Spiral Jetty & Casting A Glance

While watching Spiral Jetty in a wide-eyed, statuelike stare, I was amazed at the film's mystery and archaic feel. As I watched, I felt as if a new door in the world of experimental film had opened. Although this may sound a bit dramatic, but Smithson's film really spoke to my interests in filmmaking on a level that experimental film hasn't ever before.

Why? I wasn't sure at first, but the beautifully crimson shot in the museum of the old bones reminded me of a personal experience I had as a child. My grandparents would take me to the Milwaukee Public Museum and turn me loose to explore on my own, at a VERY young age. The way I remember the museum from those days is completely different than it is now. I remember being afraid of the odd colored spotlights used in the various exhibits, the large Tyrannosaurus Rex eating a Triceratops with lightning in the background, and the endless amounts of taxidermy on the walls.

Of course, I haven't even reached the subject of Smithson's film, the actual earthwork. But something about the intro to the film makes it seem as if we are taking part in an archaic treasure hunt, using outdated forms of locating a specific point on a map. The shots of the truck ride remind us of a trip to the unknown. On spiraljetty.org, the long list of directions are almost alien to a world of Mapquest and google maps on our iPhones.

Once the audience, which has transformed into a group of archaeologists and treasure hunters, reaches the location of the "jetty," work begins almost immediately. But instead of unearthing the expected, the jetty turn's into a giant question mark. The following helicopter shots daze the audience with its mystery. Of course, the strongest part of the work lies in the face that the "?" remains for as long as the earthwork isn't destroyed.