00:00:00 --> 00:00:02 Chris: You know what blows my mind? Paul Thomas
00:00:02 --> 00:00:05 Anderson just took a 33 year old novel
00:00:06 --> 00:00:09 about failed 60s idealism and turned
00:00:09 --> 00:00:11 it into the most relevant political thriller
00:00:11 --> 00:00:11 of our time.
00:00:12 --> 00:00:14 Jessica: That's fascinating how he managed to make One
00:00:14 --> 00:00:16 Battle After Another feel so current.
00:00:17 --> 00:00:19 The way he handles themes of surveillance and
00:00:19 --> 00:00:21 extremism feels almost prophetic.
00:00:22 --> 00:00:25 Chris: Well, what really strikes me is how he's
00:00:25 --> 00:00:28 woven these complex political threads into,
00:00:28 --> 00:00:31 into such a personal story. I mean,
00:00:31 --> 00:00:34 you've got DiCaprio's character, Pat Calhoun,
00:00:34 --> 00:00:37 going from passionate revolutionary to this
00:00:37 --> 00:00:40 paranoid, broken father figure over 16
00:00:40 --> 00:00:42 years. That's some serious character
00:00:42 --> 00:00:44 development. Hmm.
00:00:44 --> 00:00:47 Jessica: Um, the transformation is incredible,
00:00:47 --> 00:00:50 the way DiCaprio physically embodies that
00:00:50 --> 00:00:52 decline, especially in those scenes where
00:00:52 --> 00:00:54 he's struggling with substance abuse while
00:00:54 --> 00:00:55 trying to protect his daughter.
00:00:56 --> 00:00:58 Chris: Speaking of which, the relationship between
00:00:58 --> 00:01:01 Tyona Taylor's Perfidia and Sean Penn's
00:01:01 --> 00:01:04 Captain Lockjaw is just explosive.
00:01:04 --> 00:01:07 That detention center breakout scene where
00:01:07 --> 00:01:09 she humiliates him sets up this
00:01:09 --> 00:01:12 devastating chain of events that ripples
00:01:12 --> 00:01:13 through the entire film.
00:01:14 --> 00:01:16 Jessica: Oh, my God. Yes.
00:01:17 --> 00:01:19 And you know what's really interesting about
00:01:19 --> 00:01:22 that scene? The way Anderson shoots it
00:01:22 --> 00:01:24 almost like a documentary, which makes the
00:01:24 --> 00:01:26 violence feel so much more immediate and
00:01:26 --> 00:01:26 real.
00:01:27 --> 00:01:29 Chris: Well, that's actually a technique he borrowed
00:01:29 --> 00:01:31 from 70s political thrillers like Medium
00:01:31 --> 00:01:34 Cool. But he's updated it with these modern
00:01:34 --> 00:01:36 surveillance elements that really amp up the
00:01:36 --> 00:01:39 paranoia factor. Like there's always this
00:01:39 --> 00:01:40 sense that someone is watching.
00:01:40 --> 00:01:43 Jessica: The technical aspects are so impressive.
00:01:43 --> 00:01:45 How did they manage to maintain that tension
00:01:45 --> 00:01:47 for almost three hours without it feeling
00:01:47 --> 00:01:48 exhausting?
00:01:49 --> 00:01:52 Chris: You know, I think it's because Anderson keeps
00:01:52 --> 00:01:55 shifting the stakes. First it's
00:01:55 --> 00:01:58 about the revolutionary group French 75.
00:01:59 --> 00:02:01 Then it becomes this personal story about
00:02:01 --> 00:02:03 betrayal when Perfidia becomes an
00:02:03 --> 00:02:06 informant. And finally it
00:02:06 --> 00:02:09 evolves into this generational drama with
00:02:09 --> 00:02:11 Chase Infinity's character Charlene.
00:02:12 --> 00:02:13 Jessica: Let me tell you what really caught my
00:02:13 --> 00:02:16 attention. The way Benicio Del Toro's
00:02:16 --> 00:02:19 character, Sergio, provides this calm
00:02:19 --> 00:02:22 center in all the chaos. His scenes with
00:02:22 --> 00:02:24 Charlene feel like they're from a completely
00:02:24 --> 00:02:26 different movie, but somehow it works.
00:02:26 --> 00:02:28 Chris: That's because Anderson understands how to
00:02:28 --> 00:02:31 balance these different tones. Like, um,
00:02:31 --> 00:02:34 you've got these intense action sequences and
00:02:34 --> 00:02:36 political intrigue, but then he'll give you
00:02:36 --> 00:02:38 these quiet moments that let you process
00:02:38 --> 00:02:39 everything that's happening.
00:02:40 --> 00:02:42 Jessica: The white supremacist subplot, uh, is
00:02:42 --> 00:02:44 particularly chilling in how it connects to
00:02:44 --> 00:02:45 current events.
00:02:45 --> 00:02:48 Chris: Right. And what's brilliant about how
00:02:48 --> 00:02:51 Anderson handles that is he never makes it
00:02:51 --> 00:02:53 feel preachy. He just shows how these
00:02:53 --> 00:02:56 movements grow in the shadows of social
00:02:56 --> 00:02:59 upheaval which makes it even more disturbing.
00:03:00 --> 00:03:02 Jessica: So what do you think about the film's chances
00:03:02 --> 00:03:03 during awards season?
00:03:04 --> 00:03:05 Chris: Well, considering how it combines technical
00:03:05 --> 00:03:07 excellence with relevant social commentary,
00:03:08 --> 00:03:10 I'd say it's a strong contender. The
00:03:10 --> 00:03:13 performances alone, especially DiCaprio's
00:03:13 --> 00:03:15 transformation and Taylor's breakthrough
00:03:15 --> 00:03:17 role, are going to get a lot of attention.
00:03:18 --> 00:03:20 Jessica: The way Anderson handles the time jumps and
00:03:20 --> 00:03:22 multiple storylines really showcases how much
00:03:22 --> 00:03:24 he's grown as a filmmaker since Magnolia.
00:03:25 --> 00:03:27 Chris: You know what's interesting? This is actually
00:03:27 --> 00:03:30 his longest film to date, but it feels like
00:03:30 --> 00:03:33 his most focused. Every scene, every
00:03:33 --> 00:03:35 character interaction serves a purpose in
00:03:35 --> 00:03:37 building this larger narrative about American
00:03:37 --> 00:03:39 idealism and its aftermath.
00:03:40 --> 00:03:42 Jessica: The ending really brings all these elements
00:03:42 --> 00:03:44 together in such an unexpected way.
00:03:45 --> 00:03:46 Chris: That's because Anderson has planted all these
00:03:46 --> 00:03:49 little details throughout the film that
00:03:49 --> 00:03:52 suddenly pay off in the final act. Like,
00:03:52 --> 00:03:53 uh, the way Charlene's martial arts training
00:03:53 --> 00:03:56 with Sergio becomes crucial to her survival.
00:03:57 --> 00:03:59 Or how Lockjaw's obsession with Perfidia
00:03:59 --> 00:04:01 ultimately leads to his downfall.
00:04:02 --> 00:04:03 Jessica: The film really makes you think about the
00:04:03 --> 00:04:06 cost of resistance and the price of betrayal.
00:04:06 --> 00:04:09 Chris: Exactly. And that's what makes it so relevant
00:04:09 --> 00:04:11 right now. It's not just about the 60s
00:04:11 --> 00:04:14 counterculture or the rise of conservatism.
00:04:14 --> 00:04:16 It's about how these political cycles keep
00:04:16 --> 00:04:19 repeating and how each generation has to deal
00:04:19 --> 00:04:21 with the consequences of their parents
00:04:21 --> 00:04:21 choices.
00:04:22 --> 00:04:24 Jessica: Well, it sounds like Anderson has created
00:04:24 --> 00:04:26 something truly special here.
00:04:27 --> 00:04:29 Chris: You know what? I think this film is going to
00:04:29 --> 00:04:31 be studied and discussed for years to come.
00:04:32 --> 00:04:34 It's not just a political thriller or family
00:04:34 --> 00:04:36 drama. It's a complex examination of how
00:04:36 --> 00:04:38 personal choices and political movements
00:04:38 --> 00:04:41 intersect and how the past never really stays
00:04:41 --> 00:04:44 in the past. Come the film awards season, it
00:04:44 --> 00:04:46 is certainly one to watch out for. It scores
00:04:46 --> 00:04:47 a 9 out of 10.
00:04:48 --> 00:04:50 You've been listening to movies first
00:04:50 --> 00:04:53 available at Apple Podcasts, Spotify,
00:04:53 --> 00:04:56 iHeartRadio or your favorite podcast
00:04:56 --> 00:04:58 player. You can also stream on demand at
00:04:58 --> 00:05:01 bytestone. Com. This has been another quality
00:05:01 --> 00:05:03 podcast production from fights. Com. Um.