主aaa
导演：詹姆斯·班宁
语言：无对白
地区:美国
编剧：
类型：纪录片
上映时间：2001-10-26(维也纳影展)
别名：
用户标签：纪录片,詹姆斯·班宁,美国,美国电影,电影,奥地利,●Documentary,◎2000s
片长：87分钟
imdb编号：tt0293359
LosAngelesisdepictedin35stationaryshots,each21/2minuteslong,inthisnon-narrativefilm.
NearingthecompletionofElValleyCentro,Ibeganplanninganurbancompanionpiece,Los,thatwastobeaportraitofLosAngeles.Itseemedlogical,forthepoliticsofwatercertainlyrunfromtheValleytotheCity.LoswouldhavethesamestructureasElValleyCentroandwouldlookandlistenwiththesameintensity.ThetwofilmswouldbeconnectedwiththelastshotofElValleyCentropumpingwateroutoftheValleyoverWheelerRidgewhilethefirstshotofLoswouldshowMulholland’sfirstspillway(stillinuse)bringingwaterintoLA.
JamesBenning,December2001
Conceptual-artportraitofLosAngelesCounty,comprising35two-minuteshotsofstreams,hills,buildings,factories,gardens,highways,rivers,cattle,trains,people,theocean,acemetery,theskyline,policemen,backstreets,ajail,soccerplayers…Bennings’cameraremainsstatic,andintheabsenceofcommentarytheonlysoundsweheararewhatever’saudibleineachoftheseplaces:snatchesofdialogue,distantbackgroundmusic,therumbleofcarsandtrains.
BenninghasbeenoneofAmericanleadingavant-gardefilm-makersforover20years,butremainsbarelyknownbythewidercinemagoingpublic,especiallyabroad–partlybecausehedoesn’tallowhisworkstobeavailableonvideo.AndwhileLosisno-one’sideaof‘commercial’film-making,Benning’slowprofileisanindictmentofthetimidpoliciesofoursupposedlyadventurousarthouses:thisismuchtoofascinatingauseoffilmforittoberelegatedtoartgalleries.
Loscanbetakenas35shortmovies,eachofthemsayingsomethingaboutthecounty,eachofthemposingsomequestionaboutBenning’stechnique,providingViewingbecomesanactive,enthrallingexperience–evenwhenthere’sapparently‘nothinghappening’onscreen.Itsoonbecomesclearthatthetiming,orderandcontentsofeachimagehasbeenverypreciselycalculated,andinmanycasesit’swhatwecan’tseethat’sthe‘subject’oftheshot.Thepenultimateshotisof‘homelesspeople’,andatonepointanunseenpasserbyexclaims“Whatthef*ckareyoulookin’at,stupidmotherf*cker?”Buttherearenoanswers–everythingaboutthefilmisamatterofsubjectiveinterpretation,andeveryresponseisequallyvalid.Benning’sgazetransformsthewholeof‘greater’LosAngelesintoavastworkofart,intheprocessmakingiteven‘greater’still–andthisisonlythecentralpartofaprojected‘SouthernCalifornia’trilogy.
Thefilmisfullofengrossingincidentaldetails,cross-references,tantalisingcluesthatmightmeaneverythingornothing.EarlyoneweseeaDKNYadvertisingbillboardownedbyacompanynamed‘OutdoorSystems’,andthisphrasesumsupBenning’srealsubject–thehumanandnaturalprocessesthatcombinetoformthebizarreanomalyweknowasLA:ahugecloudofdustrisingfromabrushfire;theeveninglightsofcarszoomingalongasix-lanehighway;theflightpathofalandingjet-plane.Thisisagamewithspecificrulesofform(thelengthandhorizon-linesofeachshotaresimilar)andcontent(eachshotmustcontainsomeaspectofhumanactivity;eachshotmustbeoutdoors)and,finally,memorytest.We’reexposedtoeachoftheimagesforsolong,thatbytheend,whenBenningbringsupaseriesofcaptionsidentifyingthelocationsofeach,wecanrunthroughthewholemovieagain,inourmind.
Needlesstosay,Loswon’tbetoalltastes–intoday’smarket-orientedclimate,suchaprojectnecessarilyrunstheriskof‘pretentiousness’accusations–butit’ssurprisinghowquicklyyouadjusttothefilm’suniquerhythms,andthisisaverystraightforward,accessiblekindofexperimentalism.Intermsofanartistusingcinematoexpresshimself,itdwarfsalmostallthisyear’s‘conventional’releases:ifanyfilmof2001canpossiblychangethewayitsaudiencesthinkaboutandviewtheirworld,it’sJamesBenning’smysterious,majestic,magicalLos.