car w\ `indshield-.. T his second ,%one al$so crissc][r :osses the nation $,(+_ but wit-#hout a car, _;^carving it up instead into a series o.f):; static shot (s of=\^ just under two minu*tes, one for each st+,ate*:, prese?*^nted*@ 
@alphabetically, from Heron Bay, A_[^labama to Kelly, Wyomin?
g. +)!Th\e na_^!mes of `#the pl=a*:c%es are nondescript, but the images attac-hed to them are anything but, i*mma\/#cula**tely com$posed( s$`.ho,=ts o.;[f la/+nd!@(scape, c-: i] - tyscap%e and;\ the )#sp!
aces  in% b@ ^etween. As we move from A to` Z, th,
e=() images co?a$`lesce into.(: a portrait of t!;- oda!`y+’ /s USA, tracing :!out its fa(ult li\?ne#s_ al%)m_ost i-@;n\ \passing: \#\fenced-o*ff f#a(cilities,:+ a river b?#ed runnin*=g dry, ,^f actorie @:s and refine(ries, run)-down s[\treets and gas stations,- a camp under a bridge. Th?#.e past+   is$$ the]#r@**e t[.*];oo, seeping up through the songs@[ and spe=)eches t_hat spora)) dica%lly ; .pier!ce the background noise or the m
)otifs that evoke]) ,$a whole career th]=?e clouds, trains an/ d*. ca
bins are s\tand-ins: for( films=), n/ot [?just:$ sta))t!@es .\? A% s always., th..ere’)=/.s tim)=@e ^fo_!
r more abstract t/ hough=ts`. too: each image/$: may st=and f,o?r a st-_,ate, b__ut re(_presentativi ty# i\*s sl`ip^=pery. Which s^tate is more cinema[!tic tha)$n t+he r^est?