Intended to be a microcosm of the larger social problems it touches upon, El Valley Centro focuses on an underpopulated rural region of southern California. Farming communities, construction sites, suburban backroads, and outlying desert valleys combine to paint a complex portrait surrounding this region. A sprinkler system hovers in the foreground of enormous farming acreage. A commercial train line rolls on endlessly, as each caboose is seen empty and deserted. A chemical is fueling an explosion, spitting black fumes into the ozone.
Some shots intend to spark outrage.
Others are deceptively serene. Most of the scenes have the common thread of a man-made interference, even if it is merely nearby traffic noise overheard in a peaceful orchard valley. Benning shows remarkable skill in filming some of the farming scenes. In one instance, the camera is placed firmly in the center of the shot of a rural landscape. The engine noise of some distant farming machinery is heard through a foggy atmosphere of an early morning.