Whenever I get a bit tired of binge watching movies, I opt for a meditative documentary. I wonder how fortunate I was to discover James Benning's work because after watching a movie with a masterful idea like One Way Boogie Woogie, my perception of cinema will change completely.
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James Benning is a master figure in the landscape documentary world. In a career spanning thirty-five years, he has constantly sought to reinvent himself through experimental, avant garde genres.
Benning is always looking for a subject It can be a lake, the sky and sometimes a city His signature long static shots are stunningly beautiful that no matter how long the shots are. they never bore the audience. Benning's innate framing skills make every frame picturesque. However, some of his extremely long (10-40 minutes) of unbroken shots are not suitable for the patience of all viewers.
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JB chose American railways as his subject for RR (2007). After two and a half years of hard work, he captured 216 railroad track scenes on his camera, from which 43 shots were carefully selected for this film.
Sometimes a giant, a mile long train might be screeching over some picturesque bridge. Sometimes a small coal train runs through a beautiful landscape, Maybe one train is entering the tunnel and another one is crossing over it.Sometimes over the deserts, sometimes along scenic sea-shore or on a single track through a forest.
Benning has a particular fan base familiar enough with his film style, to whom Benning is a pioneer,