State Legislature

In covering the various institutions of US society, from schools to factories to hospitals to processing plants, director Fred Wiseman has become something of an institution himself. This hunk of no-frills, verité filmmaking seeks to shed some light on the Idaho state legislature process by simply observing the day-to-day activities and the key personalities (perhaps the wrong word?) involed. Lengthy, unedited takes of counselors' proposals for bills and amendments cover a range of topics which touch on everything from curbs on camera phone technology right up to freedom of speech. For those repelled by the behemothic run-time, Wiseman is fully aware of the potentially drab nature of the material, and supplies a foothold by inserting scenes of students being given a guided tour of the Chamber of Commerce in Boycey, Idaho. A refreshingly dense, meticulous and objective work and a must for anyone disenchanted with the overly polemical bent of recent US political docs.