Paul Thomas Anderson. Anderson’s four films in the top 100 (work from 2009 or newer not yet eligible) puts him tied with Welles for second place behind only Kubrick (5) and that’s his case—and what a case. Sarris (after Boogie Nights) “Not since the mysteriously reclusive Terrence Malick has there been such an explosion of sheer talent on the American movie.” There are only two living directors ahead of PT right now on my all-time director’s list and that’s Scorsese and Coppola and those two giants are 28 and 32 years older respectively—this basically means Anderson is peerless in his generation.
pink/blue dye experimental watercolor splashes repeated throughout the film and the color composition throughout in Punch-Drunk Love
Best film: There Will Be Blood. By 2007 we’ve seen PT do Altman and Scorsese but I think this tends more towards Kubrick and Welles—but at the same time it’s his entirely—especially with The Master backing it up as a companion piece in 2012. That film makes it ever stronger. Another critic says “Kubrick directing Kane” and yet another says Malick directing Kane– I definitely lean Kubrick. Radiohead’s Johnny Greenwood’s first score pairing with PT and it’s miraculous—there’s crescendo’ing and synthesized orchestra—it echoes 2001’s opening- we’re watching early man here slowly, piece by piece, put things together like the apes in 2001– and all done without words (15 minutes here to open)—it is a magnificent short film opening. Determination. Elliptically edited. Confident. Medication on capitalism, greed, and monomania. It’s a behemoth as I said, the silent opening, the landscape architecture as character and metaphor, it’s physical and violent. Complex relationship with son and brother (faux brother it turns out) as son surrogate—multiple layers of PT’s father/mentor obsession as an auteur. DDL’s achievement here can’t be overstated. It’s the greatest performance of the century to date. He was always going to be a great actor but this puts it on a different plane. It’s his Raging Bull performance. On top of all this there are a ton of black comedy moments with DDL and not just the perfect ending which absolutely smashes the viewer. At separate points both Dano and DDL make each other bow to one another—they have different paths and things they follow (like the master like PSH with his religion and Phoenix with sex/drinking) but are looking for meaning. “I’m finished” with strings. Large. Bold. Brilliant.
total archiveable films: 8
top 100 films: 4 (There Will Be Blood, Magnolia, Punch-Drunk Love, Boogie Nights)
top 500 films: 4 (There Will Be Blood, Magnolia, Punch-Drunk Love, Boogie Nights)
top 100 films of the decade: 6 (There Will Be Blood, Magnolia, Punch-Drunk Love, Boogie Nights, The Master, Phantom Thread)
most overrated: Inherent Vice, There are two ways to view and evaluate this movie. One, in comparison with every other movie out there, in fact, more than have of the film in my archives, it’s a superior work. I’ve got it as roughly the 12thbest film of 2014 so that’s really good for almost any other director. However, as a P.T. Anderson film it can’t be viewed as anything but a failure. It is neither the formal masterwork his previous 3 films had been nor the stylistic high-wire act his 2 masterpieces from the 90’s were. There were 5 years off before both There Will Be Blood and The Master. Two years only here so maybe he’s an artist that needs more time. He only needed 3 years for Punch Drunk Love after Magnolia but PDL is only 93 minutes— this is 148. I think the flashbacks to Waterston and their time together (or just their face) is his formal trigger here- one of the best is the sequence in the rain to one of the two great Neil Young songs—the Young songs are clearly triggers to melancholy over the past.
most underrated : There isn’t really one. Critics love PT Anderson. The 4 films in my top 100 are in the TSPDT top 1000 and climbing fast- they actually have it in the same order as me.
gem I want to spotlight: Punch-Drunk Love. I’m not convinced it isn’t his best. PT’s stated goal was to “make an art-house Adam Sandler movie” and it was purposefully anti-ensemble multi-character epic like Boogie and Magnolia. Jon Brion’s brilliant and experimental score (this is the pre-Greenwood PT era which makes me think PT is the genius here on the music (not to say Greenwood and Brion aren’t both brilliant and possible geniuses as well) but there are such commonalities here with how segments of this sound (especially in scenes he’s ratchetting it up (think forklift accident here, oil rig explosion in There Will Be Blood) match shots from TWBB and the master (opening silent montage))—apparently Brion had the score played on set to inspire and set rhythm with the actors. The “He Needs Me” song is from Altman’s movie Popeye and sung by Shelley Duvall—not as many Altman connections here as his previous work but this is a big one clearly. Like his previous films Anderson allows for errors in the performance and script—“business is very business” and “hello this is back” (combination of real name “Barry” and fake name “jack”- this feeds into character as Barry is an awkward character but also it’s connected to scenes like William H. Macy’s “a$$ in her c___” flub in boogie nights. It is, strangely, still an Adam Sandler movie and accomplishes what PT set out to do. He’s not trying to change Cruise and Sandler- these are talented actors and megastars. He’s tapping into their talents for something different (better). Barry has all the sweetness and rage here he displays at different times in say Waterboy or Happy Gilmore– clearly he can both beat up a bathroom and have tender love for Watson, the excitement in the Chaplinesque dance in the grocery store and have that sweetness you see in the harmonium. PT is such a formal/visual freak/master- how many grocery stores have color coded aisles? The opening is perfection—we have a blue suit, blue lines on the wall and he shoots at an angle to make Barry, at the desk, look very very alone. Lens flares galore—but all with a blue tint or a blue/pink tint to match both the normal film décor and the pink/blue dye experimental watercolor splashes (3 times in the film— 4 if you count the end credits). The film is so formally rigid- I adore it. He’s bullied on the phone and then he goes and plays the music. The music and Watson are tied throughout the movie. The shot of Barry/Sandler running away from the brothers from Utah mirrors the shot of Phoenix running from the farmers in the master. I had to read it in a review to notice it but there is a red figure in the background the first time Barry/Sandler goes to the grocery store and sure enough—it’s Watson (who is always wearing red or pink). The Windex on Barry’s table in his sad apartment is blue. The claustrophobic scene I mention above with the escalating score (phone ringing, loud sister, forklift) is magnificent. I see 500-1000 movies a year and I’ve never seen anything like this. Watson has a storied history of playing the odd duck looking for love which is a little out of the norm (breaking the waves). The entire film is a dichotomy—formal point/count—we have the rage (car crash, breaking sliding glass door, beating up bathroom) and the adoration (Watson, harmonium, Chaplin dance). Blue atlas van lines truck- no mistake- blue lights when driving from the street, blue phone both. The silhouette kiss in Hawaii when they meet there is an absolutely masterful stunner of a shot/scene. Pink sky to open at dawn— blue/pink sky to close in Hawaii. Pink pant pajamas for Watson. Barry is difficult and obsessive (could tie into There will be blood). Beautiful Zoom-in on PSHI think it’s the best film of 2002, I think it’s a giant masterpiece, I think it changes how I feel about PT Anderson.
stylistic innovations/traits: He’s a stylistic chameleon. The mentor/mentee/protégé/father is in 5 of his 8 films—7 of the 8 set in California. We have Kubrickian dark-comedy moments and formal mastery. His visual style ranges from Goodfellas (Boogie Nights), Nashville (Magnolia) to a formally/visually impressive odd romance (PDL) to his “great American novel on film” (The Master and There Will Be Blood) which leans more Kubrick. Though it’s not P.T. Anderson’s true debut (Hard Eight), Boogie Nights marks the inauguration of a nearly unrivaled cinematic talent and would start a 20 year run where Anderson is the best director on the planet. The opening shot (a tour of the dance club) of Boogie Nights borrows from the Copacabana shot from Goodfellas, we also have shots (at least 3 scenes) of Dirk talking to himself in the mirror (from Raging Bull), and we have the I Am Cuba scene of the camera jumping into the pool in a long take (more so than The Graduate). Magnolia is Altman but with Charles Fort, exodus and the masonic, prophecy. The “Wise Up” Sing-a-long is a transcendently brilliant form-breaking moment. It’s ballsy but I love it. It’s one of the best filmmaking sequences in the decade. Equally ballsy is the choice to do the frogs—absolutely love it. I wrote about PDL and There Will Be Blood above then we go into The Master. In my studies I’ve rarely found another film that so rewards multiple viewings. I’m still working it out but Anderson’s films have an almost unparalleled penchant (maybe Kubrick… Tarkovsky) for cinematic layering—or formal layering or formal unpacking. I think I’m getting better and better as evaluator but clearly, as of 2012 I wasn’t getting it and I mainly praised this film for the performances (which are probably the best of the 2010’s decade). The formal rigor of the shot of the water… with the white wake from the boat… these are men adrift (a seaman/sailor—Freddie/phoenix), meets PSH on a boat, sings “slow boat to china” (about escaping—perhaps there’s some homosexual undercurrent here (AA seems to be holding PSH prisoner at this point)). The wake is the past. It’s one of the great formal openings in cinema history- we have PTA building Phoenix’s character just like DDL in There Will Be Blood and Sandler in PDL with the crash and the harmonium. Phoenix’s Freddie is primitive man. lost- the void. Shot of the helmet could be from Malick’s thin red line. He makes drinks (he does this at least 6 times in the movie), humps the sand lady, masturbates—women– (dream of everyone naked about half way through the film, the ending), hangs off the ship (stunning shot in 70mm).
top 10
- There Will Be Blood
- Magnolia
- Punch-Drunk Love
- Boogie Nights
- The Master
- Phantom Thread
- Inherent Vice
- Hard Eight
By year and grades
| 1996- Hard Eight | R |
| 1997- Boogie Nights | MP |
| 1999- Magnolia | MP |
| 2002- Punch Drunk Love | MP |
| 2007- There Will Be Blood | MP |
| 2012- The Master | MP |
| 2014- Inherent Vice | R/HR |
| 2017- Phantom Thread | MS |
*MP is Masterpiece- top 1-3 quality of the year film
MS is Must-see- top 5-6 quality of the year film
HR is Highly Recommend- top 10 quality of the year film
R is Recommend- outside the top 10 of the year quality film but still in the archives
Is it Crazy that I’ve only seen Three movies of his(The Master, There Will Be Blood,Magnolia) and he’s already my favorite Director Of All Time I just love his films so much and will continue to watch them for the rest of my life.
@Randy. Wow- I’m excited for you to see the rest of his work- especially “Boogie Nights” and “Punch-Drunk Love”. Both are in my top 100 of all-time. But yeah- I’m with you- I think PT Anderson is simply the best of his generation. I”ve got him 15th here and I don’t count stuff done in the last 10 years so that’s omitting The Master (currently my #2 film of the decade) which will boost him easily into the top 10 here of my all-time auteurs. And he’s only like 50 years old
When the 10 year wait is over will The Master be in your top 100?
@Randy– so The Master came out in 2012 so it’ll be ready to go in 2022 and since, currently, it’s my #2 of the decade it should have a really solid spot on the list overall.
My Ranking Of His Films Of the ones I’ve seen so far
1.The Master
2.Magnolia
3.There Will Be Blood
4.Punch Drunk Love
@Randy. I’ll be honest- there isn’t much separating the films that I think are PT’s best 5 films above. I currently have “The Master” as the #2 film of the 2010’s decade so my placement at #5 on PT’s list above is not an an insult at all. Please keep me posted as you check out Hard Eight, Boogie Nights, Inherent Vice, and Phantom Thread.
My update ranking of his films
1.The Master
2.Boogie Nights
3.There Will Be blood
4.Magnolia
5.Punch Drunk Love
I have inherent vice but I haven’t watched it yet.
My friend has never seen any of his movies.
Not sure what to recommend him.
What movie would you say is his most accessible? (it can even by one of his average movies as long as its accesible).
What’s a good starting point for PTA?
Boogie Nights, or Punch Drunk Love, my friends and I look for an erotic movie and we end up seeing art haha
Drake, I am also trying to get into PTA. What is his most accessible?
Haha. I meant to write something else on the page. Ignore this comment. I’ve already seen a lot of his films
Well whatever you meant to ask I do think Boogie Nights is the most accessible PTA film
My ranking:
1. There Will Be Blood
2. The Master
3. Phantom Thread
4. Punch-Drunk Love
5. Magnolia
6. Boogie Nights
7. Hard Eight
8. Inherent Vice
@Chief Keef- thanks for sharing. Just out of curiosity- what about Phantom Thread makes you put it ahead of Boogie Nights or Magnolia… is it something specific?
I see a lot of similarities with There Will Be Blood and The Master. The core principle is the same, he just changes the setup. A complicated well thought out relationship between two characters who want to extract from each other what they need. Codependency, game of power, subconscious motives..Cinematography is beautiful and rightfully draws comparisons to Barry Lyndon, acting is excellent, dialogues are cerebral, music is captivating.
@Chief Keef— good work here- well put.
My Personal Ranking: (+Ratings)
My Ranking:
1. The Master (10/10)
2. Boogie Nights (10/10)
3. There Will Be Blood (10/10)
4. Magnolia (9.5/10)
5. Phantom Thread (9/10)
6. Inherent Vice (8.5/10)
7. Punch-Drunk Love (8/10)
8. Hard Eight (7/10)
Do you think there is possibility that when Anderson retires (or dies), he can be considered the GOAT?
@Cinephile– I do actually. Like Matt’s discussion yesterday about the canon— I don’t think it will be like “okay, yep he just passed Kubrick” or anything that definitive. But if you have a good case for being in the top 10-15 (which I do obviously with this list)– you’re right there. Something that is telling for is I think PTA is pretty clearly ahead of anyone else in his generation– whether it’s Cuaron or Tarantino, Fincher, Kar-Wai Wong. How about you?
@Drake– Absolutely correct. I mean, there can’t be a 100% objective/definitive list that tells us the #10 director of all time is better than the #13 or the same goes for the films. But, as you say, it is clear than Anderson is the best auteur of his generation. 50 years old and multiple masterpieces (6 for me, since I think Phantom Thread is up there). Think about that if (hopefully) he works until old (like Scorsese) he has more than 5 films in front of him. If he can continue with masterpieces… haha.
Also, is the year end lists update coming after you finish the 250 directors?
@Cinephile– Yeah I think he has 5 films now that are in the top 125 or so of all-time. Obviously just running the numbers there are only a handful of directors that can say that.
And yes- so the year-end lists update is coming next. Overdue.
I have a question, not all of them are Scorsese and Kurosawa who can make such good movies when they are so old, not everyone has careers like Scorsese, who at 76 can make movies of the caliber of The Irishman.
At what age do you think directors start to fade? I would say they are around 60, few directors do remarkable work after reaching that age.
I don’t think PTA over Tarantino is a completely open and shut case. I lean PTA but only slightly.
2 questions
1. Do you think the fact that he seems to not have a consistent style and that he has taken so much from altman scorsese and kubrick could possibly take away from his reputation? I think the master is the best of his ive seen ( I’m yet to stomach the entirety of magnolia), but I think besides from the epic storytelling there isn’t something that can tell you in every frame its anderson. I dont think that knocks him, but thievery certainly would. I know it is impossible not to steal but some people say he knocks demme and scorsese and altman way too much.
Also are you sure that he is better in his generation than the always imaginative Wes Anderson?
2. Do you think that there will be blood is anti religious? I respect the artistry and day Lewis performance (Paul Dano is annoying as ever) but i have trouble appreciating it if it mocks my faith and thinks the worst of believers.
@m- So first Tarantino, then Fincher, and now PTA? What’s going on here? Are you serious or just trolling? I can’t tell anymore.
A question Drake, Janith was a troll? I ask this because apparently he had multiple users.
I also think he was banned haha, sometimes he comments but his comments disappear
@Aldo- yeah I deleted a lot of them. For the most part I let people say what they want to say as long as they aren’t out of control but enough is enough of some of the same comments over and over littered on the pages.
is the master top 100 quality film? Its my personal favorite of his and i think its better than magnolia and boogie nights.
I like his 3 character studies the most i.e. there will be blood, the master and punch drunk love .
@M – I haven’t updated my top 500 list in a few years now and probably won’t for another year- but I have to think The Master will make it. It is currently #3 on my 2010’s list– and really any film that is top 3 of its decade should be a lock to be on the top 100
@Drake Did you flip it and Roma, or did something else leapfrog them both?
@Matt Harris- yep, it is Roma. I mean there’s almost no separation on the two in my eyes right now but if you asked me to do this list again today a year later- I’d have Cuaron’s work listed second.
@Drake No I’m not trolling. Also I didn’t say anderson is bad but I was asking about his supposed lack of originality. I actually think anderson is very good.
@m
“Supposed” is doing an awful lot of work in that sentence. According to whom?
@Matt Harris i can’t say exactly whom (don’t know names) but in a lot of film circles I’ve heard people say that he rips off other artists and takes a lot from demme and altman and scorsese. Also @Drake I didnt say Fincher was a bad filmmaker. Quite the opposite. I meant he is an evil filmmaker, who understands how to use his camera and effects and blocking very well but is a complete nihilist who does not care about humanity. Unlike Kubrick who is better technically and cold but not unfeeling, but a cynical humanist who cares about humanity enough to critique its darker side.
Also about Janith, not a troll i dont believe but just seems to praise a lot of mediocre and forgettable movies.
Perhaps I’m overanalysing, but with The Master as the 2nd best film of the decade and Boogie Nights currently at #98 overall, does that mean The Tree of Life will likely be the only 2010’s movie to make the top 100? Or do you think there will be more shuffling around when you next update these lists that may allow a few more recent films to sneak in?
@Declan- it is a fair question. I think there will be more shuffling around. I think I have seven from the 2000’s on the list. I think if I was forced to decide now I’d have at least four– Tree of Life, The Master, Roma, Dunkirk
You praise PTA for being a “chameleon” with the ability to create a different style for each film, but you applaud other directors even more so for utilizing a singular, distinctive style that pervades nearly all of their work, such as Ozu, Leone, Malick, Wes Anderson, and such. Imagine if all of PTA’s movies were the same quality and had the same mastery of cinematic technique, but all had the same style. Would he jump higher on the directors’ list, and if so how much, or would it make no difference?
I feel you’re asking for too much here. His films would be too different if made with the general same style, and they cannot be predicted with any significant degree of accuracy. Any one style of PTA’s cannot be pinpointed, and thus it cannot really be said if PTA made more of this kind of film or that kind of film that he would be higher or lower. He is flexible and that is what makes him so amazing. Why do you feel that PTA’s chameleon style is any less of a style than Leone’s, Malick’s, etc.? Because I’m sure you’re just misinterpreting what Drake is saying. PTA is as stylistic as any of those directors and he is higher on the list than all of them save for Ozu. PTA’s strength is his massive range and ability to create nearly any kind of film, and if you give that up for a singular style I’m sure you will get some great films but you will probably lose what is so amazing about PTA, and he’ll become another Scorsese imitator, another Kubrick imitator, etc. He would probably be even lower on the list, since it really is his range that gets him so high; if he stays in the rein of Boogie Nights, for example, there’s no Magnolia (probably not though both are ensembles), no PDL, no TTBB, and no The Master. Whether the films he makes in their place are as good or even better, who knows?
@Zane- I just sort of took Graham’s question as a fun hypothetical. I would not want to change anything about PTA’s career really. I can’t wait to see what he does next
@Graham– thanks for the comment– it is an interesting hypothetical. So what if PTA had like 6 films that were both unique and clear cousins to each other like say In the Mood for Love and Chungking Express? That’s sort of the question? I would guess I’d have PTA ranked even higher than I do. That said– we’re 100 years+ into the cinematic artform and it is nearly impossible to talk about a film or auteur without comparing them to something or someone, right? I also think with the benefit of hindsight and multiple viewings you can view There Will Be Blood and The Master as sort of cousins— same with Punch-Drunk Love and Phantom Thread (as sort of bizarre, brilliant romances).
Thanks. Yes, that’s the sort of hypothetical situation about which I was wondering. I agree that there always will be comparisons regardless of whether an artist is a style-hopper or has steadfast dedication to one aesthetic type. I feel that people often imply that comparisons are a bad thing (i.e. when people criticize another person for trying to compare and note similarities between a great film and an average one), but how can one determine their tastes and understand what aspects of art create greatness unless they truly look at things comparatively? I don’t like filmmakers any less if I feel they are similar to others (like Anderson, who takes different inspirations for each film). You are certainly correct that he has some notable similarities throughout his filmography, especially in his unabashedly cynical screenwriting.
I’m sorry, I know this is nearly 2 years later but this caught my eye. I’m really interested in this. So-what you were saying (if you can even remember at this point) is that if PTA movie’s were all of one consistent style, he would be ranked even higher? (I assume this is through the lenses that the movies are all still the exact same quality, just stylistically similar and not so vastly different). Is this a viewpoint you still hold? If so could you explain more? Is it because the filmography could potentially build on itself more (sort of how we think TWBB and The Master viewed as a sort of duology elevates both movies even more)? Or because film form transcending individual movies and being consistently present in a larger filmography is more impressive? Both of these? Something else?
For me, it never really mattered. (Assuming the MPs are equal) 4 MPs from director A = 4 MPs from director B even if director A’s MPs were very stylistically different while director B’s we’re stylistically similar. I might have even-if forced to pick-said that I find director A more impressive as I usually view artistic range as a plus. That’s the job of artists right? Continue to evolve, grow, push boundaries and never stay complacent? In this specific context I’m not sure if I hold this view anymore, but damn I think it’s an interesting conversation to have. Hope you’re doing well, Drake.
@Matthew- There’s always an exception to any rule- but if you think of the director as the sort of predominant artist in cinema (and surely I do) then it only makes sense to look at their filmography as sort of their body of work or art collection (not to sound too pretentious here) and I like being able to tell who the artist is. A film being part of a cohesive vision or whole trumps showing off their range (or anonymity).
Fair enough. Thanks for the response
@Drake@Matthew – This is an interesting subject for sure, I was just looking over Drake’s review of Punch Drunk Love which he has as a huge MP and top 100 film of all time. The first two bullet points
“PT’s stated goal was to “make an art-house Adam Sandler movie” and it was purposefully anti-ensemble multi-character epic like boogie and magnolia”
“Jon Brion’s brilliant and experimental score (this is the pre-Greenwood PT era which makes me think PT is the genius here on the music (not to say Greenwood and Brion aren’t both brilliant and possible geniuses as well) but there are such commonalities here with how segments of this sound (especially in scenes he’s ratchetting it up (think forklift accident here, oil rig explosion in There Will Be Blood) match shots from TWBB and the master (opening silent montage))—apparently Brion had the score played on set to inspire and set rhythm with the actors”
The last bullet point:
“I think it’s the best film of 2002, I think it’s a giant masterpiece, I think it changes how I feel about PT Anderson”
@Drake@Matthew – cont…
My point is not that Drake’s review contradicts any of the arguments he made above but that I don’t think it’s necessarily straight forward. An artist can do something new or different while still adding to or expanding their style.
Stanley Kubrick made films in almost every genre possible
2001 – Sci-Fi
Clockwork Orange – dystopian crime thriller
The Killing – Heist film
Paths of Glory and Full Metal Jacket – War
Barry Lyndon – Historical Drama/Epic
The Shining – Horror
Eyes Wide Shut – Erotic Thriller/Mystery
For his review of Barry Lyndon Ebert described it “Stanley Kubrick’s “Barry Lyndon,” received indifferently in 1975, has grown in stature in the years since and is now widely regarded as one of the master’s best. It is certainly in every frame a Kubrick film: technically awesome, emotionally distant, remorseless in its doubt of human goodness.”
In the same review he “Kubrick’s work has a sense of detachment and bloodlessness. The most “human” character in “2001: A Space Odyssey” (1968) is the computer”
I think it’s a fascinating subject, auteur cinema that is.
@James Trapp- So here with PTA and the last bullet point I’m talking about the fact that we have yet another pretty clear top 100 films of all-time and that changes how I feel about PTA. Sorry if that was unclear. PTA’s overall case would be stronger (hard to believe it could be stronger than it is) if all of his films fit closer into a larger collection like say There Will Be Blood and The Master do.
It seems crazy to think of The Master as a #5 film for almost anything, doesn’t it? Really speaks to PTA’s talent.
@Zane- exactly— and I’m not married to that order
My Ranking :
MP :
1 – There Will Be Blood
2 – The Master
3 – Boogie Nights
4 – Magnolia
MS :
5 – Punch Drunk Love
6 – Phantom Thread
HR :
7 – Inherent Vice
R :
8 – Hard Eight
There’s some nice stuff here. Not convinced whether The Master or Magnolia is his 2nd best film, I think both are above Boogie Nights but not by much, all are MPs. Still really need to see Punch Drunk-Love, I’ve been interested for a while since it’s PTA and who doesn’t love that, and I was very impressed by Uncut Gems last year and would love more dramatic Sandler roles. I recently watched Breaking the Waves and was utterly blown away by Emily Watson in that film and would love to see more of her as well.
Drake, have you seen this clip of PTA at Cannes in 2002? I found it recently and thought it was hilarious.
Anyway, since I’m sending you this, what is your answer to the question PTA is asked here? Personally, I don’t think anyone can go wrong with PSH’s response.
https://youtu.be/4mYSPCHaxos
Here is the video
@Zane- I have not seen this. haha wow PTA
PTA ranking:
1. There Will Be Blood
2. Magnolia
3. The Master
4. Punch-Drunk Love
5. Boogie Nights
All giant MPs. When you have The Master as your 3rd best film and Boogie Nights as your 5th, you’ve made it.
Note: I plan to give another watch to Boogie Nights in the future, which I think could set it above Punch-Drunk Love and maybe (not likely) The Master. I think all will enter my top 100, though at the current viewing, Boogie Nights and Punch-Drunk Love will be relatively fringe.
1. There Will Be Blood
2. The Master
3. Magnolia
4. Boogie Nights
5. Punch Drunk Love
6. Phantom Thread (kills me to put it this low though)
7. Inherent Vice
I’m due some rewatches of both The Master and Magnolia soon, so those may switch. But it will likely still be very close.
Do you think PTA has GOAT potential? He’s only 50 and has already churned out 5 (arguably 6) masterpieces. If he retires at 70, that’s probably at least 4 or 5 more films from him. If 3 or more of those are masterpieces, I think he has a strong case.
@John- I do think he has GOAT potential, yes– if you’re already in the conversation for top 10– and are alive and still doing good work– for sure
Also here’s my ranking so far:
Magnum Opus (Top 50 all time)
1. There Will Be Blood
Masterpiece (Top 250 all time)
2. The Master
Must See
3. Punch Drunk Love
4. Boogie Nights
Somebody get this man a Magnolia.
Also I like the Magnum Opus ranking. I think I’ll start using that myself.
A week after my second viewing of Punch-Drunk Love and it has strolled past The Master into my #3 spot. Magnolia too, after some reflection, has come to the #1 position. I could easily switch my #1 and #2 however after a third viewing of There Will Be Blood, and same with my #3, #4, and #5 after second viewings of The Master and Boogie Nights.
How was your first viewing of Punch-Drunk Love, Drake? I remember I had just gotten out of the shower and applied an unnecessarily large amount of moisturizer to my face, thus causing it to feel as if on fire for the entire runtime of the movie and causing me to find flaws that weren’t there due to that affecting my mood; I found no small amount of things to admire visually and stylistically and actually did quite enjoy the film but found it utterly incoherent and incomprehensible. Come around to a second viewing and it’s a giant MP. I mean just wow. I can hardly believe this is the same movie I watched months earlier. It all came together and made complete sense, and on a different topic, it’s the Taxi Driver to Boogie Nights’ Goodfellas. I’d need to catch a second viewing of Uncut Gems to tell which of his performances is the best but for now I’d have to say this one. Even if it’s not as much of an ensemble piece as Anderson’s previous two films it still has the same level of ambition. You said on your review that you think it’s the best film of 2002 (sorry 25th Hour, you are a MP albeit a flawed one; this film isn’t), you think it’s a giant MP, and you think it changes the way you feel about Paul Thomas Anderson. And I think the same.
The film completely sucks us into the chaos Barry is feeling at every moment on countless stylistic levels. I thought this was a flaw originally since it first came off as a torrent of tonal switches but on the second viewing I was completely dumbfounded.
@Zane- Great work here. So I saw Punch-Drunk Love twice in theater in the first week back in 2002… and I still didn’t think that much of it. I was bitterly disappointed– Boogie Nights and Magnolia were two films that really made me get interested in film so I had to much anticipation. I’ve said it before, but really the first viewing is the least important one for me. Sometimes, it is just something I need to do and get out of the way
Hello, Drake! Thank you for this magnificent website. I’ve been reading it for a few months now and your knowledge and devotion is remarkable.
I’m here to be humbled. I have no idea what it is that you’re talking about when you talk about “form”, or say that a film is “formal”. I’m very sorry, but… what is that? I’ve looked it up and read some stuff that helped, but I really just can’t grasp it and find it on my own. Can you dumb it down for me, please? Why is The Master formal but Magnolia isn’t? I feel like I have an intuition, but couldn’t explain it to anyone else.
I’m sorry to waste your time with such frivolous questions, but I guess we all start off somewhere. Thank you once again.
@Leo- Thank you for visiting the site and the comment. Sorry. It is a great question. I’d refer you to the great David Bordwell here:
Meaning in a film is patterned; we speak of such patterning as a film’s form. Form can be defined as the total system of relationships at work in the film. These relationships are ones between parts and elements, be they stylistic or narrative entities.
https://sites.fas.harvard.edu/~fc76/Handouts/A__Principles_of_Form.html#:~:text=Meaning%20in%20a%20film%20is,they%20stylistic%20or%20narrative%20entities.
Maybe this is what you found already and are asking for me. If we’re talking PTA — think of the interludes of the like pink/blue dye experimental watercolor splashes in Punch Drunk Love or the wake behind the ship in The Master — I’ve included both posts here- I hope this helps I’m a little short of time this morning http://thecinemaarchives.com/2018/01/16/the-master-2012-p-t-anderson/ http://thecinemaarchives.com/2018/01/04/punch-drunk-love-2002-p-t-anderson/ . It certainly isn’t that Magnolia has poor form or anything- it is just these two films are particularly brilliant here.
Is it far fetched to suggest PTA has the best film of each of the last two decades?
There will be Blood (2007) is my # 1 from 2000-2009 although I can understand argues for In the Mood for Love (2000) or Mulholland Drive (2001)
And I’m starting to consider if The Master (2012) is the top film from 2010-2019 although there are several others I think are worthy including but limited to The Tree of Life (2011), Dunkirk (2014), Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019) amongst others.
He has the #3 film of each of those decades for me. In the Mood for Love and Mulholland Drive I feel are both superior to There Will Be Blood (I’d have that one like 1 spot ahead of Children of Men on the all-time list, and I haven’t yet seen any of Tarr’s work), and The Tree of Life and Roma I feel are superior to The Master. That being said I won’t argue with you over those films being #1
@James Trapp- not at all. I think there’s a strong argument for both.
Pumped for PT Anderson’s next film, I feel that I need to manage my expectations when a great auteur releases a new film after a long period in inactivity so I don’t end up disappointed due to insanely high expectations, this ever happen to anyone else?
@James Trapp- it certainly does to me. I distinctly remembering staggering out of the theater in 2012 after watching The Master. Confused, underwhelmed…
His upcoming film is officially titled Licorice Pizza
Or at least that’s the title that’s been making the rounds online.
I’m not sure how I feel about the title. Fingers crossed it’s closer in quality to Boogie Nights than Inherent Vice.
Guys… it’s here.
https://youtu.be/mdN3tA6sxFY
Since I’m first in line to see this movie, anybody who comes here to post “Just saw this in theater! It was amazing!” before I do so myself is lying.
@Pedro- looks marvelous. Sean Penn and Bradley Cooper in small roles https://www.dailymotion.com/video/xxm54x
@Pedro – a coming of age film from PTA, intriguing…
Personally I’ve always held a special place for coming of age films as I’m admittingly a sucker for nostalgia although I do not think all coming of age films are driven by nostalgia. If fact, the greatest coming of age film ever made, The 400 Blows, in a prime example of this.
One question I tend to have regarding PTA is will he ever direct another film with a contemporary setting. The last one I think was Punch-Drunk Love.
@Remy- Yeah you are right- very interesting. Period pieces- whether its earlier in the 20th century (TWBB, The Master) or his favorite sort of 1970s (Boogie Nights, Inherent Vice, Licorice Pizza)… No idea would be my answer if you’re looking for one.
@Drake and Remy – What’s interesting to me about PTA is that, as is often said about Kubrick, I feel like many PTA films could have been set in a completely different timeframe (such as the modern day) and not been any different. I could imagine The Master made in modern times with perhaps a conspiracy theorist in the PSH role or TWBB just as similarly but probably replacing the Paul Dano pastor character with like an environmentalist activist; all the same I think I can imagine Magnolia in like post-WW2 America instead of contemporary times and not being all that different either.
Raves so far for the new PTA https://www.metacritic.com/movie/licorice-pizza?ref=hp
@Drake – still not sure what I think about that title but those reviews are hard to ignore, I already saw Altman’s name mentioned so I am thinking this is back to the roots PTA…very excited.
Very excited for the new film
Just watched There Will Be Blood again, lost track how many times. I’m not sure what I can add that has not already been said many times. But for PTA in general I was just thinking how much of an “American” Director he is which may sound obvious, yes he’s an American director but like one of his key processors and influencers, Robert Altman, his films seems to really target a certain degree of Americana. With TWBB and The Master he is obviously focusing on ambitious American businessmen/Con Artists. Boogie Nights is similar in its focus on a rag to riches story which you could argue is a representation of the “American Dream”. Phantom Thread is obviously a little different as the story is set in London although even that one still has a similar focus to The Master and TWBB with the megalomania even if the character isn’t actually an American.
Magnolia obviously has much in common with Nashville although not even Magnolia is quite as “Americana” as Nashville but none the less I think you get my point.
@James Trapp- I think Phantom Thread is his first and only not set in California as well.
@Drake – look forward to revisiting Phantom Thread, I think it’s the only one I have not watched in the last 2 years
Has anyone been able to catch Licorice Pizza already? It seems like I’ll only be able to see it on Christmas, but reviews are already coming and I’m waay too excited! It seems warmer, more crowd-pleasing than his latest films, but if its warm like Punch-Drunk Love, I’m totally in for it.
Cannot wait to see Licorice Pizza, the reviews indicate this may be yet another MP. Fascinating to see Paul Thomas Anderson make a semi autobiographical film at this stage of his career. This certainly distinguishes this former wunderkind from Kubrick who while making MP after MP never really attempted anything like this. I do wonder if PTA will become the new Kubrick, making MPs every 5 to 7 years.
@James Trapp- I’m with you here- most anticipated of all the 2021 films I’ve yet to see for sure. No guarantees in life but a PTA film with a 90 on Metacritic feels like about as much as you can ask for.
1 – The Master (MP)
2 – There Will Be Blood (MP)
3 – Magnolia (MP)
4 – Boogie Nights (MP)
5 – Licorice Pizza (MS)
6 – Punch-Drunk Love (MS)
7 – Phantom Thread (MS)
8 – Inherent Vice (HR)
9 – Hard Eight (R)
@KidCharlemagne – Love to see The Master at #1, but woah MS for Licorice Pizza? What makes you put it above PDL?
PT, to people who spill a lot: paper towels
PT, to people who get injured a lot: physical therapy
PT, to cool people: Paul Thomas
Quite some time to comment here but after studying PTA once again I believe his three latest films (The Master, Inherent Vice and Phantom Thread, haven’t seen Licorice Pizza) to be his strongest and he’s 90’s trilogy of features the weakest.
@Cinephile – you are saying that you consider the following 3
1996- Hard Eight
1997- Boogie Nights
1999- Magnolia
to be weaker than these 3?
2012- The Master
2014- Inherent Vice
2017- Phantom Thread
Hard 8 and Inherent Vice are the only 2 PTA films I don’t think much of, they have their moments for sure but overall I see them both as simple Recommends.
For the other 4 I would rank:
1. The Master, MP
2. Magnolia, MP
3. Boogie Nights, MP
4. Phantom Thread, MS/MP
Where do you rank There Will Be Blood and Punch Drunk Love
@James Trapp – Yes. I’d put Hard Eight at the bottom, followed by Magnolia and then Boogie Nights, my favorite of his 90’s features. I do believe that he became a big auteur when he arrived with Punch-Drunk Love and There Will Be Blood still remains his most epic masterpiece. But I think that, with The Master he perfected his style, and Inherent Vice and Phantom Thread fully justified this.
I’d probably rank them like this:
8. Hard Eight
7. Magnolia
6. Boogie Nights
5. Punch Drunk Love
4. There Will Be Blood
3-2-1. Can’t decide the order between The Master, Inherent Vice and Phantom Thread.
But if someone wants to put Punch Drunk Love or There Will Be Blood at the top, I wouldn’t argue, the top 5 films here are all exceptional.
@Cinephile – interesting, I have
1. There Will Be Blood (my # 5 all time so clear cut for me that this is his best)
2. The Master
3. Magnolia
4. Boogie Nights
5. Punch Drunk Love
all top 5 are MPs and #3-5 are very close
6. Phantom Thread a border line MP and while I don’t have it as high as you I like that its getting its due I think it gets overlooked by some people. It’s a gorgeous film and features 2 of the best performances in any PTA film (which is saying something)
7. Inherent Vice, R
8. Hard Eight, R
I should point out that I have only seen Inherent Vice and Hard Eight once each so I may do a rewatch soon before I check out Licorice Pizza.
One of my favorite things about PTA’s movies is that: a lot of his movies are interpretations of some other movies that PTA clearly had as an inspiration, for example: There Will Be Blood is an interpretation of The Treasure of Sierra Madre, Boogie Nights Goodfellas, Magnolia Short Cuts, Inherent Vice The Big Lebowski…
It’s always fun to have more perspectives on a theme (greed, fame, interconnectivity…).
What are your thoughts on Licorice Pizza, Mr. Drake?
@Jeff No. 2- I think I need to see it again– make of that what you will. What are your thoughts Jeff?
I know you haven’t yet made a decision yet Drake, but judging off the first viewing, leaning more towards HR, MS or MP?
@John – I think closest to HR here- anxious to see it again (hoping to before I do the 2021 page). And I have struggled with first viewings of PTA films in the past (from The Master to Punch-Drunk Love). I will admit I have several films from 2021 ahead of it.
Would you call me crazy if I say that I do consider The Master to be PTA’s best film? I think it is.
I’m not Drake, but I wouldn’t call you crazy at all. For me it’s a three-horse race between PDL, TWBB and The Master – and the latter could easily end up on top; it’s absolutely brilliant.
I agree with you completely. That’s my top 3 right there.
1. The master
2. TWBB
3. PDL
The reason I think the master is the best is that with this film he masters controlling time and space. Not a lot of directors are capable of doing this (WKW does it in in the mood for love).
Totally. And I think that, the more films I watch, the more I appreciate film form, and The Master excels at that – more so, in my opinion, than TWBB or PDL.
@M*A*S*H- Haha. I would not call you crazy
Licorice Pizza – 1st viewing
After watching I felt the same day I felt watching Once Upon a Time in Hollywood; I kept waiting for something to happen to no avail. But once it ended I realized I really enjoyed it but didn’t know why I liked it. And to be clear this is not a criticism but rather an observation. The 1st time I saw Once Upon a Time, I liked but did not love it. I now love it and consider it one of Tarantino’s top 3 or 4 films. I am sure I will enjoy Licorice Pizza even more the 2nd time since that is usually how it goes for me with films from top level auteurs.
*felt the same way
With a 2nd viewing and further time to let it sink in I think Licorice Pizza is quite an achievement for PTA.
It is not have the earth shattering impact of Magnolia, There Will Be Blood, or The Master. It is not as idiosyncratic as Punch Drunk Love.
I feel like this is PT Anderson’s Amarcord (1973) aka I remember. I am not saying this is necessarily autobiographical, I do not actually know that much of PT Anderson’s personal life growing up. But I don’t know that Amarcord was necessarily all that accurate to Fellini’s life growing up. I think what is more important is that Licorice Pizza like Amarcord, is created by or at the very least heavily influenced by nostalgia. The lead performances are terrific with some great supporting performances (loved Bradley Cooper’s character). By the films mood carries it more than anything else. It is about relatable experiences and feelings and different from anything else from PT Anderson; and I think this adds to PTA already amazing legacy.
[…] 15. Paul Thomas Anderson […]
@James Trapp- appreciate your help here
Hard Eight HR
Boogie Nights MS
Magnolia MS
Punch Drunk Love MP
There Will Be Blood MP
The Master MP
Inherent Vice HR
Phantom Thread MP
Hey, Drake! What is your opinion on Licorice Pizza? I know for a fact that it is not as good as There will be blood or Magnolia, but in your opinion is a HR or a R??
@Tozoco – Have it here on the 2021 page as a R/HR border https://thecinemaarchives.com/2022/04/01/2021/
Oh sorry, thank you! and one other question, why do you think boogie nights is better than The Master? i personally dont really have an opinion about it, but what about boogie nights makes you put it higher on your list, than The Master?
@Tozoco- They’re very close in quality. I have a page for Boogie Nights if you haven’t already had a chance to catch it that would explain the strengths of Boogie Nights. https://thecinemaarchives.com/2017/12/28/boogie-nights-1997-p-t-anderson/
Thank you very much, Drake!
Which pta’s movie , you guys think, has the best score? i personally prefer punch drunk love’s score
@Tozoco – that opening shot of the desert landscape in There Will Be Blood (2007) and the accompanying Jonny Greenwood score is my favorite opening music of any film aside from Raging Bull. There Will Be Blood and The Master would be my 2 picks, probably not coincidentally they are my 2 favorite PT Anderson films.
Seriously?? And what about Magnolia? i know for a fact that there will be blood is his best film, but i prefer magnolia than The Master. If magnolia is not on your top 2 is it at least on your top 5??
https://youtu.be/l86anOz0HCE
Only one acceptable answer for me
Seriously?? And what about Magnolia? i know for a fact that there will be blood is his best film, but i prefer magnolia than The Master. If magnolia is not on your top 2 is it at least on your top 5??
@Tozoco – I am not sure if your asking about the scores or the film overall so here are my rankings of his Films overall:
My ranking of PT Anderson Films
1. There Will Be Blood
2. The Master
3. Magnolia
4. Boogie Nights
5. Punch Drunk Love
6. Phantom Thread
7. Licorice Pizza
8. Inherent Vice
9. Hard Eight
The ones in bunches are really close in my opinion, I am fully confident in There Will Be Blood (2007) as much as I respect the others. Its his best film, best score, best single performance, best best best
The Master, Magnolia, and Boogie Nights are all really close though I was close to adding Punch Drunk Love as well. I am hoping to do a complete Study of his work after Kurosawa. But for now I am okay with this
* slight correction,
5. Punch Drunk Love
6. Phantom Thread
7. Licorice Pizza, is not really close to #5 and #6 here
8. Inherent Vice
9. Hard Eight
nice list! i personally would put the master lower but its debatable
@Tozoco – There Will Be Blood and Magnolia I was amazed with after my first viewing. If I were ranking these strictly by what I thought of them after a single viewing The Master (2012) would be near the bottom, it has skyrocketed from multiple viewings. Excited for rewatches for all of these soon.
Starting PT Anderson Study
Hard Eight (1996)
Notes:
2:10 Starts with nice framing as Philip Baker Hall’s character, Sydney, approaches John C Reilly’s character, John, who is sitting outside of a diner
6:20 heavy use of close ups on faces throughout diner sequence
8:53 John accepts Sydney’s offer to teach him how to win gambling in Vegas
13:33 shallow focus in casino
22 min skips ahead 2 years
23:18 low angle shots frequent
24:58 nice low angle shot of Sam Jackson in red suit matching red ceiling
30 min camera gliding through casino floor
36:30 score turns haunting (I think its same score used in late sequence in Boogie Nights)
44 min the first appearance of PSH, here playing obnoxious to the max
1:03:54 the hostel situation probably goes on a little too long, but it does built tension effectively
1:15:35 Sam Jackson’s character Jimmy in his car speaking with Sydney
1:17:12 close up on Sam Jackson’s face right as conversation shifts toward blackmail
1:20:28 nice foreground/background work with Sydney as silhouette
1:29:14 phone call with father/son dynamic is common theme for PT Anderson
1:33:50 nice low angle shot of Jimmy leaving Casino with bright lights in background
1:36:44 bookend with same Diner from opening
Thoughts:
The solid debut effort from PT Anderson, obvious this is nothing compared to what is coming but he seems to get into his rhythm here and much of this cast will appear in many of his later films. I actually considered skipping this one, I am glad I did not even if its minor PT Anderson
The pacing is slow but effective as it shifts from drama/character study toward a thriller
The father/son dynamic is common theme for PT Anderson
Verdict: R