Paul Thomas Anderson has given us one masterstroke after another. My favorite is Licorice Pizza, meaning whatever followed was inclined to suffer by comparison. Against all the odds, Anderson has made two near-perfect films back-to-back. Both are completely different, yet each has PTA’s signature. One Battle After Another is a wickedly funny, insanely thrilling ride that, at two hours and forty minutes, never has a dull moment. In some respects, this might be Anderson’s most personal film, as if he’s communicating with his children through it.
Although never officially married, Anderson and Maya Rudolph have been in a committed relationship for over two decades. They also have four kids together. The couple has mostly kept their kids out of the limelight. As private as Anderson is, it’s hard not to see him in Leonardo DiCaprio’s Bob Ferguson. Like Anderson, Bob falls in love with a woman of color (Teyana Taylor), raising a mixed-race daughter who grows up to be played by newcomer Chase Infiniti. Even if One Battle After Another isn’t autobiographical, Anderson is seemingly sending his children a message.
The film is loosely based on Thomas Pynchon’s 1990 novel Vineland, which drew its commentary from the Reagan and Nixon eras. This remains present in Anderson’s adaptation, although there are echoes of Trump’s America as a group of revolutionaries infiltrates a border wall. One Battle After Another wisely never singles out Trump, which would’ve been too easy. Instead, the film submerges us in a universe that reflects where America is now and where the country might be headed. Working behind the scenes is a secret society of white nationalists that goes by the Christmas Adventurers Club. It sounds silly, but these men are dead serious about “purifying” the land.
Sean Penn turns in some of his most transformative work as Col. Steven J. Lockjaw, who is invited to join the society. There’s just one potential blemish on his record. Lockjaw might’ve impregnated a Black freedom fighter. Teyana Taylor, who gave one of the most underrated performances of recent memory in A Thousand and One, delivers another entrancing performance as Perfidia Beverly Hills. Although she’s part of the radical group French 75, Perfidia finds herself sexually drawn to the racist Lockjaw. Or perhaps the danger he brings is the real allure. Making matters more complicated, Perfidia is also in a relationship with fellow freedom fighter Bob.
When Perfidia gives birth to her daughter Willa (Infiniti), it’s uncertain who the father is. As Infiniti turns sixteen, though, it’s evident who her true parent is. Perfidia has disappeared, while Lockjaw doesn’t care that he may have a daughter out there until she becomes a problem. Bob, meanweshile, gave up his life of rebellion to raise Willa. He’s doing a bit of a half-assed job, spending most of his time getting high around the house in a bathrobe. Moments like this remind us that DiCaprio is severely underrated as a comedic actor.
At the same time, Bob is protective of his daughter, preparing her for the day when shit hits the fan. That day inevitably comes with Regina Hall’s Deandra escorting Willa to safety. Bob is ironically caught off guard. He scrambles to catch up with Willa, getting help from Benicio del Toro as a calm sensei. As chaotic as One Battle After Another gets, at its core is a touching story about a father and daughter trying to find their way back to each other. One can only imagine how much Anderson drew from his personal life. If Bob is supposed to be his surrogate, though, it’s clear what he’s telling his children: I’ll fight for you, and you fight for a better tomorrow.