'One Battle After Another': Holding a mirror to modern America

With the US verging on authoritarian rule, where government departments like ICE run rampant on the streets to capture immigrants like animals, the story of 'One Battle After Another' resonates powerfully with the realities of our time.

Inspired by Thomas Pynchon's novel, 'Vineland', this plot is centred around a revolutionary group called French 75. Their main goal is breaking out immigrants from concentration camps, but their plans start falling apart when a racist (almost monster-like) military commanding officer develops a sexual obsession with Perfidia (Teyana Taylor), an African-American member of the French 75.

Released on 26 September, director Paul Thomas Anderson and Leonardo DiCaprio do not shy away from shining a light on recent events and holding a mirror to modern politics, all while maintaining the balance between an engaging story and its statement. 

As the commanding officer exploits Perfidia, he eventually corners her into giving him confidential information about the rebel group, setting off an action-packed, powerful tale. 

The film paints a painful story of the racism and stigma immigrants face through its dialogue. In one scene, a military general says, "You know what they say, to save the planet, start with immigration." These words depict the blatant ignorance shown by people in power–mirroring the reality of immigrants in the West. 

The director portrays the dehumanisation of people with nuance. The French 75 may be fighting for a good cause, but they are not righteous and not beyond killing others. In one scene, Perfidia kills a security guard, posing a question of morality to the viewers, questioning whether the good guys are truly "good".

The main narrative follows Bob Ferguson (Leonardo DiCaprio), a member of the French 75, who goes into hiding for 16 years with his daughter, Willa Ferguson (Chase Infiniti). With the military still searching for them, Bob becomes an overprotective, paranoid father while struggling to curb his drug addiction. But when the authorities finally get their hands on their location, Willa gets separated from Bob while escaping. 

Director Anderson manages to keep the focus on fatherhood even against the backdrop of systemic racism and military corruption. In a country where gun rights, military service and racial purification can have intense importance, he makes every viewer question the very system they are in–even though Bob is privileged enough not to face the same stigma.

Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, and Chase Infiniti are absolutely fantastic in this film. DiCaprio embodies the character perfectly, providing both the comedic and emotional range the film needed. 

Sean Penn knocks it out of the park as a deranged, psychotic and frantic military colonel. He somehow manages to make his character feel both frightening and pathetic simultaneously.

With a runtime of almost three hours, the movie slowly boils down the narrative. The pacing is slow but never drags on. 

Interestingly, director Anderson and cinematographer Michael Bauman were very strict with the framing of the shots. The focal length in each scene was consistent, focusing on the subject, making you feel close to the characters.

However, one of the true storytellers of this film is its score, by musician Jonny Greenwood. The entire film has a diverse range of instrumentals, guiding the tone and pathos. A long segment in the middle had a single piano note struck repeatedly, escalating the tension as Bob grows more desperate to save his daughter. From sounding like an emergency alarm to quiet and gentle, Greenwood's work is felt deeply throughout.

The colour grading captures a gentle and nostalgic look with its play of warm and cool tones. The higher contrast, darker shadows and soft light bounce give the feel of a warm movie, but the story sadistically rarely allows you to feel that comfortable.

While the film shines a light on the political injustices and immigrant stories of the West, it also compels you to take a look at your surroundings. 

From religious intolerance to systemic torture of indigenous people, our own country is plagued by systemic racism and militarised violence. This seemingly universal problem of racism and corrupt politics is the reason it resonates with viewers today and will continue to do so in the future.