11 x 14 (1977)

11 x 14 is, without a doubt, a video treatise on the American way of living. Watching alternating sequences between urban and rural life in the Midwest, it is unmistakable seeing the American identity through landscapes, through people, through sound. Colorful billboards reflect the zeitgeist of American life with advertisements of alcohol and cigarettes. Farmland and suburbia dot the sights, and even at times intertwine together, to capture a holistic view of American uniqueness. Static shots lend themselves to a natural verisimilitude, in which subjects and objects frequently enter in and out of frame. At times, the composition is framed in a way in which we look from outside within; we see through a narrow window into a house. Sometimes, we pass by buildings and scenes of diversity and urban life. To say this movie has no narratives would be incorrect; a natural progression of repeating elements exists, like the depiction of the lesbian couple or the hitchhiker who travels through scenes of rural greenery. These narratives do not throw off the movie’s tone through drama or suspense, but instead accentuate the experiential qualities of the film. At times, shots may even feel voyeuristic in order to service the experience of American life. I believe it is a worthy watch, but I must admit that some portions felt a bit uneven structurally to me. The long take of the bellowing smoke was one example which derailed some of the movie’s momentum.