The Master Review

I’ve been ruminating on Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest directorial effort, The Master, for a week now, so it’s about time I write my review.

Yes, it’s that type of film – the type that requires a week’s worth of thought-processing to pour over the complex characters, story, and themes presented. After a week of thinking about the film, I am comfortable saying that it is technically magnificent, but I’m still not convinced I should call it a masterpiece.

The story of The Master follows Freddie Quell (Joaqiun Phoenix) as a post-WWII Navy veteran who struggles to acclimate back to civilian life. He bounces from one odd job to another, staying in one place just long enough to blow his top, pick a fight, and leave town on the run. His unstable life is fueled in large part by the toxic brews he mixes from whatever chemicals he has available. He’ll down anything from paint thinner to Lysol for a kick, and these extreme measures for escapement usually result in bad news for Freddie. His life is a mix of booze, sex, and dangerous behavior.

During one of his rotgut-powered binges, Freddie finds himself crossing paths with Lancaster Dodd (Phillip Seymour Hoffman) the leader of The Cause. Dodd is the opposite side of the coin from Quell. When asked who he is and what he does, Dodd responds with a laundry list of academic and important-sounding titles. He’s a man who relies primarily on his intellect to guide his life. But, just as Freddie’s life is complicated by his animalistic desires, Dodd’s life is complicated by the intellectual rabbit hole he has dug for himself. The Cause is a belief system wholly controlled by Dodd. He has literally written the book on The Cause, which details how all of our past lives are connected and helps people to reconnect with their past selves. The Cause is being attacked by outsiders who claim The Cause is merely a cult and eroded from within by family and friends who are losing faith and trust in Dodd. As the leader of the group to whom everyone turns, Dodd struggles to weather the storm.

Watching these two interact is the real draw of The Master. Phoenix gives a stunning performance as Quell. It is impossible to take your eyes off the manic, dangerous, injured, and lost soul portrayed by Phoenix. As great as Phoenix is, Hoffman is his equal. Hoffman carries Dodd as a confident intellectual, but you always feel the presence of a darker undercurrent to his personality. When the two of them meet, it’s like they suddenly have found the other half of themselves that they never knew existed. They feed off of each other, each trying to help the other through their difficulties in life. These two characters are unique and completely mesmerizing.

This being a Paul Thomas Anderson film, the presentation of the film is astounding. The look, the pacing, the editing, the feel, the shot composition – it all comes together to make a beautiful film. Every frame pops off the screen, and there are more than a few sequences and shots that will take your breath away. As just one example of his talent on display, Anderson makes a slow-motion shot of a boat’s wake emotionally resonant. Film students (and film directors) everywhere should dissect every component of this film; everyone in the movie business could learn from what’s on display here.

Despite my praise for The Master, I’m still not sure if I really liked it. There’s a lot going on in the film, and didn’t quite I get the message. Anderson spends a lot of time crafting a beautiful world and complicated relationships, but finding the main theme is a little hard. I would have liked it better if any of the major themes presented in the film would have had a strong resolution. Perhaps the ambiguity is part of the point. This is a film that demands multiple viewings and discussion with friends. With so much to process, finding what it all means doesn’t come easily. Maybe the only way to understand it is to talk about it with others.

At the end of the day (or week), The Master is a wondrous film to watch. Just don’t expect to take it all in during a single viewing. You’re going to want to revisit The Master time and again, but that journey for deeper understanding will be worth it for the talent and beauty on display.

4 out of 5 stars

What did you think of The Master? Are you enticed by a movie so deep that you know going in that you’ll have to see it twice or more to understand it? Let me know in the comments or on Twitter!