America(n) Falls

It could be said the the ordinary level of stress associated with writing a blog post (moderate but temporary) is heightened considerably when writing on a film made by the man who grades it. However, this task is made considerably easier when the author actually enjoyed the film in question. Fortunately, I find myself in this position as I unpack my experience with the experimental triptych film American Falls (2010) by Phil Solomon.

American Falls, for those readers who aren't Professor Solomon, is a journey over Niagara falls and through American history. The film is somewhat of a highlight reel of history, featuring a variety of documentary media of key events and players. It is not, however, the all out celebration of American independence and culture one might imagine.

The three reels incorporated in the triptych film were all chemically treated, giving them an almost sepia tone quality. This chemical process also produces a great variety of texture on the film stock that, when coupled with standard processing errors (or perhaps marks also created by the chemicals?), gives the viewer (or at least me) an impression of both the film stock and the image within it burning. This burning texture is especially visible when the two side reels show scenes of water pouring over the falls. To me, this burning was the key that unlocked the deeper meaning of the film; the overtaking of cold rushing water by flames is taken literally a great and powerful force burning. When coupled with the title American Falls, we can understand that image represents the perversion of the great experiment that has been the United States of America. Once this metaphorical base is established, the meaning within the rest of the film can become more clear (and it also helps if you view it with Solomon's live commentary).

The critique embedded within this film is also illuminated by its soundtrack. In the opening of American Falls, the viewer hears the loud sounds of rushing water, accompanied by warped strings that fade in and out. This manipulation of music carries on throughout the film. During the section on the Great Depression, the soundtrack features a slowed down and tooled version of "God Bless America" that makes it sound ghostly. At one point only the center reel shows images, and shows a line of men waiting for bread or a job that could be straight out of an early Warner Bros. musical. When the side reels come in, they show a sign declaring "No Men Wanted." The conflict between the words of the song and the images on screen signify the gravity of the hardships of the great depression. Later, the soundtrack yields to the sound of wind as the film transitions into the Dust Bowl. The sound and image here, of houses spinning around in dust, have the same effect as on the previous sequence.

Later in the film these same types of conflicts between sound and image, as well as the individual qualities of the sound and image, represent critiques of American politics, economics, and social norms. This is why I believe another title for this film could be (if I may) "America Falls." Although it isn't necessarily a prophecy of doom or a diagnosis of our problems, American Falls points out a difficult truth: That Our country is imperfect. That Its history is marred by original sin and characterized by difficult and questionable compromises. And finally, maybe most importantly, that if we do not change our direction, America falls.