Paul Thomas Anderson

Paul Thomas Anderson stands as a pre-eminent figure in contemporary filmmaking, often regarded as a Neo Stanley Kubrick due to the profound thematic depth and expansive visual scope of his cinematic works. His films consistently demonstrate significant spatial and emotional distance, a thematic hallmark observed across his oeuvre. As a director, Anderson's approach is unique; he asserts that **all the direction resides within the script itself. His role during filming is primarily to ensure the smooth progression of the production and to maintain accurate camera work, allowing the inherent power of his meticulously crafted narratives to unfold.

Anderson possesses a remarkable ability to extract powerful performances from his actors. This is sometimes achieved through intense situations and repetition, driven by the conviction that the performance required for the greater work of art is paramount, irrespective of any temporary discomfort to the performers. Actors frequently praise his scripts, often remarking on their exceptional quality, though it is amusingly noted that they have not always read the entire script before offering such accolades. His method ensures that the precise performance necessary for the film's overarching vision is achieved.

The American Trilogy

Anderson's "American Trilogy"—comprising There Will Be Blood, The Master, and Magnolia—offers a sprawling, interconnected vision of the American experience across the 20th century. While each film possesses its own distinct worldview and narrative style, a unifying force binds them together, exploring themes of human will, geopolitics, and personal resolution. Each film, despite their differences, revolves around a magnetic, charismatic, strong central character, even when presented as ensemble pieces.

There Will Be Blood (2007)

There Will Be Blood, an adaptation of Upton Sinclair’s novel Oil!, serves as the chronological beginning of the trilogy, set in the early 20th century. It is an almost pure Nietzschean nihilistic film, a stark portrayal of relentless ambition and spiritual emptiness.

• Daniel Plainview, portrayed by Daniel Day-Lewis in an Oscar-winning performance, rises from a humble silver miner to an oil tycoon. The film opens with no dialogue for seven to fifteen minutes, immersing the viewer in a primordial landscape of dust, rock, and oozing oil, vividly depicting the raw, uncivilised physicality of man struggling against the elements. Plainview's character is a pure Nietzschean will man, a complete sociopath singular in his mission. His ultimate goal is not merely money or riches, but a consuming drive that sees him live entirely in the senses. For every gain he achieves, a sacrifice is made, symbolised early on by his broken leg after discovering silver.
• Plainview embodies a relentless will, refusing to be bought out by representatives of powerful corporations, showcasing his self-made, unyielding nature. A deeply unsettling aspect of his character is his heartless abandonment of his adopted son, HW, after the boy goes deaf in an oil derrick accident, deeming him no longer useful. This thematic thread of child abandonment recurs in Anderson's works.
• Plainview's nemesis is Eli Sunday, a cunning and manipulative preacher, brother to Paul Sunday, who is revealed as a false prophet. Their conflict is a study in "Beyond Good and Evil," where both characters are morally reprehensible yet compelling. Eli attempts to use his "Church of the Third Revelation" for personal gain, constantly seeking money from Plainview. Eli's ritualistic humiliation of Plainview during a forced baptism, where Plainview is made to confess his abandonment of HW, is a powerful moment, leading to Plainview's silent vow of vengeance. This culminates in Plainview's brutal murder of Eli with a bowling pin, after revealing he has "drank his milkshake," having drained Eli's land of oil, leaving him empty. The scene echoes the primal violence of the ape in 2001: A Space Odyssey.
• The film portrays oil as the "blood of the Earth," suggesting that its extraction possesses a demonic energy, irrevocably corrupting those who pursue it. Plainview's physical deterioration at the film's conclusion, becoming a twisted, beast-like figure barely able to walk, starkly reflects his internal spiritual decay. His concluding declaration, "I'm finished," seals his fate as a man consumed by his own ambition.

The Master (2012)

Representing the mid-20th century experience, The Master delves into themes that are obviously Scientological, though never explicitly named. While initially perceived as a film that "drifted too much," re-evaluation reveals its profound elements.

• The narrative centres on Freddie Quell (Joaquin Phoenix), a drifter and alcoholic, whose physically twisted and "worm-like" demeanour mirrors his inner emptiness. He is a raw, animalistic spirit that ultimately cannot be "quelled."
• Quell encounters Lancaster Dodd (Philip Seymour Hoffman), a charismatic leader often likened to L. Ron Hubbard. Dodd invites Quell into his organisation, engaging him in "informal processing" that evolves into "formal processing," aimed at confronting past lives and unlocking potential. Dodd tells his followers they are "spirits trapped in human form," capable of transcending their animalistic urges. Despite Dodd's efforts to "fix" Quell, the film's ending suggests no true resolution, with Quell continuing his drifting existence.
• The film masterfully employs spaces and distances to symbolise inner emptiness, using recurring imagery of the wake of a ship and vast, silent landscapes. It brilliantly portrays the post-World War II 1950s context, where people felt profoundly lost, lacking meaning and grounding, thus giving rise to burgeoning self-help movements.

Magnolia (1999)

Magnolia, a pivotal work crafted after the immense success of Boogie Nights, granted Anderson significant creative freedom to pursue this ambitious, three-hour and eight-minute film. Representing the close of the 20th century, it possesses a strong Biblical resonance about the modern world, exploring themes of disconnectedness and eventual release. Though considered a hard watch, running the gamut of human emotion, its pervasive musical score subtly builds a common tension amongst all characters, enhancing its dramatic impact.

• The film's opening challenges the notion of chance as a guiding principle, instead powerfully illustrating the interconnectedness of lives within the sprawling Los Angeles landscape. This concept is reinforced by a surreal plague of frogs, which descends towards the climax, serving as a Biblical ending of release, freeing characters from the "sins of the father" and the pervasive cycle of generational abuse. The recurrent referencing of Exodus 8:2underscores this Biblical undertone.
• Masonic symbolism and allegory are intricately woven throughout the narrative:
  • The film opens with a Masonic parable concerning three hanged men, alluding to the legend of Hiram Abiff.
  • The game show set prominently features a caduceus and a square and compass.
  • A significant scene involves a producer wearing a Masonic square and compass ring who, in parting, tells Jimmy Gator, "we met upon the level and we're parting on the Square," a direct Masonic phrase.
  • The child prodigy, Stanley Spector, is notably seen studying Albert Mackey's The History of Freemasonry.
  • The Masonic tools—the level, square, and plumb—are implicitly referenced, symbolising upright conduct and virtuous living.
  • Game show panels feature symbols such as compasses over laurel branches, representing Masonic virtues of peace, harmony, and unity.
• The San Fernando Valley setting is aptly described as the "valley of the shadow of death," where many characters are grappling with mortality or suicidal thoughts. The title itself, Magnolia, refers to the multifoliate blossom, symbolising the many interconnected stories that ultimately lead to the characters' "bloom" at the film's conclusion.
• The ensemble cast features a tour de force performance by Tom Cruise as Frank TJ Mackey, a magnetic motivational speaker. His portrayal is regarded as one of the greatest of all time on film, demonstrating incredible range as his hardened exterior, initially devoid of vulnerability, crumbles in a profoundly powerful scene at his dying father's bedside. His breakdown, expressing deep hatred for his father's abandonment, before pleading for him not to leave, bears a striking resemblance to Marlon Brando's performance in Last Tango in Paris. Mackey’s philosophy, advocating for a focus on the present and future rather than confronting the past, is challenged by his own emotional unraveling.
• Other notable characters include Jimmy Gator, the game show host whose implied past abuse of his daughter and symbolic association with "the worm" carry unsettling allusions. John C. Reilly's character, a wholesome and constantly praying police officer, acts as a guardian angel, embodying grace and forgiveness, notably when he saves William H. Macy's character after his own lost gun miraculously reappears from the sky.

Legacy

Paul Thomas Anderson's distinctive vision and ability to craft complex, emotionally charged narratives ensure his enduring legacy in cinema. His films, particularly the "American Trilogy," provide an expansive canvas for endless explication, with rich symbolism and thematic depth inviting continuous re-examination. These purely American films collectively capture the nation's ethos across a century, solidifying Anderson's reputation as one of the great filmmakers of his generation.