Director Paul Thomas Anderson has crafted some of the most interesting movies of the past generation: Boogie Nights, Magnolia, There Will Be Blood, and Punch Drunk Love. The Master is along a similar vein, but falls more toward the Punch Drunk Love side of his movie making. The Master may lag in certain periods, but the movie succeeds because of the brilliant cinematography, the use of 70 mm camera, and especially because of potentially 3 2012 Oscar nominees: Amy Adams, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Joaquin Phoenix. Ignoring the Scientology inspiration to generate buzz, the Master could still stand on its own because of the actors’ and director’s complexity.
World War II has just ended, meaning everything is right with the world right? For the most part yes, except for Freddie Quell (Joaquin Phoenix) and a slew of war vets suffering from post-traumatic stress disorders. Freddie goes from job to job, bringing with him his uncanny ability to create booze out of anything with alcohol as an ingredient. As a result, Freddy is a fragile, destructive recluse. His adventures take him to a boat, where he meets Lancaster Dodd (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and his wife (Amy Adams), pioneers of a belief system called “The Cause.” These people welcome Freddy into their culture, and he slowly becomes a strong advocate for the group. However, despite the Cause’s attempts to cure Freddy, he still has trouble escaping his past, which reappears in sometimes violent behavior.
Anderson has never been afraid of touchy subjects to immerse his movie in. What makes him different from say, Steven Soderbergh, is that when he chooses a subject, his primary goal is to create complex, interesting characters, which elevates the story above the setting the characters inhabit. Never has this been more the case that in the Master. Tom Cruise has openly spoken out about this movie because of how he thinks it directly depicts Scientology. The Master might have some kinship to the religion, but it is a more general study of two things: you can’t outrun your past, and not every support system is meant for everyone. Martha Marcy May Marlene studied similar territory; cults can sometimes be very enticing with their charismatic leader, but the more you learn about their belief systems, you tend to be disappointed. Freddy Quell goes through a similar transformation, and the slow methodical change is very believable. Once the Cause realizes Freddy might be a loose cannon, they subtly put him through a pedantic training process that brings him to his wit’s end, and forces him to make a decision for himself.
The secret weapon of the Master is the cinematography and setting. I really felt like I was in 50s America. The hairstyles, costumes, and homes all felt like “the good old days.” The department store was also a brilliant recreation of 50’s folklore, and the art directors should be given credit for making the time periods realized on-screen. Cinematographer Mihai Malaimare Jr. found some very good wide open terrain to film in. These scenes obviously are some sort of metaphor for how big the world is and how insignificant one person can seem in it. These images are shockingly juxtaposed with extreme closeups of the face. Anderson shot the movie in 70mm to provide extra detail to each of these images, and the technique will not be lost on viewers.
As good as the art direction and characters are, the plot represents the Master’s weak point. At its core, this plot is not very complicated or, frankly, interesting. There are interesting pieces: the processing sequence, some of the Cause’s “techniques,” and anytime Mr. Dodd speaks. However, these scenes are interesting because they are character centric. The plot is essentially the time it takes for Freddy to progress with the Cause, which causes the proceedings to linger when none of the principal characters are directly involved with each other in a scene.
The breathtaking highlight of The Master is the acting of the three leads. I cannot recall more complex three-dimensional acting between more than two leads in a long time. Philip Seymour Hoffman’s performance is a believable mix of charisma and uncertainty. It is easy to see that he was once in Freddy’s position; he wants to help the man, but does not understand how to cure Freddy, which in turn brings out his inner unease. The Master would have been just as interesting if it built the story around Hoffman. Amy Adams continues to grow her acting chops. This is another new character for her. Though not nearly as flashy as the 2 men, she quietly understates her public appearances as a submissive wife, but there is much more of a powerful sinister underpinning to her behind the scenes actions. She is literally pulling Lancaster Dodd to where he wants to go. The true star of this movie is Joaquin Phoenix. As we have seen in movies and society, Phoenix can easily immerse himself in a role, and it is never better than here. Director Anderson makes sure there are as many one-on-one scenes with these characters as possible, all of which are involved in the film’s high points. Of particular note are the processing sequence (which will leave your mouth agape at the depth of Phoenix’s acting) and the Cause techniques used on Freddy Quell (which highlight the strengths of all 3 leads).
On acting alone, The Master is the best film of 2012. Seen as a whole, it is a wonderful character study lacking narrative momentum. Paul Thomas Anderson can proudly add this to his resume of fascinating movie making experiences. Scientologists take heed; the Master is a must see movie experience for anyone who wants to see actors act. It is not a condemnation of your religion, although hopefully the Master makes you more closely look into what L. Ron Hubbard is teaching.