The Master

"If you figure out a way to live without a master, any master, be sure to let the rest of us know, for you would be the first in the history of the world." 

2012

Written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson

Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams

For those of you who have seen Anderson’s previous film, 2007’s brilliant There Will Be Blood, you will most likely recall the 15 minute long dialogue-free opening segment and its captivating portrayal of Daniel Plainview’s life. Jump forward five years and Anderson’s highly-anticipated The Master catches you in just the same way. Instead of down a well, though, we start on an exotic island where World War Two Naval Forces are located and we henceforth gain a intriguing insight into the lives of struggling veterans retuning from service. 

The film initially drew attention due to its supposed depiction of the origins of Scientology. Speaking to CBS, Anderson noted that the film was “loosely inspired by Hubbard” (the church’s founder) and he showed the film to friend and famous Scientologist Tom Cruise (Magnolia, 1999) before its release. This, however, should not be the key talking point of the film but its characters, ideas and ambivalent ending.

Joaquin Phoenix plays the impetuous Freddie Quell, who, psychologically damaged from his experiences, drunkenly saunters from job to job, conjuring up alcoholic potions on his way and attempting to fulfil his sexual longings. He then stumbles upon Lancaster Dodd (Hoffman) , a.k.a The Master, who takes Quell under his wing in the attempt to “cure”  him through his leadership of “The Cause”. 

More of a character study than a plot-driven film ("We're low on story, we're high on character" says Anderson himself), Phoenix and Hoffman’s roles are fascinating and their performances are nothing short of spectacular. Phoenix may play his usual temperamental character but he is so convincing and often funny that scenes without him feel empty. Many are putting Hoffman on the pedestal and he will undoubtedly garner an Oscar nomination, yet I find Phoenix to be equally, if not more, impressive. The leads compliment each other perfectly with the processing scene being their most engaging encounter and hitting the peak of Phoenix's performance. Amy Adams is also a great addition to the cast as she shows Peggy's influence over the seemingly all powerful Master.

Shot in 70mm (highly recommended to see it in this format if you fancy a trip to the Odeon West End), the film is visually breathtaking on the big screen. Dazzling images of the sea contrast with intense close-ups of our characters, accompanied with a subtle and intriguing wood-based score from Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood.

The film is not for everybody though (including my mother who wasn't the best person to take). It’s often challenging in nature by a lack of progressive story line and conclusive end. As Anderson points out, the characters "start the same, and they end the same", which can be quite frustrating for some viewers. 

In my opinion, its only downfall is its ending. Whereas There Will Be Blood’s finale was explosive, shocking and utterly brilliant (“I’m finished” being Daniel Plainview’s final on-screen utterance), The Master fizzles out. At 140 odd minutes, the film is quite long but that would not have been an issue had the intriguing sequences been sustained throughout.  It is testimony to Anderson’s skill, however, that it still remains one of the year’s best films. 

An Oscar front runner? 

As will become apparent over the next few months, I absolutely love Award Season. With a nation-wide UK release of mid-November, The Master is one of the first films to enter the Oscar-sphere, most likely on the part of producer Harvey Weinstein.

Anderson is clearly an actor's director as the majority of his films have garnered Oscar nominations for some of its stars and this will not be an exception. Phoenix are Hoffman are sure to get nods for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor respectively and I would personally love to see Phoenix take away a statuette.

However, is the film itself too unconventional for the Academy?

The latest trailer for Spielberg’s Lincoln, starring Daniel Day-Lewis (who shone in PTA’s last) in the title role, seems a more traditional historical epic that will likely please the Academy the same way that The King’s Speech did; an iconic leader overcoming his difficulties to fulfil righteous acts, blah blah. There Will Be Blood missed out on the 2008 Best Picture to the Coen Brothers’ dark No Country For Old Men¸ and though equally impressive was undoubtedly less adventurous than Anderson’s offering. Life of Pi, Cloud Atlas and The Hobbit seem to be others discussed as Oscar front runners, all of which won't come as a surprise. 

Though the performances are strong, the characters do fail to reach any enlightening conclusion and none are particularly honourable, aspects that may alienate some voters. Hopefully, though, they will honour the individual, creative film-making of Anderson that escapes Hollywood confines to give a thought-provoking piece of cinema.

No matter how it performs in Award Season, The Master is definitely one of my favourite films of the year and I still cannot stop thinking about it.

9/10