By Joshua Kazemi
Paul Thomas Anderson grew up as an aspiring filmmaker in Los Angeles in the 1970s. PTA has said that he never had a backup plan and never planned to do anything other than make movies. That DNA is apparent in his work, and after directing 10 phenomenal films over four decades, which have collectively been nominated for a total of 41 Academy Awards, it’s clear that a Plan B would have been a fool’s errand. With a track record like his, there are many avenues in which to explore his work and try to understand what makes it all so great. We’re going to discuss just a few of the specific tools that PTA has utilized in his impressive career thus far
The Tools of the Trade
As a director, PTA harnesses everything at his disposal to make his films. As a result, each of them feels uniquely crafted. While there’s a clear, consistent voice behind the wheel of each project, his movies still feel varied. For example, he has made a name for himself as a filmmaker who incorporates stunning camera movements, like the many slow-motion tracking shots of young lovebirds running side by side in “Licorice Pizza”, but he’s also the same director who made “Phantom Thread” and its much more subtle approach to camera movement. This is a filmmaker who not only knows how to use these tools, but he, more importantly, knows when to use them. He can create a grand epic opening montage in “Magnolia” that features heavy use of whip pans, crash zooms, overlapping dialogue, and music, but he can also make a near static interrogation scene with zero music or score in “The Master” feel just as compelling. This makes each film feel loaded with intentionality and allows his characters and stories to arrive with impeccable, specific delivery.
Music
PTA has become known for his uncanny ability to drop songs into his films in ways that never feel like a narrative shortcut but rather an elevation of the film’s story and characters. Like in “Punch-Drunk Love”, when two lonely people finally unite in an awkward, sweet, and hopeful embrace as “He Needs Me” by Shelley Duvall plays underneath. Or when “Wise Up” by Aimee Mann plays in “Magnolia”, and the characters actually sing along to the delicate song across the grand scope of the film and its characters. There are many examples of PTA’s musical touch, but the greatest of these is perhaps an iconic scene in “Boogie Nights”.
The setup is relatively simple, but the wildly tense chaos that ensues is far greater than the sum of its parts. At a point of desperation, Mark Wahlberg’s character, Dirk, arrives at a drug dealer’s house to scam him for some money. As they wait for the deal to go down, the infectiously upbeat “Jesse’s Girl” by Rick Springfield starts as inexplicable firecrackers continue to go off in the background. The dealer, played by Alfred Molina, sings along to the song, which firmly establishes it in the world with our characters. It’s obviously diegetic, but Molina’s character places it at the forefront with his singing and dancing.
The upbeat nature of the song brilliantly contrasts the high-stakes pressure cooker of a scene. The sporadic firecrackers mirror the random acts of violence that have been present in the film and in the lives of the characters, and they foreshadow the literal gunshots that are yet to come. The result is a nail-biting sequence that has audiences on the edge of their seats and in the shoes of the main character. The song isn’t a ploy to remind the audience what decade we’re in, or to inject some energy. PTA never uses music as a crutch. It’s a perfectly placed song that elevates what is already on the page and on the screen.
The rest of the film is also filled with music, which is key. This scene isn’t an outlier in the sense that there’s suddenly a pop song playing underneath a moment of tension. There are incredible needle drops throughout the film. And in fact, the entire movie starts with the sound of a record starting over black. Music ushers the audience into this world. So when “Jesse’s Girl” starts at the climax of this chaotic scene, it doesn’t feel out of place. In fact, it feels in keeping with the film and plays directly into the contrast that PTA is using to his advantage.
Cinematography
PTA also has an incredible eye for cinematography and was even his own Cinematographer on “Phantom Thread”, and Co-Cinematographer on “Licorice Pizza” with Michael Bauman. So, none of his films feel like they are shot with standard coverage. Instead, each feels like it was derived from a strategic shot list informed by the story and characters, and just so happened to be nice to look at. The dark and troubling world of “There Will Be Blood” is filled with gorgeous shots of vistas, glistening oil men, and fiery geyzers. Each of which serves a specific purpose in the mosaic. These examples span the body of PTA’s work, but a recent example in “One Battle After Another” comes in the form of the climactic chase scene.
As Willa is being followed by Tim, who’s being followed by Bob, the camera drives down the road with them. It’s low to the ground and starts as a clear point of view for the characters. But as the scene goes on and intensifies, the camera gets even lower, almost as if it becomes the POV of the cars themselves. The camera flies down the road, traveling up and down with each dramatic hill on the open stretch of road before them. These choices make the audience feel like they are in the thick of it, driving right alongside these characters. This could have easily been shot more traditionally, giving the audience all the information they need to track the chase. But PTA chose not to shoot with an objective camera that’s observing this like an omniscient fly on the wall. Instead, it’s a subjective lens, and it’s used as a powerful tool to put the audience in the scene.
With hill after hill, intercut with shots of near-view mirrors, these hills start to appear as giant walls that none of these drivers can see over. They each have to scale and climb one after another in their pursuit. The incredible detail in which we can see each individual crack in the road, the heat emanating from it, and the repetitive nature of the editing are practically begging you to pay attention to what’s to come. And as the audiences piece together what they are being shown, the character pieces together her plan of survival. Willa clears another big hill, slams on her brakes, and flees her car, leaving it as a trap for Tim, who promptly slams into it as he comes up over the same hill. This culminates in a sudden and violent crash. The build-up makes for an absolutely cathartic climactic moment for the audience following along.
Mise En Scène
Mise En Scène is a film theory that places importance on everything that comprises each shot in a film. Everything from the set design, lighting, blocking, costumes, props, etc. All of those details make up the shot as a whole, and each piece is important to the puzzle. So naturally, a filmmaker like PTA would go the extra mile in this regard when telling a story about a character that is so specifically detail-oriented in “Phantom Thread”. The very character’s existence hinges on his ability to care about and execute on the tiny details. This movie is filled to the brim with details in every single frame that inform who Reynolds Woodcock (Daniel Day-Lewis) is, and how his life is constructed around details.
The first frame of Woodcook sees him meticulously lathering up his face with shaving cream in front of a marbled wall. The second shot is Woodcock shining his shoes over a cloth that lies across his lap. Behind him, his immaculate dress shirt, tie, and another identical pair of shoes. Then, in a series of mostly static frames, he plucks individual hairs from his nose and ear, combs his hair, and puts on his socks. This is followed by an exterior shot of his large home, then corresponding interiors that reveal ornate, expensive, and beautiful molding, furniture, and a large staff. We then see one of them stitching Woodcock’s name into the inside of a beautiful coat. Finally, he sits down at his breakfast table and complains about the “stodgy” baked good placed before him.
In the first five minutes of this film, the details in every frame tell the audience virtually everything they need to know about the main character. They know that he’s extremely detailed, demanding, and successful — the world has rewarded his compulsions with wealth and status. PTA goes on to use all of the small details to elevate Daniel Day-Lewis’ visceral performance of the detailed-obsessed dressmaker as he’s challenged throughout the film by the love of his life, a strong-willed woman who’s as determined as he is.
Paul Thomas Anderson has proven time and again that he’s a meticulous filmmaker who writes interesting, complicated characters and uses whatever means and tools necessary to bring them to life with specificity and care. His understanding of every aspect of filmmaking has helped him master the craft. With Script to Screen, our new nine-week directors’ initiative for writers with a desire to master the craft of directing, you too can master the craft and learn from some of the highest-regarded filmmakers in their field.
Eight winners will join this nine-week intensive, helping them gain a complete understanding of how every choice a director makes shapes the story. From framing a shot to guiding performances, pacing a scene to crafting the emotional rhythm of a film. With the support of Oscar and other award-winning filmmakers, participants will gain insight into the collaborative process, learn to think visually, and discover how to translate the nuances of dialogue, character, and theme into cinematic moments that resonate on screen. Don’t forget to enter!
