The most important thing for a film to have is rhythm. Whether or not a film is made with heart, passion and creativity is decided by if it has rhythm. “One Battle After Another” is perfect with its rhythm from the first scene to the last.
The film follows Bob Ferguson (Leonardo DiCaprio) as he tries to save his child (Chase Infiniti) after his past finally catches up with him from his time in a rebellion against the U.S. government.
I went into the film with high expectations for Leonardo DiCaprio and he blew them out of the water. There were a lot of times where you could feel be led to believe he lived in the world of this film his entire life. He understood the role of a father so well that I could not imagine anyone else playing Bob Ferguson.
Another impressive part of the film is Chase Infiniti, a fellow Hoosier who does a fantastic job in this breakout role. I expect her career to skyrocket because she did an amazing job as a daughter, perfectly encapsulating the fire her mother has in the film. She has an amazing way of portraying with her body how tired she is of being wrapped up in all this chaos.
Sean Penn, as the villain, portrayed an evil so relevant to today’s world that it was shocking how natural it felt while he was on screen. It is a truly haunting performance, especially when it feels like you could meet this person in real life.
Production choices lead to a greater film
The film made the interesting choice to be shot on VistaVision, giving it a taller aspect ratio that fills more of the screen and fully immerses you in the action.
This action is the greatest part of the film, especially the practical stunts it relies on. All of it feels satisfying because nothing is unrealistic, especially the car chases. While the chaos in the movie is also allowed to breathe, creating a long form of uneasiness when it is impossible to predict what is going to happen next.
Sound design kept me engrossed in the film, from the loud gunfire to the beautiful rhythmic jazz that adds to every scene, making sure you feel the clock ticking above Ferguson’s head as he tries to save his daughter.
Director Paul Thomas Anderson knocked it out of the park with every choice he made, especially the decision to create such a politically charged film in a time like this. The film perfectly captures the chaos of the war the rebels’ fight.
Overall, “One Battle After Another” is a 5/5 stars with every cast member giving it their all. If you can see this gorgeous film in IMAX 70mm at the Indiana State Museum downtown, I highly recommend it. Indiana has one of only 10 theaters showing this film in its full 70mm glory, which is worth experiencing for a perfect movie like this.
