The Empathic Auteur

At the age of 27 with only one film behind him, he was one of the youngest directors to ever receive final cut on a film—an honor usually reserved for older and more experienced filmmakers. He grew up in Studio City, CA and from a young age loved and knew he wanted to make movies. He attended less than a week of film school at NYU before dropping out. Yet despite his relative inexperience and anonymity (his first film was the little seen but fascinating character study Hard Eight a.k.a. Sydney), in 1997 writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson burst onto the scene with Boogie Nights, an energetic and volatile film that focused on the southern California pornography industry in the 1970s and 1980s. The film became an instant critical and audience favorite. In an era where films were dull and lifeless it lived and breathed, and the swooping and panning camera reflected the director’s intoxication with the possibilities of the medium. Soon all eyes were on Anderson. How would he follow up such a huge success? Rumor had it that Anderson wanted to try his hand at a quick 90-minute comedy. Instead, he created perhaps one of the greatest pieces of art in the last 20 years—Magnolia, a film that weaves a beautiful tableau of the ups and downs of human existence and, ultimately, of redemption. Though in some respects a huge critical success (it won the Golden Bear Award at the 1999 Berlin Film Festival) the film was met with a mixed reaction—some loved it because of its daring and compassion, while others felt that it was nonsensical (it features a musical interlude and the strangest storm you will ever see) and at over three hours much too long. Some believed that Anderson was the most bold, brilliant and heartfelt auteur in decades; others saw him as little more than a pretentious and immature child. Either way, most agreed that he was one of the most original of the modern filmmakers, a belief that will be further cemented with the release of his new film, Punch-Drunk Love, a romantic comedy featuring Adam Sandler and Emily Watson.

Perhaps what stands out most among Anderson’s films is how extremely personal they are. Other than Sydney, each takes place nearly exclusively in his native Los Angeles and treats the city as more than a location—it’s a character. More importantly, since he has written and directed all of his films, each has dealt with issues that are close to him. Both Boogie Nights and Magnolia dealt with issues of absentee mothers and abandonment, and though he rarely speaks of her, Anderson’s own estranged mother clearly influenced him. Similarly, cancer played a large role in Magnolia because at the time Anderson was dealing with the death of his father and one of his best friends at the hands of cancer. Though all of these incidents are tragic, they have given Anderson maturity and depth far beyond his years. His films deal with profound, dark and difficult issues, yet they never seem phony. There is an authenticity in almost every scene and line in Anderson’s films that reflect a knowledge that could have only been gathered through first-hand experience. Even the peripheral characters in his films seem genuine—they are not just cut-outs or pawns in the plot; rather they are composites of real people that we meet everyday. It is clear that throughout his life Anderson has been an astute observer of human behavior. Consequently, one of the most special things about his films is how they tap into our basic desires, fears and needs and explore how we are all more connected than we think.

However, what is most striking about Anderson’s films is their underlying worldview. While the 1990s have been marked by a hip, detached postmodern sarcasm, Anderson shows compassion and understanding towards each of his characters and is in the end unapologetically sentimental and exuberant, refusing to hide behind today’s ever-present shield of irony. Though his films contain dark themes, they are ultimately hopeful and optimistic. Paul Thomas Anderson’s films are not for the timid, but those willing to experience them will be treated to a journey that is nearly impossible to forget. He is without question the preeminent of the new generation of filmmakers.