'One Battle After Another': A Timely, Incredibly Crafted Epic from Paul Thomas Anderson

PHOTO: Warner Bros. Pictures

Like other modern auteurs, Paul Thomas Anderson has mostly made period pieces over the past several years. From There Will Be Blood to Licorice Pizza, Anderson’s past several works have jumped to various points of the 20th century. While he has rode a steady wave of acclaim over his career, this led some to wonder if he was afraid or uninterested in making a film set in the present day. When his latest project, One Battle After Another, was announced, it was rumored that PTA would be making an adaptation of Thomas Pynchon’s novel Vineland. Pynchon’s novel is set in Reagan-era America, but as details began to emerge about the film, it became known that the film was merely inspired by Vineland and that it would take place in the present day. As a longtime fan of PTA, I would have been excited for any film he decided to make. But between the film’s source material, this being his first modern-set film since 2002’s Punch-Drunk Love, and the film’s all-star cast, I had an instinctual feeling that this would be one for the ages.

With One Battle After Another, PTA crafts an honest-to-God action movie mixed with elements that recall paranoid political thrillers of the 70s, as well as his distinct sense of humor and a hint of the shagginess from his last Pynchon adaptation, Inherent Vice. Unlike Vice, however, One Battle After Another is far more straightforward and accessible. This doesn’t stop the film from touching on relevant political themes, as it focuses on radicalism, immigration, and white nationalism just to name a few. This film is coming out at the perfect time and place, as it comments on our current sociopolitical climate with precision and insightfulness. On top of this, it is also an edge-of-your-seat action thriller that captures your attention every second of its 162 minute run time. One Battle After Another is the perfect film for this moment in American history, and is immediately in the conversation for one of PTA’s best works, as well as one of the best films of the decade thus far.

Former revolutionary Bob Ferguson (Leonardo DiCaprio) has spent the last sixteen years in hiding after he and the members of a group known as The French 75 are ratted out. Since then, he has been living in the sanctuary city of Baktan Cross. He is in a state of constant paranoia, which he combats with weed and alcohol. He is also overprotective of his daughter, Willa (Chase Infiniti), a headstrong and independent young woman. Bob’s off-grid existence is threatened when a figure from his past, Captain Steven J. Lockjaw (Sean Penn), re-emerges and Willa goes missing. Bob soon finds himself looking back at his past and confronting the consequences of his actions as he embarks on a mission to rescue his daughter. 

The timeliness of its themes suggest that One Battle After Another was made as a response to recent events, but PTA has been trying to get this film off the ground for nearly twenty years now. The knowledge of this makes the film’s cyclical nature seem all the more powerful, adding weight to how it handles its political themes. The film’s prologue is a masterclass in exposition, effortlessly introducing us to everyone and setting the emotional stakes for the story with excellent craftsmanship and storytelling. It honestly makes for a great film in itself, but the way it informs the rest of the film makes it even more significant. Following this, we jump ahead with a bit of narration that says “Sixteen years later, the world has changed very little.” This line is key to the entire film, as it shows how fascism and political division have always been present in America. Much like the film’s title states, we are constantly fighting one battle after another against systemic oppression and injustice. In both the prologue and the main film, we see that the characters are dealing with many of the same issues, whether they be personal or political. It shows that without action, the same problems that we faced in the past only proliferate and create battles that either need to be fought by us or our future generations. What the film does with these ideas is extremely potent, and is perfect for this current moment in the US.

The father-daughter relationship between Bob and Willa is another strength of the film, and plays into the cycle of parenthood and what we pass on to the next generation. Some of this goes back to the idea of how some things never change or change very little over time, but it also explores the importance of love and family, as well as raising a child to be self-reliant. Bob’s time with The French 75 shows that he once had a fire within him, but that fire has dwindled in the years since he went into hiding. Despite this, he has managed to pass on his passion for social change and radicalism to Willa. In our introduction to Willa as a teenager, we see her practicing karate and see that she is much more responsible and cognizant than Bob. But while Bob is a slacker, he is also a caring father to Willa. She’s essentially all he has in this world, and he wants nothing more than for her to be safe. Sure, he is overprotective and usually in an altered state of mind, but he loves her more than anything. Willa definitely seems frustrated by Bob at times, but you can tell that she still loves him. Their relationship is beautifully written and acted, forming the emotional core of the film. It is such a fully-realized dynamic that helps the film culminate in a powerful ending, one that is capped off by one of PTA’s most electric needledrops.

The film also gets some digs in at the far right via Sean Penn’s character Steven J. Lockjaw. Lockjaw is a hyper-masculine military officer and espouses racist and homophobic rhetoric. This leads him to get an invitation to join a white supremacist group known as the Christmas Adventurers. This element may seem absurd, but when you think about the fact that one of the most popular alt-right groups is named after a deleted song from Disney’s Aladdin, it doesn’t seem too far off from the truth. The scenes in the film that involve the Christmas Adventurers are funny, but there is some truth to them that adeptly skewers radical conservatism. Lockjaw treats the prospect of joining the Christmas Adventurers as the highest honor he could achieve, and this is the driving force behind his actions for the majority of the film. But there is a performative nature to the character that could be interpreted as him playing up his ideals in order to be accepted by others. Underneath the machismo, there is a loneliness to Lockjaw. He doesn’t seem to have many people in his life, so being able to join the Christmas Adventurers would give him a place to belong. Whether he is more motivated by this or the status that joining the group would afford him, Lockjaw is willing to resort to extreme measures to get what he wants. If nothing else, it does provoke some interesting thoughts regarding conservative men, and does so in a funny, somewhat discomforting way.

Leonardo DiCaprio is an actor that I have always liked, but I really think he has leveled up ever since he finally won that elusive Oscar. He seems freer and more dedicated to his craft, and has given some of the finest performances of his career over the past decade. That also extends to his portrayal of Bob Ferguson, which sees him doing so much of what he does best. I’ve always felt that DiCaprio is at his best when he’s able to let loose, and this role allows him to do just that. He is able to be both a nervous wreck and a chill stoner, and plays the spectrum between the two so well. He has a real livewire energy to him in moments that draws you to him, but he also has some slacker qualities that add an interesting texture to the character. DiCaprio has such a great handle on Bob but the performance never feels overly controlled. Instead, there is a levity to the way DiCaprio plays him, as he adjusts to the exact levels he needs to be playing at so naturally. This is also one of his more heartfelt performances, as the love Bob feels for Willa is strongly felt all throughout the film. If Leo was to get a second Oscar, I would have no issue with him winning for his work here. It is easily one of the best performances of his career and one of the best performances of the decade.

Newcomer Chase Infiniti gives a star-making performance as Bob’s daughter, Willa, and is so unbelievably assured every step of the way. She more than holds her own against her more experienced co-stars, and has an utterly compelling screen presence to boot. Infiniti feels rather natural all throughout the film, which makes it all the easier to connect with her. Her work here shows that she has some serious range, and so many of the film’s best moments are at least partially due to her performance. This is true of an early scene where she argues with Bob before going to a school dance, as well as a tense confrontation scene, and a major moment near the end of the film. Infiniti is incredible and such a great discovery. I hope this film opens a lot of doors for her, because she has some serious talent.

Sean Penn’s performance is sure to be divisive, but I thought it was his best turn in years. Penn is locked in, embodying the performative masculinity of conservative men with aplomb. It is a big performance, but it needs to be that way in order for the role to make sense. Lockjaw is not a genuine person and instead acts a caricature of masculinity. He suppresses any semblance of identity in favor of fitting the mold that he feels he should fit, and Penn portrays this fully, from the character’s walk to his defensiveness when asked why his shirt is so tight. He’s doing a lot with the performance, but it plays perfectly into the film’s view on people like him, as well as the political commentary the film is making. 

One of the most fascinating performances of the whole film comes from Teyana Taylor, who isn’t even in all that much of the film. Taylor plays Perfidia Beverly Hills, one of the revolutionaries in the French 75 who Bob falls in love with. Taylor is an incredible talent, and commands the screen every time she shows up. She is brash, unapologetic, and frankly quite cool, but there is a humanity to her that makes her a truly interesting character. With such limited screentime, she leaves a lasting impression and sends shockwaves that impact the entire film. She basically owns the entire prologue, and her dynamics with both DiCaprio and Penn are key to the film as a whole. She truly is the linchpin of the entire film, and easily one of its best performances as well.

I also must mention Benicio Del Toro, who similarly isn’t in too much of the film, but is tremendous nonetheless. Del Toro is two for two with me when it comes to his performances this year, as he is funny and brings a great energy to the role of Sensei Sergio. Where Bob is a big ball of paranoia, Sergio has an unceasing calmness to him that creates a yin and yang vibe in their scenes together. This leads to some fascinating work from Del Toro, as he is tasked with minimizing his reactions to the film’s chaos. It works well because DiCaprio is more animated, but even beyond that, Del Toro is always very present and genuine. It is one of the best supporting performances of the whole year, and one of my favorite performances in any of PTA’s films.

As a lifelong fan of PTA, it was truly gratifying to see him make something as epic in scope as One Battle After Another. There are multiple scenes in this film that left me breathless, and that would rank among PTA’s finest moments. The big road sequence near the end of the film is an excellent example of this, as the camerawork, editing, and the tension that is built and released is simply sublime. The prologue is also fantastic on every level, and expertly sets the tone for the entire film. There is also so much humor and heart throughout the film, which complements the darker, grittier aspects of the film so well. This is the type of film that I wanted to go back and watch again immediately after it was finished, and I guarantee I will be seeing it many more times in the future. This is top shelf PTA, and a great example of all of the things he does well as a filmmaker. But beyond the craft, the film is also a powerful statement amidst a time of political unrest. It takes a stand against fascism and injustice, and is incredibly timely. One Battle After Another plunges the viewer into the reality we are living in, but balances this with excellent filmmaking and PTA’s unmistakable voice to create something that is bound to be a cinematic classic. 

Rating: 5/5