As much as Alexander Payne's films are about people, they are also about places. The buildings, signage and décor that surround the characters are just as important as the characters themselves. You can tell a lot about a person by how they decorate. And I'm not talking about fetishistic Wes Anderson stylization either. Alexander Payne is a visual anthropologist intent to show us exactly as we are.
Viewed in this context, the decision to shoot in black and white makes absolute sense. It's the logical next step. By shooting in monochrome it becomes easier for an audience to notice the environments and the clothing without the distraction of color. It also allows us more direct look at the human face and all the subtle emotions that can flicker across it in an instant.
I honestly wouldn't mind if Payne spent the rest of his career documenting this nation state by state like a modern WPA photographer. In the end we could put together one heck of a retrospective: The United States of Payne.
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