RR

Over the past four decades, James Benning has explored the American landscape with precision and an uncanny eye for finding the unfamiliar in the familiar, encouraging us to look (and listen) in new ways. His latest film is perhaps his most accessible and enjoyable yet, combining formal rigour and subtle social comment with a playfulness that floats closer to the surface than in, say, Ten Skies, 13 Lakes or The California Trilogy. The film is composed of 43 static shots of rural or semi rural locations. Seconds after the shot has begun, a train enters and crosses the frame. Shortly after the train clears the frame, the shot ends.

From this deceptively simple, even abstract premise, Benning invites us to celebrate the railroads, and to recognize their historical impact and influence. His inspired use of occasional non-natural sound - iconic Woody Guthrie, Karen Carpenter singing a Coke ad, Gregory Peck reading from The Book of Revelation - variously underlines and counterpoints what we are shown. As we immerse ourselves into the rhythm and temporality of what we're seeing, the invitation becomes something more: to celebrate cinema in its purest - and strangely seductive - form.
Sandra Hebron